The Bookkitten

Fare thee well

2011-08-23T20:00:00.002-04:00

It's been nearly six months since I updated this blog, which means that I have been busy. Additionally, I haven't felt the pull of the blog much since my last entry. There have been times where I have mentally composed a blog post, but never actually took the time to sit down and write one.

Also, I feel that I've outgrown the whole "Bookkitten" personality. Don't worry, I still read a lot, but I don't feel the need to write any reviews. I read some of my previous reviews, and feel as if I gave too much away in my summaries and critiques. Eventually, it got hard to keep up with all of the books and reviews I tried to compose.

My best posts, to be honest, were the ones about my daily life. I liked those better than many of the book reviews I've written. For that reason, I'm going to keep this blog online, so that I can share them with people.

I've made some real-life friends in blogging, and I don't wish to let those go. For that reason, I am going to keep my E-mail address and Twitter handle. If you want to keep in touch, here's how you can reach me:

E-mail: thebookkitten@gmail.com
Twitter: @TheBookkitten

And in case you're wondering...yes, I do have a Facebook page. However, it is under my real name. Some of you out there are already friends with me on FB, and know my true identity. If you're interested at all, please send me an E-mail, and I'll be happy to respond to your request.

As for what the future holds, I'm not totally ruling out a permanent sabbatical from blogging. I may return to the Internets, but under a different blog name and personality.

In the meantime, I hope you all are well. Thank you for supporting me for the past four years; you've all helped me get through some difficult times and I appreciate that tremendously.

Fare thee well,
The Bookkitten

Bracketology

2011-03-15T20:32:00.003-04:00

If there's one sport that could come close to dethroning baseball as our national pastime, it's basketball. And 'round this time of year, there's one sporting event that is ever so sacred in the minds of many Americans, one that millions jump on the bandwagon for.

No, kittens, I am not referring to the NCAA college basketball tournament itself.

I'm talking about these:

Behold, the almighty brackets. The grid so ingrained in the lives of so many sports fans (as well as wanna-be sports fans) that it itself has become a pop culture icon. Witness how many magazines and blogs have used said brackets to rank its "best-of" lists. Entertainment Weekly, for instance, recently had a bracket of the most popular television mascots of all time (which, by the way, was won by Flo the Progressive Lady).

It's not so much the teams that get that coveted nod on Selection Sunday that interests me, but rather, how and why people are so emotionally, and in many cases, financially, invested in the brackets themselves. Bracketology attracts all kinds, from the most hard core basketball fanatics who know how to properly spell coach Mike Krzyzewski's last name, to those who only know how to dribble a basketball, to those who claim ignorance yet, around March Madness, proclaim themselves to be the nation's foremost expert on the tournament.

I personally fall somewhere in the middle of not being totally ignorant, yet not quite understanding the whole thing. As a Connecticut resident, it is my birthright to follow the UCONN Huskies. Now, if you're new to the whole NCAA tournament, you may be thinking, "Connecticut? That tiny state next to New York? Land of Steady Habits? Basketball powerhouse?" Well, only for the last 20 years or so. In 1990, Jim Calhoun coached the Huskies to their first Big East title, and then took the team to the Elite Eight. We lost that game to Duke, starting a very long standing rivalry that culminated when we won the national title over Duke in 1999. And let's not forget Geno Auriemma, the Huskies coach who almost singlehandedly put women's basketball in the national forefront. His teams have gone undefeated for several seasons in a row and are known for winning back-to-back-to-back national titles.

I know some of the different basketball terms used: center, forward, point guard, half-court shot, full-court press, three-point line, shot clock, foul shooting. Just don't ask me what they mean, or who stands where on the floor.

Yet every year, I find myself drawn to the office pool, dutifully entering and paying my fee, and filling out those brackets. I have engaged in bracketology every year for the past decade. For the first few years, I found myself either in last place or third from last. But my fortunes gradually changed. For two years running, I was at the top of the leaderboard after the first and second rounds of play. But then I fell out of the running after the Sweet Sixteen. And I actually placed third in two separate tournaments--however, this was only after all of our picks for the Final Four didn't make it. (Can we say George Mason University in 2006, kids?)

So what exactly is the draw of the NCAA brackets? Do people use it as a form of escape? A get rich quick scheme? A chance to relive their college days? Whatever your level of participation may be kittens, I wish you all luck, and...GO HUSKIES!!!

Back from hibernation--or, a cat nap, if you will

2011-03-11T20:03:00.002-05:00

Good evening, kittens--

I suppose it's time for me to update the ol' blog, since I haven't done so in over a month. How many of you are still out there? (Taps gently on computer screen). Helloooo?

When I was in college, I had this fantasy of those career women with a Starbucks in one hand and a Blackberry in another. Power shoes, Bluetooth in ear, the whole nine yards.

Well...guess what...

I'm now one of those career women.

I've been working in my field for ten years now, and I don't know when or how it happened, but all of a sudden, I went from rookie to veteran overnight. It's been both exciting and scary. It's interfered with my blogging, and especially my reading. I've been lucky to post a few random entries, mostly about the weather, and one book review.

And I've been watching and reading a LOT of news coverage. Collective bargaining, public sector workers at odds with local government, politics, and now...the earthquake in Japan. We've had what, three major earthquakes in the world in the last thirteen months? (Haiti, Chile, and now Japan). I've been steadfastly avoiding any story having to do with Charlie Sheen and Lindsay Lohan.

Lastly, I've been a lurker. Well, mostly a lurker. I've commented here and there on random blog entries. But I haven't posted on my own blog, mainly because my life has been this:

"Wake up. Work. Come home. Eat dinner. Go to bed. Oh, and a few meetings thrown in on a daily basis for good measure."

I have very few leisure events planned for the future, save for a weekend trip to the city with Mama Cat and Sister Kitten. But compared to last year, my social calendar is very empty. No weddings or baby showers/bridal showers. No fun concerts. No spontaneous road trips.

So that's where I am right now. I guess this time is teaching me how to live in the present, and not anticipate the future too much. And at this present time, I think I'll go have myself a glass of wine. :)

Hope to be posting regularly again soon.

Book review: Curly Girl: The Handbook, Expanded Second Edition, by Lorraine Massey with Michele Bender

2011-02-05T22:06:00.002-05:00

I was incredibly psyched when a representative from Workman Publishing contacted me to review an advance copy of the second edition of Curly Girl. I devoured the first edition and it became my Bible for curly hair care. I read this expanded edition more thoroughly than I did the first--and allow me to say, it's much more comprehensive, detailed, and illustrated than its predecessor.

Allow me to compare some of the differences:

In the first edition, author Lorraine Massey wrote about three types of curly hair: corkscrew, botticelli, and wavy. In this new edition, there are seven types of curly hair. I appreciated this because I always felt that I fell between corkscrew and botticelli. Massey includes more detailed descriptions of each type of curl, and, better yet, photographs of each one.
There is a DVD included with this edition. In the DVD, you can watch how one cleans and cares for curly hair, depending on your curl type. This is the portion of the book that I appreciated the most, because I could see firsthand how I should specifically care for my hair, as opposed to just reading the text and deciphering photographs.
Massey has added several new chapters to the book. My two favorite ones were about curly-haired men and "chemo curls." I was grateful that she included the chapter about guys and curls, because when it comes to hair care, the male population is sorely neglected. And Massey tackles the sensitive topic of losing hair from chemo treatments, then growing it back, with gentleness and aplomb.

I learned all about proper curly hair care from the first edition of Curly Girl. But with the second edition, I learned that I was still doing some things wrong, particularly when it came to washing my hair. I have heeded Massey's advice by using only sulfate-free products, but when it came to wetting my hair in the shower, and then applying the gel après-shampooing, I was not doing it correctly. Thanks to the DVD, I was able to learn the proper techniques.

According to one of the statistics in this book, over 65 percent of the population has some form of curly hair. One would never know it, though, since there are so many who invest in products to straighten, blow dry, and get rid of their curls. I must confess that I was one of those girls. But I am here, as a ringleted sista, to implore you to embrace your hair's natural texture. My curls are a part of who I am; it's one of my personal fashion signatures. It took me awhile to get there, but thanks in part to Curly Girl, I was able to do so. I am grateful for Lorraine Massey's help, and I hope that she helps you in the same way that she did for me.

I'm hoping not to blog about winter, the weather, or cabin fever...

2011-02-02T15:40:00.002-05:00

...so let me see what I can write about...

...soooo...

...hey blogosphere, how ya doin'?

Ice day today

2011-01-18T20:46:00.003-05:00

Today was my third day off in a week due to the winter weather. Just came back into the house from chiseling off my car. It wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but I am glad I didn't wait till morning, right before I left for work.

I must admit, the ice-covered trees looked beautiful in the street lamps. There's this crabapple tree outside my living room window that looks especially spectacular. I would have taken pictures if it weren't so dark outside.

Apparently we're due for some more of the white stuff on Friday. Not sure how much; cable's out and I didn't get to see the local news this evening. I'm hoping it comes back before bed, so I can make plans for the weekend. Sister Kitten and I are supposed to go out to dinner Friday night, but more importantly, Mama Cat's having surgery. She's getting a freckle removed; the dermatologist wants to take it off as a precautionary measure.

I'm glad the temp's above freezing right now--33 degrees. I know, it's only one degree above freezing, but that's fine with me!

Beauty tips for hard times: Coffee face and body scrub

2011-01-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

During my hiatus I got into learning how to make homemade natural face and body treatments. I'd like to share with you one such treatment, which I got from the website eHow. (Video link to follow).

This recipe is for a face and body scrub made from three simple ingredients:

coffee grounds (organic is best)
cocoa powder (non-organic works, but if you've got the organic kind, use it)
extra virgin olive oil.

Here's how you make it:

If you're making this scrub for your face, you will need two tablespoons of used coffee grounds. If you have a Keurig, this is about the amount of coffee grounds you will find in a K-Cup. If you're making this as a body scrub, you will need to use about four or five K-Cups, or whatever you use to make a pot of coffee.
Use one or two tablespoons of cocoa for every two tablespoons of coffee grounds. Mix the coffee grounds and cocoa powder together till the mixture is chunky.
Stir in enough olive oil to form a smooth paste. Don't make it too liquidy. (Unfortunately I don't have a specific measurement here; I just eyeball this until it looks okay).

Now, when you use this scrub on your face, make sure that it is freshly cleansed. If you're using this as a body scrub, you can use it right before you shower. (But don't use it right after you have been to the gym.)

I strongly advise you to use this scrub in the bathtub, before you start using the shower. If you use this outside of your bathtub it will take you forever to clean your bathroom. Trust me, I speak, unfortunately, from experience.

Stqart sing the scrub on your body. Really focus on the really dry areas, like your elbows, knees, and feet. Give your thighs a really good massage; caffeine is often used to treat cellulite, and is known to detoxify the skin. Finish up by scrubbing your face. Scrub your face more gently than your body, since the skin on your face is a little more delicate.

I need to add that this scrub smells absolutely decadent, like a mocha cake that has just come out of the oven to cool. Whatever you do, don't eat the scrub. Coffee grounds have a nasty texture in the mouth, as anyone who has sipped some leftover grounds at the bottom of a cup can attest.

Once you have scrubbed everything, turn on the shower and rinse! You will be brewing coffee as you rinse; make sure you rinse everything off, including in the bathtub. You don't want coffee stains in the tub!

Finally, follow up your scrub with some soap or body wash, to rinse the excess coffee off of your skin. This step may be optional for some, since the olive oil leaves a nice little moisture barrier on the skin.

Here's the link to the eHow video, if you would like to have that. If you're not familiar with eHow, think of it as YouTube full of instructional videos. The quality on many of these videos varies; this one is one of the best ones.

Try out the scrub and let me know what you think.

Shari Lewis, Lamb Chop, and Kitten

2011-01-16T13:00:00.002-05:00

Every now and then I get YouTube obsessions over the most random topics. My latest one started last week when I saw a report about ventriloquist Terry Fator on CBS News Sunday Morning:

My parents saw him in Vegas about a year ago and they loved him. It's easy to see why; he's amazingly good.

During that report, as you may have seen, there was a very small segment featuring Shari Lewis, Lamb Chop, and Charlie Horse. They were a big part of my childhood, through the old PBS show Lamb Chop's Play Along. I was fresh out of college when she died, and I felt the same sort of sadness that I experienced when Jim Henson died years earlier: It felt like a member of the family had left me. And then I thought, "Well, how is Lamb Chop going to go on? And Hush Puppy? And Charlie Horse?" (Personally, as much as I loved Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy was my favorite. I didn't care much for Charlie Horse).

Thankfully, Shari's daughter, Mallory, has taken over the act, and is now voicing Lamb Chop. And Lamb Chop sounds exactly like Shari's version. I honestly can't tell the difference.

Judge for yourself. Here's one of the many YouTube clips featuring Shari and Lamb Chop. I watch this particular clip and wonder why children's television these days can't be as good as it was back during my childhood. Shari doesn't talk down to the kids, and she's very creative in dealing with Lamb Chop:

And for comparison's sake, here's a segment with Mallory and Lamb Chop:

Home again today

2011-01-13T08:44:00.002-05:00

...and I still hear snowblowers around my condo complex, next door, and plows on the roads. Apparently they're still getting rid of the snow at work, which is why I'm home again today.

It's nice to know, though, that the main roads are clear again, so I can at least leave the house if I wanted to.

But those huge piles of laundry aren't going away any time soon...hmmm...

Snow day

2011-01-12T12:28:00.003-05:00

The entire state of Connecticut is closed. Or so it seems. There's no one on the roads, and the city police just called every resident, via automated message, to advise everyone to stay off the roads. Our governor told everyone the same thing, and he's already had his fourth or fifth press conference about the storm today.

My neighbors are comparing this to the blizzard of '78. I was two years old at the time, so obviously, I have no memory of it.

But there are at least two feet of snow outside. The snowbanks from the plows and snowblowers come up to at least my waist.

I'm taking a temporary break from digging my car out of its parking space. I need to defrost a bit.

And then I'll go outside again...because, in all likelihood, I've gotta go back to work tomorrow.

And on a random note...is that Eric Roberts on The Young and the Restless? (I don't ever watch soaps, but I haven't had the chance to change the channel from the local noontime news yet).

A snowy Friday night at Bookkitten headquarters

2011-01-07T18:04:00.002-05:00

...and I'm kinda bored. I figured I'd best explain in further detail the reasons for my sporadic hiatus. Basically, like I said in my last post, I had overbooked myself. Every weekend since mid-August, I had something to do for church, work, or social activities. And by December, everything caught up to me. After Thanksgiving, I felt run down. Exhausted. Sick. I didn't even put up Christmas decorations or send out cards. Holiday shopping became more of a chore than usual.

So, I decided to take charge. During my vacation the last week in December, I didn't do much. I didn't even attend a New Year's Eve party. I went over to Sister Kitten's, and we both were asleep after 12:30 AM. I rested, relaxed, and recuperated.

And my resolution this year is to take more time for me. For instance, I'm going to take the month off from social activities. I've been invited to a few outings with friends, but I'm not attending those. It's not that I don't want to see them; I do. But right now I feel it's best for me to spend some time alone--clean my house, organize things, and just decompress.

Wintertime is the perfect opportunity to do just that. The snowy weather, the cold, the wind--all pose perfect times to stay home by the fire, or in my case, the radiator. And as I'm typing this, I'm starting to realize what a friend of mine always says about winter being a time of rebirth--everything is at rest, getting ready for a season of rebirth and regrowth in the spring.

So I guess that's what I'm doing right now--but rather than "rebirthing" myself into a whole new person, I'm using the winter as a time of reflection.

So right now, I'm sitting by the television, with my laptop, watching the weathermen hype this latest storm (which took awhile to get to my little city). One cat is sleeping peacefully at my side, and the other just joined me at my left. I'm going to get up to go to the kitchen to pour a glass of wine, maybe two. A bubble bath may be in my future. And I've got flannel sheets and a down comforter on my bed. Life is good.

Already looking forward to 11.11.11

2011-01-01T17:02:00.003-05:00

If we're all jazzed up for today, 1.1.11, imagine the celebrations we'll all have 11.11.11!!! Sorry I haven't been around, kittens...I want to assure you that nothing bad occurred, it's just that I overbooked myself (no pun intended) during the last quarter of 2010. (Man, that last sentence was a modern day punctuation/run-on horror). Anyhoo, hope you're all happy and safe on this New Year's Day. I will try to get back to blogging as soon as I have the time and the mojo...the well has certainly run dry lately. In the meantime, all the best for 2011 and hope to chat with y'all soon!

Have you ever...

2010-11-27T02:10:00.003-05:00

...known someone, and valued that person, for many years, and just lost touch? And all of a sudden, after not thinking about them for just as many years, they just pop up, randomly, into your brain?

That's happened to me recently.

Lately I've been thinking about my 8th grade history teacher. Yes, kittens, I know that sounds random, but this woman really did a lot for me.

I was coming off a really bad 7th grade year. Really bad 7th grade year. Remember that this all takes place well before Facebook, Twitter, texting, and any form of instant communication that preceded the prank phone call.

I was an awkward child known for being a bookworm, for out of control hair, for ridiculous fashion sense, and for being an open target. I was bullied, mostly by my ex-best friend and her newfound cronies. I wasn't bullied so much that I had prank phone calls or eggs thrown at me, or toilet paper around my house, but I was insulted verbally. A lot.

So I built a wall around myself. And didn't let anyone in by the time that year came to a close.

Then came 8th grade. I faced a quandary by the time September rolled around: You see, kittens, I really liked school. I liked to learn. Hell, loved to learn. I would read ahead in textbooks and work on extra math problems for fun.

However, I hated the social part of it. Everyone had to dress the same, be the same, have the same hairstyle, talk about boys...

...I wanted no part of it.

I entered my 8th grade year determined to make it through socially, get straight As, and then go to private school, away from my peers, the following year.

That's when I met Mrs. P. In addition to being my history teacher, she was my homeroom teacher.

She knew who I was when I walked into her classroom on the first day of school.

And that scared the crap out of me.

She was a dynamic woman who was extremely well put-together. Not a hair was out of place. Fingernails, perfectly manicured. Her clothes were incredibly stylish. They may not have been all of the latest trends, but Mrs. P. had a way of carrying herself so elegantly. She had an incredible presence.

And she loved her students. Her enthusiasm for teaching was evident. Her passion for history could be seen on her bulletin boards, in her bookshelf, in the photos she had of students who participated in statewide competitions...

Wait a sec...

...do we all have to participate in this competition?

More on that later. But first, let's start with the second week of school, when Mrs. P. announced that she was casting for her annual play. That year, the play was about Black History Month. All of her students were required to have some part in the play, whether it was the chorus or behind the scenes.

I volunteered to be in the chorus.

But Mrs. P. had something else in mind.

She cast me in the lead.

Up to that point, I had zero acting experience. I only had, as most teenage girls do, a well-developed flair for the dramatic. I still don't know, to this day, why she had cast me in such a big role. Did she want to capitalize on my flair for the dramatic? Did she think I had a good speaking voice? Did she think I had stage presence?

Or did she want to instill a sense of confidence in an otherwise insecure girl? Did she see potential in me that I didn't?

I read the script and had it memorized by the next rehearsal. I really wanted to make a good impression.

By the night of the play, I had received compliments from classmates I otherwise would not have spoken to. They really loved my acting, and often told me, "I didn't know you could do that!"

Boy, was that an ego boost!

About a month later, Mrs. P. announced that everyone was required to complete a research project on a historical figure. There was a statewide history competition that year, and the theme was "Science and Technology in History." I decided to research Madame Curie, complete the three-paneled cardboard display, and turn in the project.

But Mrs. P. had other suggestions for me.

I ended up entering the competition--and presented my research through a dramatic monologue as Madame Curie, Polish accent and all.

I came in third in the regional competition, and felt confident enough I could win at the state level.

And I did--I came in third place in my category.

But only first and second place could go to nationals.

Needless to say, I was crushed.

The following morning, a Sunday, I got a phone call, at home, from Mrs. P. She asked how I was feeling, and I told her I still was pretty upset. But she told me that things would get better, and soon.

They did get better, indeed. Two days later our class left for our annual trip to Washington, DC--and the teachers chose me and another student to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

I never, ever thought I'd do something of that magnitude when I was in 7th grade.

Mrs. P. really helped me come out of my shell. She helped instill a sense of confidence and determination in me that I didn't know I had. She gave me the tools to do better in school and develop my potential.

Her classroom became a sanctuary for me. I'd hang out there a couple of times a week after school, and we'd chat while I did my homework and she corrected papers.

I ended up going to another high school the following year, and we eventually lost touch. Occasionally, throughout the years, I'd think about Mrs. P. and wondered what she was up to.

But this week, I've thought about her. A lot.

A friend of mine says that this happens to her quite a bit. She regards this as a sign that such a person needs to have a prayer said for them. And nine times out of ten, something happens to that person. Something significant, either good or bad.

So tonight, I said a prayer. I am really, really contemplating getting back in touch. Just sending a letter, or a Christmas card, saying how I am and what I've been up to since my 8th grade year. Just a thank you note would do.

But a part of me is very nervous about this. Is this the right thing to do? I found my second grade teacher a couple of years ago, another woman who had a significant impact on me, and wrote to her, but she never wrote back.

And then another part of me worries that she's ill and doesn't have the physical capacity to write back.

I'd better stop this, because I'm going around in circles, and it's very late. So let me conclude by asking you this, kittens: Have you ever told someone from your past how much they really meant to you? And when you did, were you able to do so before it was too late?

The Queen's Meme: The Threes Meme

2010-10-18T19:01:00.003-04:00

I couldn't resist this one...after all, I was born on the third day of the third month!

3. Where were you 3 hours ago?
At home, checking E-mail, then getting ready for my Zumba class.

3. Is there anything pink within 3 feet of you?
Why, yes there is! A pink and grey striped blanket, and my pink and white blazer.

3. Name the 3 scariest places in the world.
My office (very messy), the woods behind my house, and the north end of town.

3. Name the 3 loveliest sights you've seen lately.
The changing leaves on the trees (LOVE New England), a gorgeous sunset, and the stars in the autumn night sky. I guess I'm a bit of a nature freak lately.

3. Name the top 3 Bands in the year you were born.
KISS, the Eagles, and ABBA

3. Walk to your front door. Go outside and get in your car. Drive 3 miles East. Describe 3 things you saw on your way.
The Price Chopper/Home Depot shopping plaza, the Walgreen's next door to the CVS, and the local university campus.

3. I, Queen Mimi, have sentenced you to a 3-day diet of your most sinful cravings.
What will you be partaking?
Pirate's Booty (that stuff is AMAZING and soooo much better than Cheetos), chocolate flavored peanut butter, and macaroni and cheese. Yummm...

3. Go back to question #3. Change the first word to "travel" and let me know if you survived.
OK, I cleaned up the office...that wasn't too bad...then I went into the woods behind my house and nearly got eaten alive by a raccoon...but that prepared me for surviving the north end of town--barely.

Mimi, pass the Pirate's Booty and mac and cheese, please...

30 days of truth: Day Twelve

2010-10-13T19:46:00.000-04:00

Day 12 → Something you never get compliments on.

That would be my eyes.

I have Bambi eyes, and when I put my face on in the morning, they're the part I really accentuate.

Yet no one ever notes how nice they are.

Would anyone do so if they were blue, grey, hazel, green?

I dunno.

And I wouldn't wanna know.

Because I like my eyes!

30 days of truth: Day Eleven

2010-10-12T20:55:00.000-04:00

Day 11 → Something people seem to compliment you the most on.

That would be my hair.

As you know, it's naturally curly. Since I was a kid, I have received raves about my ringlets.

However, like most curly girls, I'd do anything to straighten it.

I've learned to accept my curls, and am quite proud of them.

I just wish all curly girls would be as content as I am.

30 days of truth: Day Ten

2010-10-11T20:46:00.002-04:00

Day 10 → Someone you need to let go, or wish you didn’t know.

I knew a girl from college who never really got the idea that I didn't want to be her "best" friend. A "good" friend, yes, but not a BFF.

On SNL, Kristen Wiig plays a character named Penelope, who one-ups everything that people brag about. For example, if a mother says that her baby can say "dada" and "mama", Penelope will say that her kid was fluent in two languages by her first birthday.

That's the way this "friend" has been to me. She always insists on getting her way; she hardly takes suggestions from anyone, and if she does, she'll lecture us on how our ideas aren't as good.

We lost touch for quite a few years. Then she friended me on Facebook. She's not very active on her account--and then, suddenly, she posted on my wall the other day. "Let's get together soon!"

I'm not sure how to respond to that one.

30 days of truth: Day Nine

2010-10-10T20:40:00.000-04:00

Day 09 → Someone you didn’t want to let go, but just drifted.

That would be the person whom I refer to as "BFF" throughout the blog.

We've drifted apart in the last several months, and here are the reasons why:

He's in a steady relationship. Lately he and his partner have been spending time with other couples, especially his partner's friends. I am not a part of a couple.
He spends his time with his friends' kids. I don't have any children.
He wants to start a family. I don't think I want to have children.
We're both really invested in our careers.

It's more of the emotional part that has caused us to drift...we both want different things out of life. And it really makes me feel bittersweet, considering how much we've been through in 16 years of friendship. His coming out. My episodes of depression. His breakup with his first partner. My juggling grad school and working full time.

But you know what? I've come to terms with our drift...well, I'm getting better at it. There are still some days where I miss picking up the phone and calling at random.

But he's moved on.

And I know I am, too.

30 days of truth: Day Eight

2010-10-09T20:34:00.000-04:00

Day 08 → Someone who made your life hell, or treated you like shit.

That would be the boss I had when I worked at a resort the summer before I went to college.

I won't say much, because it can be explained succinctly:

Worked shifts from 7 AM till 10:30 PM, with only two half-hour breaks.
Worked for minimum wage--which, at the time, was $4.25 an hour. By the time I left at the end of August, my rate went up to $5.25 an hour.
Whenever we closed down for the night, I always ended up on bathroom duty. And the toilets were RARELY clean.

They called me back the following summer. My mother, who answered the phone, gave my old boss the what for, saying that I would never be allowed to step on their grounds again, after how they treated me.

I didn't learn about this until about two summers ago.

And I am thankful for what Mama did for me.

30 days of truth: Day Seven

2010-10-08T20:18:00.002-04:00

Day 07 → Someone who has made your life worth living for.

Hmmm...this is a tough one. Obviously my family has made my life worth living for. So have my friends. But just one person to choose? I can't! So I'll go with my first answer. My friends and family keep me in line and have helped shape me to be the person I am.

30 days of truth: Day Six

2010-10-08T17:19:00.002-04:00

Day 06 → Something you hope you never have to do.

I could answer this question simply, by saying something like, "I hope I never have to go to jail," or, "I hope I never get arrested," or, "I hope I never have to clean the gutters on a house."

But I'll stay serious.

I hope I never have to become so morbidly obese that I need assistance in everyday life. I hope I never have to use an electric scooter to go grocery shopping, to lose my balance when walking, to gasp for breath when coming up the stairs.

I was heading that route--and fast.

So I had to make some changes.

I've lost 17 pounds so far, but still have a way to go.

A friend of mine is scheduled for bariatric surgery soon. She praised me for my weight loss, and then looked me in the eye, and said, "Don't become like me."

I know I can get healthy.

30 days of truth: Day Five

2010-10-07T20:27:00.000-04:00

Day 05 → Something you hope to do in your life.

After college I had several friends either enter the Peace Corps or the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. I've always wanted to engage in a long-term volunteer project in an urban area or a third-world country, but just never have had the time or opportunity.

That, and Papa Cat made it clear upon receipt of my diploma, that "I. Would. Get. A. Job."

Well, retirement's only about 30 years away for me!

30 days of truth: Day Four

2010-10-06T21:39:00.001-04:00

Day 04 → Something you have to forgive someone for.

This is a really difficult one for me, because I am a pretty forgiving person towards other people. I am the person I find myself most difficult to forgive.

Basically, I have to forgive certain people for their perfectionism. This is coming from someone who considers herself a recovering perfectionist. I just can't understand why people tend to obsess over the most minute details in their lives. I learned a long time ago (okay, maybe not THAT long ago) that there are MANY circumstances in our lives we can't control. And from those circumstances, I believe, is where humans learn their greatest lessons.

I have some friends who are so afraid of letting go that they can't take even one day off from work. I don't know why I let this bother me so. Maybe it's because I let myself get so run down at one point in my career that I wound up in the hospital for three days.

Please note that I say "recovering perfectionist". I still pride myself on my attention to detail.

But I'd like to think that I'm better about it than I used to be.

30 days of truth: Day Three

2010-10-05T21:36:00.000-04:00

Day 03 → Something you have to forgive yourself for.

This past July, I attended a wedding of a longtime college friend. BFF was there, along with several other friends that I hadn't seen for a long time.

Long story short, I met a guy. I liked the guy. Guy didn't ask me for my contact information. I took my misery out on BFF.

Basically, I have to forgive myself for letting my emotions get in the way of enjoying what was otherwise a very lovely day. Everyone else in attendance has forgiven me for what I did--I just wish I could forgive myself.

30 days of truth: Day Two

2010-10-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

Day 02 → Something you love about yourself.

I love my eyes and my hair. I have short, bobbed, naturally curly, dark brown hair. Some would say it's black, but if I go out into the sun, you can see reddish-brown highlights. True black hair does not have any highlights.

I also have big brown, wide eyes to match my hair. They're the part of my face I play up the most when I put on makeup. Eyes are the windows to the soul, and you can tell a lot about me just by looking in my eyes. They alone will tell you how I'm feeling. They express my emotions in ways that words never can.

30 days of truth: Day One

2010-10-03T21:28:00.002-04:00

Various bloggers I follow have done this challenge. I have no idea where it originated, or who did, but now I'm jumping on the bandwagon, in an effort to get back to posting.

And awaaaaaayy we go...

Day 01 → Something you hate about yourself.

I am my own worst critic. You know how some people are able to let the little things roll off their backs? I'm not one of those people. I tend to obsess over things that I've done wrong. I never forget any mistake I've made. Well, okay, that statement is an exaggeration, but too many times I make mountains out of molehills.

Through talk therapy and medication, I've become a lot better about this self-criticism, but it's an ongoing battle. At least I no longer feel like Sisyphus, constantly pushing the rock up the hill, only to watch it roll back to the bottom.

Lately I've been dreaming...

2010-09-29T22:10:00.002-04:00

...about my college days.

If I were to post this on Facebook, I would say that I didn't know why.

But the truth is, I do know why.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a workshop at my undergraduate institution. It's the kind of place where, every time I visit, I feel like I'm coming home. It will always have a special place in my heart.

But things have changed. A lot. There's so much construction on campus. My residence hall from senior year is being gutted and turned into apartments. Lots of new residence halls are being constructed. No new academic buildings are being constructed, though. The campus is now very crowded.

That was a very bittersweet feeling--walking around campus and seeing that everything was different. Lots of trees were cut down to make room for the new buildings. It wasn't the place where I went to school.

And then, over the past several nights, I've been dreaming about my undergrad days. And it's not just because of my visit there...lately I've been awash in many memories of the past.

It's inevitable in life that you drift apart from some friends, while making new ones. Some people leave your lives temporarily, only to return again, unexpectedly. Some people are meant to be in your lives forever, others only for a short time.

I'm in touch with quite a few of my college friends, but have grown apart from a lot of them, too. And lately, I've been really missing several of them. Some of them I've been missing so much that one of my dreams this week was about what my college life would have been like if I wasn't friends with the people I was friends with in college and beyond. Things were different. Very different.

I have one friend in particular whom I've known since freshman year. Lately our lives have taken completely different directions. My friend wants a family, and hangs out with her spouse's friends, mostly. I'm not quite headed in that direction yet. And I have another friend who's headed in the same direction; he hangs out primarily with his partner, his friends, and their kids.

And that leaves me...well, headed down another path.

And that's okay.

Sometimes I dream about college when I yearn for simpler times. For example, as much as I love to watch/read the news, I just can't watch it lately. Especially the election season here in Connecticut. Arrgh, too much stress...

Sometimes it just plain sucks to be an adult...

Other times, I'm pretty damn glad to be one. I look back at my senior year, and remember the feelings of bittersweetness. I didn't want to leave campus, but I also felt like I was trapped in a bubble. That protective bubble of the university gates. I was ready to move on, but at the same time, scared of what I'd face in the real world.

Well, it's time for bed now, ironically enough...what will I dream about tonight?

A post about nothing

2010-09-16T22:58:00.003-04:00

I haven't written since last Friday, when I informed the world that I don't have sleep apnea. It's been awhile since I've waited so long between posts. Lots has been going on, lots of good stuff, lots of activities to keep me busy, but nothing I'm ready to blog about yet.

I felt the need to post tonight, but I don't know what to write about. I guess I'm just posting for the sake of posting.

Kinda like that show about nothing...Seinfeld.

Which, in my opinion, is one of the most over-rated shows ever to have been produced. No offense to you Seinfeld fans, but I found the characters to be very self-absorbed.

Papa Cat loves that show. So much I've bought him the first three seasons on DVD. He has watched them, and also watches the reruns on TBS. I believe he's seen every episode at least four or five times. It drives Mama Cat crazy.

TBS. Home of Conan's new show. November 8th. Fifty-three days from this writing.

Writing a post about nothing turned out to be a post about random. This was kinda fun. Maybe I should do this again...

My sleep study results are in...

2010-09-10T07:51:00.000-04:00

...and I don't have sleep apnea! Woo-hoo! Excited!

However, it was determined that I have "disrupted sleep issues, and I could benefit from medication." I have a couple of friends who are on Ambien, and now they can't sleep without it. Literally. One tried to wean herself off, with her doctor's assistance, and just couldn't do it. She needed the drug in order to fall asleep.

So, I'm making some small changes. No caffeine after lunchtime. Meditating before sleep. Not falling asleep to the news, but with a good book. Nothing to eat after 8 PM. Only thinking positive thoughts as I drift to dreamland. Write down whatever's bothering me on a bad by my nightstand, so I don't process those things and wake up to nightmares.

So I'm relieved to be healthy...and not to have to go for a blasted sleep study again. I've had many bad nights of sleep, but that one was clearly the worst night of sleep I ever had!

Writers Workshop: This one just spoke to me

2010-09-08T07:17:00.000-04:00

This week's prompt, courtesy of Mama Kat:

A list of things you no longer have in common with your married/child bearing friends...and why you love them anyways.

Considering the increasing number of friends that I have that are going this route, I thought it was appropriate for me to choose. Hell, take it a step further and say that it's God's way of trying to tell me something. So here goes.

WHAT I NO LONGER HAVE IN COMMON WITH MY MARRIED/CHILD BEARING FRIENDS, A LIST CREATED BY KITTEN

1. Spouses
For obvious reasons--because I lack one.

2. Children (if they have children)
I am childless. Unless you count my fur-babies. Which I don't think Mama Kat is taking into consideration here.

3. A minivan, or vehicle equipped for young children or growing families
I've got a four-door sedan with keyless entry and auto start. And cupholders for when I eat/drink on the run.

4. A house
I have a two-bedroom condo.

5. Toys littered all over the house/floor
I'm not familiar with anything Little Tykes or Playskool makes nowadays--unless you count the items I see at my friends' houses.

6. Family picnics/vacations
The primary reason why I rarely see my married/child bearing friends these days--time is spent with the family.

7. Playdates
Every time I hear a group of mothers converse about "mom stuff," it's as if they're speaking a foreign language. Same with a group of childless married women talking about their husbands/domestic partners.

8. 529 accounts
Lots of moms I know received savings bonds when their kids were born/baptized/turned a year old. They promptly put them into college savings accounts. I do not have such an account for my fur-babies, even though I think they're smart enough to earn a PhD or discover a cure for cancer.

9. Facebook newsfeeds full of pictures of their children
Wanna see some pictures of my cats? No! Of course you don't! Growing children are far more interesting!

10. Time
It's hard to find someone to go to the movies with nowadays. My friends' schedules revolve around feeding times, playdates, and other meetings with fellow moms. Or, if they're married and childless, date nights with their spouses. Or their domestic partners, if they aren't married.

So why do I love my friends so, even though we have less in common now?

1. They make me laugh.
I don't need to say any more than that.

2. They were there with me during my formative years, and even though I had my share of screw-ups, they stuck around.
My friends' loyalty is amazing.

3. We can get together after not seeing each other for a very, very long time, and it's as if we saw each other five minutes ago.
We can talk for hours and hours and hours before we realize what time it is.

Thanks Mama Kat. I really needed a slice of perspective this week.

The coolest Emmys opening EVER.

2010-09-03T17:43:00.002-04:00

It has Springsteen and Glee. Two of my favorite things. Oh, and Jimmy Fallon, too. :)

Kitten and work

2010-08-31T20:16:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I returned to work. For those of you who know me in life, as well as longtime readers, know what I do for a living. For those of you recent arrivals, you could probably deduce my profession. But we'll leave it at that.

I've recently realized that work, for me, is a salve. That is, I often use it to cover up, mask, avoid, or forget, a lot of my personal issues. That is, if I don't let my personal issues become embedded in my job--which, in my line of work, is easy to do. I take things very personally. I can be very paranoid.

But the bottom line is this: When I'm at work, doing something I know I'm good at, I feel good. When I do poorly, I feel as if it's a reflection on myself.

That's just one of the things I learned about myself this summer.

Friend Makin' Mondays

2010-08-30T18:44:00.002-04:00

Hey kittens, I'm participating in this meme, which today is sponsored by the lovely Kenz at her fabulous blog All the Weigh. I discovered her through Jodi. Please stop by Kenz's blog and give her some comment love--and tell her Kitten sent ya!

Anyhoo, what's Friend Makin' Monday? Here's what Kenz has to say:

If you're new and want to take part, all you have to do is copy this post and a link (with your own answers) onto your own blog then link up at the bottom of [Kenz's post]. After that, just take a few minutes to visit a few FMM bloggers and leave a comment or two. It's a great way to discover new and awesome blogs. Let's get to know each other, shall we?

I like...being back in a routine. As much as I don't like getting up at the ass-crack of dawn, it's good to be back at work.

I don't like...peas. Never have, never will. They have a weird texture. I'm big on texture when it comes to my food.

I love...lots of things. Too many to list!

I dream of...living in a peaceful world.

I wonder...how I can recapture my sense of wonder and awe at things in the world around me.

I know...that life isn't easy sometimes.

I went...to the Y this afternoon for Zumba, and discovered that it was on their annual shutdown week. Major bummer!

I have...to bake a cake tomorrow for a dessert buffet we're having for a colleague who just got married.

I think...therefore, I am.

I plan...to do some form of exercise today. I'm not going to let the Y shutdown get me...well, down!

I regret...letting my emotions get the best of me sometimes. Sometimes I react before I've had a chance to think.

I do...a lot to keep me busy.

I drink...lots of different beverages every day. Mostly water, but I also drink milk, cranberry juice, coffee, tea (green, black, and chamomile), and a glass of red wine with dinner.

I wish...that this country weren't so divided. We've taken the "united" part out of our official name.

I am...Kitten, hear me meow.

I am not...actually a little grey kitten, like you see in my header. I am a human being, blogging under a synonym. I happen to like books and cats, hence, my nom de plume.

I need...to achieve balance in my life, somehow.

I graduated...with a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and a PhD from the School of Hard Knocks.

I hope...that I can be the best person I can be.

I want...to shed some pounds. I've recently made some lifestyle changes that are working. I love to see the results!

I sometimes...I'm going to quote Kenz's answer for this one, word for word, because it applies to me as well: "I try way too hard to impress people immediately upon meeting them because I want them to know that I'm more than just an overweight person."

I always...know that things happen for a reason, and that life has a funny way of working itself out.

I can...gain perspective on almost everything I've ever done.

I work...very hard to overcome depression and anxiety.

I cannot...walk and chew gum at the same time.

I avoid...again, I'm going to quote Kenz because it applies to me as well: "problems sometimes instead of facing them, but I've come a long way with that in the past year. That being said, I still have to work on it because my first instinct is often to avoid problems rather than facing and fixing them."

I will...wrap up this post and see if the butter has softened to start making my cake. :)

Live blogging the Emmys: The ceremony

2010-08-29T19:02:00.003-04:00

TY BURRELL!!!

The guy in the grey tux is named Ty Burrell.

He's from that Modern Family show I've never seen.

Anyhoo, on with the show, shall we?

8:02: So far, the opening is not disappointing and just may be one of the most memorable opening numbers in Emmy history. Jon Hamm grinding it with Betty White? Yeah!!!

SPRINGSTEEN?!?! YES!!!! And Hurley? I never watched Lost, but nice touch!!!

Damn, this needs to go on iTunes. Like, in five minutes.

Work it, Tim Gunn!!!

OmigGod, this is too. Frakkin.' Coll. I need to download this to my hard drive before those shmucks at NBC take it off YouTube.

Randy Jackson? Dawg!

By the way, Ryan Murphy, should you read this: Springsteen episode. If not next season, then season 3.

Oh, and Emmy producers, thank you for not using Kate Gosselin so much.

8:07: Born to Run production number over. Jimmy Fallon takes over with his acoustic guitar. "I'm going to be hosting a show on the West Coast. What could possibly go wrong?"

Cue close up of Conan, who seems to take it in stride.

8:08: Year in comedy retrospective.

8:11: Jon Hamm and Betty White present the award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. They enter to the strains of "The Odd Couple" theme.

The guy from Modern Family won. How? What is this show about anyway? I thought Colfer was a shoo-in for this one. To say that I am très disappointed is an understatement.

I've decided to go to bed right after they present Outstanding Variety Series. I have a feeling Modern Family is going to upset Glee--and if they upset Glee, they upset me.

8:18: I like John Hodgeman as narrator, and I can't wait to hear all of the grudge stories.

8:19: Whoever is writing the presenter banter needs to be dragged into the street and shot. Nice way to introduce the comedy writer nominees. Like how Tina Fey is wearing a Late Night with Jimmy Fallon t-shirt.

Modern Family won AGAIN. It beat out 30 Rock, The Office AND Glee!!! I'm ready to throw my laptop against the TV. Getting pissed. Why is it that the TV shows I root for to win end up LOSING?!?!? (Hope I didn't jinx Conan...hope I didn't jinx Conan...)

And everyone on Modern Family seems to be really long-winded with the speeches...

8:23: Ahhh, Stephen Colbert, please don't disappoint me. Please tell me that Jane Lynch's name is in that envelope you're holding in your right hand. Way to kiss up to the ladies, Stephen.

Prepping to throw computer against screen if anyone from Modern Family wins...

YES!!!! JANE WON, JANE WON, JANE WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Emmy gods!!! And she thanked her wife and little girl, and made a crack about jealousy that was great but I couldn't catch it in time (and I'm too lazy to rewind my DVR).

8:28: Let the tributes to Oprah begin...even though her show isn't off the air yet...

8:31: What the hell is Lauren Graham wearing?

Again, these writers for the presenters banter need to be dragged into the street and shot...

Betty White deserved the Emmy for SNL. More than deserved it. But I think Mike O'Malley should have received it instead of NPH.

Ryan Murphy won for Glee!!!!! Lurve the teal tux there, Ryan! Don't forget about my suggestion for the Springsteen episode...oh, and thank you for thanking the teachers. :)

8:36: What's NOT to like about a George Clooney cameo?

8:37: Lead actor in a comedy. Alec Baldwin, FTW! Sorry, Matthew Morrison, but there's no one like Jack Donaghy on TV!!

Jim Parsons won?!?! WTF?!?!? Now there's an upset!!!

Now I'm feeling really badly for Steve Carell...hopefully the last season will be the charm...

OT: This You Again movie with Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Betty White looks like it has potential.

Starting to get tired...but must stay up for Conan...must stay up for Conan...must stay up for Conan...

8:44: Ahhh, NPH...presenting Lead Actress in a Comedy...I have no idea who will win...oh, Edie Falco, an old pro at winning Emmy statuettes...I should watch this Nurse Jackie show, but I don't get Showtime.

8:47: Kim Kardashian should NOT sing. Not one note.
Greaaaaaaaat, the reality category. Have I ever mentioned to you, my darling kittens, how much I loathe reality television? (That is, the reality of the Kardashian/Big Brother/Not-So-Real Housewives variety...give me Mythbusters any day).

Top Chef won! At last, the Amazing Race stranglehold is broken! God, Padma Lakshmi is beautiful.

8:56: And now we're introduced to the accountants...wow, that went quicker than I thought.

8:57: Well, Julianna Marguiles is a somewhat better singer than Kim Kardashian...and now, for the drama category...gonna skip this one, kittens, I don't watch any dramas. See ya for the Variety category.

9:11: OK, I said that I'd skip the drama category, but I have to say...this has been a night of upsets. I've never heard of Archie Panjabi. Then again, I don't watch The Good Wife.

But I am quite familiar with the work of Christine Baranski, and I adore her.

9:12: Do NOT compare Edie Falco to a Real Housewife of New Jersey. She's too classy.

9:13: Three in a row for Malcolm's dad! He's a classy guy...and rawther cute. :)

We're coming up on 9:17 on the east coast, kittens. I really want to stay up and see if Conan wins, but it he's not on by 10 PM (a rawther likely possibility, since the announcer has teased that filler is coming up in the form of a musical tribute to canceled shows), I'm gonna have to turn in. I can't tell you the last time I had to wake up at my work reveille--the oh so lovely hour of 5:30 AM.

9:21: If all of us women could be as sexy as Ann-Margret when we get to be her age...and her voice sounds just as wonderful...

9:23: Oh dear Lord, here comes the musical tribute to 24, Lost, and Law and Order. With Jimmy Fallon impersonating Elton John. Chee-z!!

Wow, that was a quick change! Now he's in a weird getup singing to Boyz II Men, with a Law and Order tribute. Nice deal with the 40 Oz., a creepy acknowledgment to what he did when Conan went off the air.

Wow, very credible Green Day impersonation there, Jimmy.

How'd he change outfits so quickly, I wonder?

I have to say, Jimmy's doing a credible job so far. Not a wham-bam, amazing job, but a good job. Golf clap!

OT: Kinda surprised that Lost isn't receiving any Emmy love. I wouldn't know what I'm talking about, though, since I never watched the show.

Oh, they just announced the variety show salute. YES! Maybe I WILL get to bed on time.

9:34: Announcing the Variety category!!!!! With Stephen Colbert! Colbert FTW!! Black Eyed Peas FTW!!! And all they're talking about is the Conan/Leno debacle.

I have to say, Fallon looks really good in a white tux.

Oh, and BTW, in case you're wondering...yes, I am using textspeak throughout this post. Yes, I have written prolifically about my hatred for this dialect. But when you're live blogging, you don't want to miss much, and hence, I must use shorthand. A lesson I learned from my cousin, who is studying to be a stenographer.

9:39: Disappointed that Wanda Sykes didn't win for Variety Special. I love her!

9:45: Ricky Gervais is onstage. He's presenting the Outstanding Direction in a Variety Special award.

And he's going off script!! LOVE IT!!!!

OMG, he's giving beer out to people in the audience! Awesome!!!

Bucky Gunts--best name for an Emmy winner. Ever.

9:51: The Outstanding Variety Show award. Crap, my heart is racing right now. And there goes Jon Stewart with his Glenn Beck impression. Yes, mucho loud applause for Conan. Well deserved. Hollywood is with Coco. Nice ending to the B-roll by the way.

I'm gonna crap in my pants.

The Daily Show won AGAIN?!?!?!?! ROBBERY!!!!!

OK, gotta go on Facebook to see what the Coco fans are saying...

Yep, disappointment all the way around.

Conan O'Brien...the Charlie Brown of the Emmys.

And on that note, I shall leave you all. Good night, my darling kittens...

Live blogging the Emmys: Red Carpet Pre-Show

2010-08-29T18:04:00.004-04:00

This is my first attempt at live blogging; please forgive me if it isn't perfect.

We'll start off with the red carpet preview on E!

6:04: They're bedazzling E! mics now?

6:05: Seacrest's shmoozing with Jimmy Fallon right now. Fallon's hosting tonight. I love the guy, and I love his show, but his monologues are weak. I hope this show isn't one long monologue--and he's not gonna have The Roots to help him. God, his wife is gorgeous.

(Now, kittens, I don't honestly know how long I'll be able to stay up tonight, since I have to return to work tomorrow. I'm hoping to stay up long enough to see who wins the Variety Show category--Conan, Conan, Conan!!!)

6:08: They've actually gone to commercial!! And then they're interviewing the Jersey Shore crew--sans Angelina--after the break. I think I'll change the channel.

6:09: It seems like there are a lot of commercials--even though they've only been airing for two minutes now. I'm reminded of why I no longer watch live TV. DVR FTW!

6:11: Commercials are over. Gratuitous shot of the Goodyear blimp, followed by cheesy promo for the "glam cam", or whatever those new cheesy photo booths are that all the entertainment shows have now. This looks worse than being photographed constantly at a wedding.

6:13: They're already analyzing Emmy fashions. Oh Lord. :P

6:15: There's the Jersey Shore crew. Questions are asinine. And the answers are even worse. Are these people capable of answering with more than one word? Channel changed.

6:17: Caught the tale end of a Conan/Leno/Letterman story on my NBC affiliate. Changing channel back, since they're going to commercial.

6:18: Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt on E! Jon Hamm looks hoooooooottttttttttt. LURVE the grey tux!!

Speaking of looking good, Kelly Osbourne looks AMAZING!!! I've always loved her. She and Sharon are my favorite Osbournes.

6:26: Giuliana Rancic's interviewing Kevin McHale. He is adorable! He and Chris Colfer are my favorite cast members from Glee. Admitting to having a crush on Sally Field--to Sally Field?!?! Adorable!

OT: Really hoping Chris Colfer wins tonight. He is awesome as Kurt. And by the way, what's with the colored bow ties on a lot of the tuxedos tonight?

6:28: Now we've got an autograph cam? HURL.

Okay, I've decided to end this particular post at 7:00 so I can get ready for bed. That, and the pre-show's veeerrrrryyyyyyyy boring. Will write about the ceremony itself in another post.

6:31: Kathy Griffin and her mom, Maggie, are talking to Seacrest. Loved Maggie's response to the "Who are you wearing?" question: "A J.C. Peigné." (That's a Frenchified version of JC Penney for those of you kittens who don't know French).

6:36: Kim Kardashian meets Lea Michele for the first time. They're acting like two high school best friends gossiping in the bathroom. Seacrest's trying his best to stop the interview, but they wanna keep going.

6:39: Totally didn't recognize Claire Danes. I really hope she wins tonight. If you haven't seen her performance in Temple Grandin, you should.

6:40: ACK! I see Conan in the background! Or at least I think so...it looks like he shave off his beard. Was never a fan of the beard.

6:41: Eva Longoria Parker, like a lot of the women here tonight, is wearing a strapless black dress.

OT: Since when have I become so shallow that I actually give a damn about what these women are wearing?

How many of you kittens have watched Modern Family? What is the show about? The only shows I really watched this past season were Glee, 30 Rock, Conan, and 60 Minutes.

6:47: OK, so that wasn't Jon Hamm in the grey tux earlier. Who the hell was it? He still looks hot. Gonna have to rewind the DVR later. (Oops, can't...that's when I changed the channel).

6:49: Ricky Gervais has lost a lot of weight. He looks really good. Almost unrecognizable--at least till he opens his mouth. There's no mistaking that accent!

OK, I'm gonna quit live blogging for now. If any of you kittens can figure out who that mystery man in the grey tux was, please let me know! I can't find anything online!

The things that are stressing me out right now have nothing to do with my personal melodramas (for once)

2010-08-28T18:26:00.002-04:00

I really can't watch the news anymore. I just can't. But it's there everywhere I turn: on my Yahoo! homepage, on my Facebook newsfeed, on my Twitter feed, everywhere. No matter where I go I get depression, depression, depression thrown in my face--drama that has nothing to do with my friends or family.

So what's stressing me out right now? Recession. Unemployment. Partisanship. Political bitterness. The mortgage crisis. Wars. Floods. Lack of goodwill in this country. Prejudice. Racism. Hatred of people because of their beliefs, political or religious. For sale signs that are up in front of houses for months. Major oil spills that have almost destroyed an entire region. Hurricanes, especially if they're named Katrina, Danielle, or Earl. But especially Katrina. (I can't believe it's been five years already.)

Just now I tried watching the NBC Nightly News, but had to turn it off. I put on baseball. Phillies and the Padres. Teams I don't even care about. But anything but the news.

These days I've been longing for simpler times. Not so much the days when I was little and was protected by mom and dad, but...more like ten years ago. My mid-twenties. I had just moved out of the house. I had my first apartment, my first job. My friends and I hung out all the time. We were all in the same boat. Everything was new, full of wonder. It was a time where I could learn a new thing about my new home every day. Everything was full of firsts, kind of like when I was an infant: first adult vacation. First new car I bought on my own. First major road trip without family members.

And now...fast forward to the mid-thirties. Same job, different home. Mortgage, instead of rent. Condo fees. City taxes for car and water. Increasing electric bills. Hell, increasing bills all the way around. Friends losing their jobs. Friends getting divorces. Friends worrying about getting the mortgage approved to buy their first home. Friends having babies. More responsibilities.

When I was in my mid-twenties, I was fearless. I felt like I could take on the world. The world was my oyster. I loved life and everything about it.

And yet, somewhere along the way, that girl disappeared, to be replaced by one who had fear, anxiety, and an increased awareness of the global situation.

I miss the girl who I was in my mid-twenties.

But now that I'm in my mid-thirties, I can't go back. Too much has changed. I've already explained how.

I miss the innocence, the wonder, the thrill of discovery of being a newbie in the real world.

Maybe I can at least capture those feelings, those emotions, in these times, but I don't know how.

I would love to feel that way again.

An evening rendez-vous à l'hôpital

2010-08-26T16:54:00.002-04:00

Now kittens, before you panic about the title of this post, relax! I'm fine. I just went for a sleep study Tuesday night.

How many of you have ever been to a sleep study? Here's a rundown of what happens if you haven't:

First, you arrive at the hospital around 7 PM, and someone meets you to take you to the sleep lab. A couple of weeks before your study, you have to fill out a rawther detailed questionnaire about your sleep habits, indicating such information as what time you get up, how long you work, do you doze off at the computer at work, that sort of thing. You hand the questionnaire to your sleep lab technician, who then asks you to fill out MORE paperwork about the type of day you had. This second questionnaire asks what you ate and drank during the day, what medications you took, and if you took any naps during the day (I wasn't supposed to).

The technician, upon collecting my paperwork, set me up with a DVD to watch. It was all about the sleep study: what it's for, what goes on, and what kind of data is collected. Did you know that a typical sleep study can gather up to 800 pages of data? I thought that was neat, and fascinating. That's one of the reasons why it takes two weeks to get the results back to the doctor. The lab sends out the information to the sleep specialist, who then sends it back to the lab, and then sends it back to the doctor.

After the video, the technician asked me to get into my PJs. There's no shower at the facility, or at least my particular one; you have to shower before the study, and make sure that your hair is completely free of any styling products. Any bit of residue can throw off the results.

So I put on my PJs, but I couldn't hop into bed right away. Oh, noooo. I had to be hooked up with lots of electrodes. First the technician attached two electrodes to my chest, because they were going to measure my heart rate during the night. Then she put a band around my stomach and attached two more electrodes. I also had one placed on the middle finger of my left hand. Then I had one attached to either leg.

And finally, here's the fun part. I had one electrode on my neck, and one taped beside my left eye. The one beside my eye was meant to measure my REM during the night. And then I had ten electrodes pasted to my head, to measure my brain waves.

All of these wires were gathered up into a "ponytail", and placed to the side of the bed. There was a camera directly over the bed, so the technician could watch me toss and turn during the night.

And then it was time for bed. I adjusted my sleep number (yes, I had a Select Comfort double bed), and fluffed my pillows and got my comforter ready. You're allowed to bring your own pillows and comforter, and I'm so glad I did; the ones the hospital had were rawther thin. And the room started out COLD!

So then the technician shut off the lights and I tried to find a comfy position. It was NOT easy, given that I could only adjust so much with a bunch of wires coming out of my head. And then a couple of times the technician had to come in and readjust the electrodes because she wasn't getting a good enough reading. I also requested a temperature readjustment. She upped the temp from 66 to 73 degrees--and then I got VERY warm.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep very well during the night. I could have called and asked for the temp to be readjusted, but I didn't want to wake up and disturb the results. And there was no clock in the room. I can understand why; there are some who have clock anxiety and get worried that they haven't fallen asleep by a certain time. Me? I find the clock comforting. I like knowing I have several hours before I need to be up and at 'em. So I had somewhat of a reverse clock anxiety.

I was awakened at quarter to five and given a post-sleep questionnaire. I was very honest about my lousy night of sleep and let them know it. However, I also had to compliment my sleep technician; she was very honest with me, answered all of my questions, explained things very thoroughly, and was very pleasant.

About twenty-five minutes later, I left the hospital. Fortunately my house is a five-minute drive from there. Yes, I am spoiled by living so close to the local hospital. I was alert, but not quite wide-awake, when I left that morning.

But, then I got home, greeted the cats, and saw the couch in my living room...

Three and a half hours later, I awoke again, much more refreshed and relaxed.

My doctor had referred me for a sleep study partly because of my weight. Yes, I am overweight, and she was concerned that I had sleep apnea. I have complained about waking up during the night, but I have always attributed it to the stress of my job. I have never woken up gasping for air.

But we'll see what happens. I'll keep y'all posted.

Thursday Thunks: August 26, 2010

2010-08-25T17:59:00.002-04:00

For some reason there doesn't seem to be a code for the Thursday Thunks button. So if you want to play along, click here.

1. To whom did you last give the finger?
I dunno...probably someone who pissed me off as I was driving. And I give the finger in private; I just don't have the balls to actually hold it up.

2. If you had 1,000 dollars and HAD to spend it, what would you buy?
New bedroom furniture. I'd start off with the bed, and get a new mattress and boxspring. Then I'd get a dresser, armoire, and a nightstand.

3. What was the last beverage you spilled on yourself?
Most likely coffee...I don't have a good memory for spilling things on myself.

4. When was the last photograph you took? What was it of?
I can't remember the last time I took a photo, and I'm too lazy to go across the room and look up the shots on my digital camera.

5. Who was the last person to smoke a cigarette in your presence?
People who know me know me well enough not to do this. I'm asthmatic. I literally can't breathe around cigarettes.

6. What animal did you last pet or hold?
One of my cats.

7. What was the last superstitious thing you did?
Whenever I buy a beverage with a straw, I take the straw out of the wrapper, tie the wrapper in a knot, and pull both ends. Supposedly, if the knot breaks, someone's thinking of you. I've been doing this since college.

8. What was the last text message you received?
Something from Twitter.

9. Berleen has decided to buy twelve goats. If she trades three for some awesome pot, loses one while she was stoned, what do you think she did with the rest?
LUNCHTIME!!!!

10. What was the last musical instrument played in your presence?
I went to a band concert last month, if that counts. There was a piano, a drum kit, and a bass.

11. What was the last note that you wrote on your hand?
Something many, many years ago. I no longer use the original Palm Pilot, and haven't for years.

12. Kimber announced that she was born on another planet. Which one do you think it was and why?
Men are from Mars, women are from Venus. :)

13. What are you wearing as you answer these ridiculously stupid TT questions?
A T-shirt and jeans.

No time to say goodbye, hello! I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!

2010-08-24T09:26:00.003-04:00

Kittens, I need some advice from you. I need to make this quick, otherwise I'll be late for my hair appointment.

Which, ironically, is the subject of this post. I have a friend who is excessively, completely, obnoxiously tardy all the frakkin' time. No, she does not have any knowledge of this blog, so I feel comfortable sharing this with all of you.

Last month I had to drop my friend off at the airport. She sent me a text message earlier that morning saying, to the affect of, "You're still coming over at 11:30, right?" To which I texted back, "YES!" Now, my friends know that I am responsible, and usually show up fifteen minutes before the designated start time for any event. So I get really annoyed that, first of all, my friend does not trust me enough that I won't actually be on time to her apartment.

And then I get to her apartment, fifteen minutes before I'm supposed to, and I knock on the door. No answer. I knock again, and put my ear to the door. I hear the water running. She's in the shower.

She texts me in the morning to make sure I'm still coming over, and she's not even ready for me.

Long story short, she lets me in (still not done with her shower), and it turns out, she's not even done packing. I inform her that I want to leave at 12:30 in order to get her to the airport an hour early. We end up leaving at 1:15. It's about a half hour to the airport, her flight takes off at 2:30, and it's raining heavily, so traffic is heavy on the highway.

Oh, and did I mention, she wasn't even finished packing?

So this is where I need you to channel your inner Emily Posts and provide me with some helpful information. The above example is, obviously, a big one, but this is just to illustrate for you what happens whenever I hang out with this person. She is never on time for anything. I'm really sick of having to wait for her for everything.

And yes, I know it's probably tacky for me to post this behind her back. Maybe I should channel my inner Emily Post...

Gotta run! Or else I'll be late for my hair appointment!

Book Review: Heidi's Inbox: Scandal in the City, by Holly Denham

2010-08-19T08:56:00.003-04:00

Holly Denham, the befuddled London receptionist who gave us all a glimpse into her life--and her inbox--is back with a brand-new book full of more scrapes and hilarity.

Holly is still at the bank, and is doing very well for herself. She is successful in her job and is madly in love. And now she's up for a promotion. Things couldn't be better for Holly--and then scandal starts to edge its way back into her life.

Like it's predecessor, Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is told entirely in E-mails, with the exception of one chapter, which consists of Holly's texts to her best friend, Jason. I really liked this format because you really got to see the entire contents of her inbox, which include E-mails from family and other businesses. The correspondence from members of Holly's family, in particular, shed some light on her quirky personality, from a meddling mother trying to get Holly to change her career, to a nutty grandmother who is trying to get Holly's mother to stop meddling in her affairs.

And then there are the E-mails from the "Unknown Angel," which pop up sporadically throughout the novel. This lends a little bit of mystery to the book. Just who is this person, and why is she sending Holly E-mails?

At over 500 pages, one may seem a little intimidated to start reading a book so big. But this book is written entirely in E-mails, and it goes by very quickly. I managed to finish it in two sittings. It's one of those novels where you stumble upon a plot element that may seem subtle, but turns out to be a plot changer in the end.

Oh, and that scandal that the book's title refers to? You're just going to have to read the book to find out what it is!

Thursday Thunks: August 18, 2010

2010-08-18T16:46:00.003-04:00

A. If you see a tornado out your window, what do you do?
I live in Connecticut. Tornadoes are, sadly, becoming a part of life here, even though they weren't very common before. If I saw one out my window, I'd probably enter into Freakout Mode and run around my house like a banshee, panicking because I was facing impending death.

B. A celebrity knocks on your door saying that their tour bus/limo/pedal bike broke down (you pick the transportation)... who is it and what do you do to help them?
It's Pee Wee Herman, and his bike got a flat. I'd help him out by fixing his tire and giving him a generous serving of ice cream soup.

C. Brett is back on the Vikings - do you really give a crap?
No, and I don't really give a crap about American football, either.

D. What side of the bed do you think Bud sleeps on?
He sleeps in the middle, so he can have a French Twin on either side of him.

E. Cookie Monster eats vegetables now. Is this ok with you?
No! He's the Cookie Monster! He can't eat veggies! Stupid political correctness...

F. All the TT's get together for coffee... which state do we meet in?
Well, this is a tough choice...you've got Seattle, Washington, home of Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and cool music...but you could also go to Hawaii, where the Kona coffee is incredibly tasty...oh, hell, Hawaii! It's warm, there's fabulous beaches, and lots of eye candy.

G. Is the town you live in famous for anything? Infamous for anything?
My city is famous for being the home of Wesleyan University. It's infamous for a big explosion at a clean-energy power plant earlier this year.

H. Coffee flavored bubble gum - would you?
Hells, no! Why should I get coffee flavored bubble gum? I can't even get coffee flavored coffee! (Warning: lots of foul language in the video below):

I. So Kimber lost her fight with a granite table.... what did you ever lose a fight with?
An Exacto knife. Long story short, I ended up losing a lot of blood, had a thick skin flap on my thumb, some stitches, and a lot of scar tissue and numbness.

J. Have you ever slept beneath the stars?
I've been camping before, so yeah.

K. School is starting up soon, or has for some, did you get a new pair of tennis shoes every year while you were in school?
I got a new pair of loafers, or any type of leather shoes. I went to Catholic school, so I had to comply with the dress code.

L. What two flavors do you love that you would never want to taste at the same time?
Chocolate and garlic. Love them both, but sometimes two great tastes DON'T taste great together.

M. If you could shave a quote into a lions fur, what would it say?
You think it's easy to get near a lion who would let you do this? But if I were able to do so, I'd shave the MGM logo into its fur. Kinda like an ironic lion tattoo.

N. Did you ever accidentally walk in on your parents doing the nasty? Did you ever purposely walk in on them?
No to both questions...hell, no one should ever even think about this possibility...gross!

Wednesday Wickedness: Hugh Grant

2010-08-18T00:38:00.003-04:00

My blog has been all over the place lately, as you have seen, but I am trying hard to rediscover my blogging mojo. As you know, I only post when the spirit moves me--and those winds haven't quite made it back to my part of the eastern seaboard.

But I was over at Bud's place earlier, and I found this new meme. Wednesday Wickedness takes a celebrity each week, and then asks you to respond to ten of that celebrity's quotes. This week, the meme takes on Hugh Grant. Heerree we go...

1. “Basically, my life is so boring, it's embarrassing.” How boring do you think your life is?
For Hugh Grant, an international movie star, to say that his life is boring...well, I find that rawther pretentious.

2. “But I just know from experience that accent wise, even if you're an accent genius, crossing the Atlantic is the hardest thing in the world either way.” Can you do any accents? If not, do you know someone who is good at it?
How many of you have ever picked up accents just by spending time with someone who does? My first year of college I lived in a dorm with lots of people from central and eastern Massachusetts. You know, the "pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd" variety. I picked up a Boston accent very quickly. I don't have it anymore, though. I can still affect a rawther poor British accent.

3. “For any new technology there is always controversy and there always some fear associated with it.” What technology did you at first fear that you now could not live without?
Kittens, this technology that I am about to describe is something I had trouble mastering at first, but now I absolutely adore it. In fact, it's so wonderful, that the kids of today have trouble understanding it, and we adults can use it to communicate secret messages. It's called cursive handwriting, kids.

4. “I cling to the fantasy that I could have done something more creative. Like actually writing a script, or writing a book. But the awful truth is that I... probably can't!” Do you, or have you ever, thought you have a book in you?
I write a blog, and have been doing so for three years. Technically, I could print up my posts and publish them as a book of essays, but I'd rather not.

5. “I had Courtney Love's left bosom out of her dress on my plate in front of me. It was extraordinary. I didn't know where to look.” Have you ever been in a similar type of situation?
I've never met Courtney Love, so I can't say that I have.

6. “The moral of filmmaking in Britain is that you will be screwed by the weather.” How does the weather effect where you live?
I live in New England. The weather goes from sunny to snowy in less than five minutes. I do know that it affects my mood; as Sister Kitten says, I can go from happy to pissy in less than five minutes.

7. “When I think about actors I know, I'd much rather hear about who they're shagging than what film they're doing next.” How about you? Are you more interested in you favorite artist’s next work, or the TMZ side of it all?
As much as I say, "I could care less about the TMZ side of it all," I will admit that I have the website for People Magazine bookmarked. But my favorite actor's bedroom business should remain where it originated--in the boudoir.

8. “Women are frightening. If you get to 41 as a man, you're quite battle-scarred.” Have you ever felt “battled-scarred” by a relationship or relationships in general? If yes, do tell.
Who hasn't? It's a part of life. Everyone's got their own coping mechanisms for dealing with that.

9. “You know everyone loves to be the villain.” Do you tend to root for the bad guy?
Lemme put it to you this way: Whenever I watched the Road Runner duke it out with the coyote, I always wanted Wile E. to win. Just for once.

10. “I think that's the whole point of Bridget Jones. It's all about that it's okay to fail.” What have you failed at and learned a lot from?
Relationships. Not necessarily of the romantic variety, but in dealing with people in general. It takes all kinds...

Adorable!

2010-08-17T16:00:00.002-04:00

Found this video on Entertainment Weekly's website today. It's too damn cute!

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON from Dean Fleischer-Camp on Vimeo.

Life-changers diary, day 2

2010-08-16T21:58:00.002-04:00

OK, if you were around yesterday, you've already read my post called "Kitten's life-changers." And if you haven't, do so! Yesterday I made a list of changes that I wanted to make personally in my life, and came up with one rawther ginormous list. So rather than tackle some really big things all at once, I decided to break them up into little tasks. For example, here was my list for today:

Home maintenance:
1. Fold and put away clothes in dryer
2. Pick up items from living room floor
3. Clean litter boxes
4. Take out trash and recycling
5. Sort and wash darks

I managed to do four out of five of these things. There are still some items on the living room floor that have not been picked up, and probably won't be until tomorrow. And I'm okay with that.

In the health category:
1. Brush teeth before bed
2. Wash face before bed
3. Eat an apple
4. Make a salad for the week
5. Eat at least two veggies, including one with dinner

Okay, a few words about this one...I'm a little embarrassed to admit these things, but I need to hold myself accountable, and what better way to do this than to broadcast these things to the entire blogosphere. I have very poor eating habits, and while I have good hygiene in the morning, I don't always follow through at night. Which is gross and disgusting. Lately I've felt much worse waking up in the morning if I don't take care of myself at night.

With respect to today's health goals, I've already brushed and washed, and had my apple. I didn't have dinner tonight because I was still full from the Chinese food leftovers I had earlier in the day. But I did manage to have some celery stalks dipped in tomato-basil hummus. And I haven't made my salad yet because I need to clean my kitchen (!) Cleaning my kitchen will be my home maintenance goal for tomorrow.

At first, I grumbled and complained about giving myself points for these somewhat mundane tasks. But as I checked them off my list, and as I kept finishing my tasks, I felt pretty good! I didn't accomplish everything on my to-do list, but I managed to get most done!

I will update you all tomorrow with my goals!

Kitten's life changers

2010-08-15T21:56:00.002-04:00

This evening I was up at the Cat Family Homestead, hanging out with the 'rents and Sister Kitten, who told me about a little activity she's doing with her best friend.

Recently, as she was helping her BFF out with her two little boys, they talked about certain changes that they wanted to make in their lives. Both want to exercise more. Both want to change certain eating habits. Sister Kitten wants to spend less time on the computer and the Internet. So what she and her BFF did was make a list of all of the things in their lives that they wanted to change, and they typed them on an Excel spreadsheet. They assigned each task that they wanted to change a certain number of points. For example, for each day they exercised, they got a point. For each day they went without sweets, they got a point. If they had vegetables at every meal, they got a point. At the end of the week, they decided to tally the number of points they earned, and if they got to a certain goal, they would reward themselves. (Sister Kitten didn't get a chance to explain what the rewards were).

They decided to begin with an eight-week commitment. After eight weeks, I'm not sure what they're going to do. But I thought this was a really terrific system, and it got me thinking. I'd like to set something similar up for myself. After I write this blog post, I'm going to make a list of things I'd like to change about my life, and assign them point values. Plus, I need someone to help hold me accountable. Sooo...I would like to invite all of you who are reading this to participate with me. Leave a note in the comments section if you are interested in participating in this project (I really don't want to call it a challenge), and we can share ideas and thoughts.

Tomorrow I hope to have a list of habits I'd like to change, and will publish it here on the ol' blog. I hope you'll be able to join me!

In a Muppet state of mind

2010-08-11T16:28:00.003-04:00

Lately I've been perusing YouTube for all things Muppet. The following clip, which a friend of mine sent me, is the one that started it all. It's the latest one that the Muppet Studio has posted on its YouTube channel:

And then there's this one:

But this one remains my favorite, and is a St. Patrick's Day tradition here at The Bookkitten:

By the way, the first clip is available for download on iTunes. You're welcome.

My lip zit

2010-08-04T17:22:00.002-04:00

It's really embarrassing that I have a zit on my lower lip.

Unfortunately, lip zits are very difficult to get rid of. You can't use standard zit creams, out of fear of ingesting things you really shouldn't. You can't wear concealer because it wears off quickly from sipping your coffee and eating your breakfast.

Tell me, kittens, do any of you have experience in getting rid of lip zits? I need to know how to dry this puppy up. It's ruining my otherwise (now!) clear complexion!

Thursday Thunks, July 29, 2010

2010-07-28T19:40:00.004-04:00

1. We know how creative Berleen is with her terrific tee-shirts and such, so how about you? Do you draw anything or perhaps your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
I scrapbook and cross stitch. That's pretty crafty. As for drawing, stick figures are the way to go for moi.

2. Kimber doesn’t always leave her house. I wonder if she knows what is out her back door. What is out your back door?
Trees and a state highway. And the other half of the horseshoe driveway that goes through my condo complex.

3. Do you prefer the beach, a pool or a lake? Why?
The beach. More opportunities for people watching, plus I love the salty air scent. And there's nothing like the feeling of sand between your toes.

4. What is something recently that happened to you that you are REALLY excited about?
Life's been pretty dull lately. Like I said on Facebook the other night, there are some potentially exciting changes coming up, but first I gotta go through Freakout Mode. (I'm not ready to share those changes in Blogland, yet, though. However, I must add it has nothing to do with a new man in my life).

5. I am fortunate that I come from a very close family. Are any of your great-grandparents still alive? If not did you ever meet them?
I only met my great-grandparents through stories my own parents told.

6. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group? Tell us about it.
About a week ago, at a church meeting. Nothing major, just expressing an opinion.

7. Have you ever bungee jumped? Would you ever bungee jump?
No to both questions!!!

8. How strong emotionally do you think you are?
I'm a little weakling.

9. Kimber and Berleen still have NEVER met, yet they are best friends. What is the first thing you notice about people when you meet them?
Eyes are the windows to the soul.

10. Who do you mess with the most?
My best friend. Because it's FUN!!!

11. Who was the last person you talked to on a landline?
Uhhhh...what's a landline?

12. I finally saw Avatar this week. What was the last movie you watched long after it came out and loved?
I honestly don't know. I'm not into movies.

13. What did you dream about last night?
Blackness. Pitch blackness.

The songs in my head

2010-07-22T20:30:00.002-04:00

I discovered this video the other day, and it is my current YouTube favorite. Your favorite NPR personalities spoof Lady Gaga.

It's nice to finally put some faces to the names. And that Guy Raz is HOTTTTTT!!!!!! (And Ari Shapiro's not that bad looking, either).

Hungry

2010-07-21T23:24:00.002-04:00

Ever have one of those nights where you're just not hungry enough for your usual dinner, and then, a few hours later, you find that you've got a ravenous appetite?

Such is the case with tonight. I really didn't feel like eating a complete dinner, but I needed something to tie me over, so I opened a can of organic sweet corn, heated it up a little, and ate it. I figured it was a vegetable, and it would fill me up.

And now, six hours après le repas, I'm feeling it. I'm starving.

Or am I?

Is it because I'm housesitting and I'm bored and I really want to go home? Is it because of the thunderstorms that moved through the area, and I'm away from my cats right now? Is my hunger more emotional as opposed to physical?

Either way, I'm going to bed. I figure I can have a nice, wholesome breakfast in the morning.

Something with protein.

To keep me from going hungry.

Book Review: About Alice, by Calvin Trillin

2010-07-20T21:31:00.003-04:00

This is the latest in the string of memoirs that men have written about their late/critically ill wives. I assure you, kittens, that it was purely coincidence that I read three of these books in a row. But this volume was in the bargain bin at Borders, and I had heard a lot of good things about it, so I picked it up.

About Alice is a loving, affectionate memoir about Alice Trillin, who was the muse, editor, and chief critic/confidante to New Yorker magazine writer Calvin Trillin. Alice, he writes, was the one who ensured that her family ate three square meals a day. She was the one who insisted that a parent attend every single performance of their child's play, no matter how poor it was. She was Calvin's biggest critic, reading over every draft of a piece that he wrote for the New Yorker. He knew the minute that Alice frowned that he would have to rewrite, most likely several drafts worth, of his story.

Mostly, About Alice is a story of courage. Alice Trillin was diagnosed with lung cancer when her daughters, Abigail and Sarah, were very young, seven and four, respectively. She wanted to beat the disease in any way she could, in order to see her daughters grow up. She ultimately survived, and watched her daughters marry. Calvin Trillin writes admiringly about Alice's determination, especially during her final years.

I was not familiar with Calvin Trillin's work before I read this book, and I am not sure if I would pursue his works any further. While About Alice was a very touching story, it was very dry at times. This had nothing to do with the subject matter. Sometimes Trillin can get on a tangent and ramble on about topics that have nothing to do with the main plot. This is where I found the book to be tedious. However, you can't deny the affection, admiration, or love that he had for his wife. That is really what makes the book worth reading.

Thursday Thunks--July 15, 2010

2010-07-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, okay, I know I'm posting these on a Friday, but SHEESH!!!

1. Billy Mays died about a year ago. What kitchen gadgets have you bought that you've used less than three times? What are they?
My Pampered Chef cookie press. I just can't seem to get the hang of it. Not that I have time to bake cookies these days...

2. What celebrity would you like to shake some sense into, and why?
Mel Gibson. Given all of the press about his rants on tape, I don't feel the need to explain.

3. Jimmy Buffett just did on concert to benefit the victims of the Gulf. Name a Buffett song that you like.
"Come Monday"

4. How did you feel about Ringo Starr turned 70?
A Beatle is 70 and still rockin'! Good for him!

5. What sport do you absolute see no point in watching?
Synchronized diving. What's the point of it?

6. Trivia time. Do you know the first names of the French twins?
Michelle and Ma-Belle.

7. You are in the best seafood restaurant in Canada. What type of meat do you order?
The rarest, juiciest steak available.

8. How far would an electric car have to go without a recharge before you'd buy one?
100 miles

9. Did you see that a high court ruled that you can swear on regular TV? What word can you just not wait to hear?
Motherf---er. I can't even swear on my own blog.

10. You are in the finest steak and rib joint in Kimberville (Arizona). What seafood dish do you order?
LOBSTAH!!!

11. What was the last concert that you attended that really sucked?
I've never been to a sucky concert, thank goodness.

12. What type of accent would you like to have, if you were forced to change yours?
I've got a thing for Australian accents.

13. Kimber's got four kids with chicken pox. Berleen is not feeling the love today, so I was asked to host. What do you miss most when neither originator of TT is asking the questions?
Honestly, it's been so long since I've thunked that I can't answer this question!

Book review: Jan's Story, by Barry Petersen

2010-07-15T12:04:00.000-04:00

CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen had an idyllic marriage to one-time local TV news anchor Jan Chorlton. They were the couple known as "Darling and Darling." They spent many happy years traveling the world together, as CBS News sent Petersen on assignments in such places as Tokyo, Moscow, and London.

Yet over time, subtle changes occurred with Jan. First there was the depression, the unwillingness to leave the apartment. Then came the memory lapses and the strange behavior, ranging from leaving the stove on to wearing street clothes to bed instead of pajamas. Finally, Petersen contacted a neurologist back in the States (he and Jan were living in Tokyo at the time), and after a phone consultation, Jan was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's. She was 55 years old.

At first, Petersen was Jan's sole caregiver, but the role soon became physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing, as Jan's behavior and emotions became more difficult to handle. He then hired a live-in nurse to become Jan's caregiver, but her emotional outbursts became more difficult to handle, especially in public. Finally, after much painful debate, and careful consultation with Jan's friends and family, Petersen made the difficult decision to place Jan in assisted living. At the time, the Petersens were still living in Tokyo, and Jan was sent to a nursing home in Bellevue, Washington. Even after Jan was placed in assisted living, Petersen was still unprepared for the continued taxation that this decision took on his mental and physical state.

Jan's Story is an incredibly honest, candid look at the repercussions that friends and family face when dealing with Alzheimer's. This is one of those books where you really experience the emotions along with the storyteller; I found myself feeling angry, sad, and pained as Petersen wrote about losing his beloved wife. He refers to Alzheimer's as "The Disease," something that has taken his Jan from him--even though her physical presence is still there. At one point he writes that it is like going to the same funeral, over and over again.

This book is a quick read, something that most readers may be able to finish in one sitting, because the storytelling is very engaging. However, the emotions are so raw and strong that I had to put the book down after a few chapters before I felt ready to read it again.

I was inspired to read Jan's Story after watching this segment on CBS News Sunday Morning, where Petersen serves as a correspondent. As painful as it was to watch, and as painful as the book could be to read, it is still a moving testament to the struggles that Alzheimer's families face every day.

Book review: Love is a Mix Tape, by Rob Sheffield

2010-07-14T20:07:00.004-04:00

Ahhh, the mix tape. At first it was a rite of passage as an adolescent: When a friend made a mix tape especially for you, that was one of the ultimate signs of true friendship. Same goes for when a boyfriend or girlfriend made you one; it was a sign that he/she really cared.

I remember creating mix tapes as early as the fifth grade. Back then I would have the radio on for hours, listening intently for my favorite songs, and would press record the minute they came on. In high school and college my mix tape creations evolved to bumming CDs and cassettes off friends and dorm mates. I was meticulous about creating the perfect playlists. I purposely chose songs that would forever remind me of that one special occasion, that one special car trip, that one special place or person in my life.

For me, music can take me places that other senses can't: It stirs memories, feelings, and passions way down deep in my soul. If you play, for instance, "Sherrie," I'm immediately transported back to my college's mailroom. That song was playing the first time I ever checked my on-campus mailbox. You play "American Pie," and I'm back in Boston, in 1993, when I was at a leadership conference for Catholic youth.

Rob Sheffield, a contributing editor for Rolling Stone, feels the same way. Each chapter begins with a list of songs on a mix tape that is significant to a specific year. Love is a Mix Tape is, indeed, a love story about Sheffield and his wife, Renée, a punk-rock loving girl from the deep south. He uses the mix tapes to chronicle their courtship, wedding, and first years of marriage. He and Renée, at the time, were both freelance music writers. Early in the book, Sheffield recalls the first time he met Renée, in a bar in Charlottesville, where they were both attending grad school:

When the bartender at the Eastern Standard put on a tape, Big Star's Radio City, she was the only other person in the room who perked up. So we drank bourbon and talked about music. we traded stories about the bands we liked, shows we'd seen. Renée loved the Replacements and Alex Chilton and the Meat Puppets. So did I. (p. 3)

Rob and Renée's love affair lasted seven years, ending with her sudden death at the age of 31. (No, this is NOT a spoiler; it was written in the summary on the back of the cover.) Following her death, Sheffield is plunged into a very deep grief. He writes candidly and frankly about his panic attacks, his self-imposed isolation from his friends, and the depression he experienced upon her passing. Throughout his journey, like he did earlier in the book, Sheffield includes his mix tapes, and reflects on how certain songs got to symbolize this painful time in his life.

One of the reasons why I enjoyed Love is a Mix Tape so much was that it was as much of a journey into music history as it was a memoir about a lost love. Sheffield is passionate about punk, and reflects upon how he and Renée felt when they saw their music "go mainstream" in 1991. Then again, one shouldn't be surprised about this aspect of the book, considering that Sheffield is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone, the granddaddy of music journalism. Sometimes, though, Sheffield goes off track when he starts writing about the evolution of music and veers far away from the main storyline, but he always returns to it when a fresh chapter starts. If you're really into music, you'll appreciate this layer to the memoir, but if you're not, you may find it a little tedious.

I have to recommend Love is a Mix Tape for the storyline, the storytelling, and the commentary on the music industry. Sheffield also includes, in several places, his thoughts about the iPod and how that has made the mix tape obsolete. Which reminds me...there were some excellent songs on all of the mix tape lists that Sheffield has included in this story. You may wish to have your computer beside you as you read, so you can download some of the songs from the iTunes bookstore. If anything, this book helped me fill in some gaps in my iTunes library.

BONUS LINK: There is a website called Epicwinftw.com that is about preserving childhood memories, especially if you were a kid growing up in the 70s or 80s. Here is a page dedicated to the mix tape. Enjoy!

Book Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery

2010-07-11T10:45:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine had read this in her book club, based upon a recommendation I had made. I was quite surprised; I don't even remember recommending the book when I was in said book club! (I had to drop out due to work commitments). But I guess someone had seen it on my bookshelf, and thought it would be a great book to read.

I had picked it up at Borders because of the subject material. It takes place in Paris, at an apartment building at 7, rue de Grenelle. Renée Michel is the building's concièrge: a modest widow who goes to great lengths to conceal her intelligence. On the outside, she is poor, homely, and aloof. But take a look inside her apartment and you'll see copies of works by Proust, Marx, and other great philosophers. She quotes from such works of literature as Anna Karenina, and is very familiar with classics of the American cinema, especially Gone With the Wind.

Paloma Josse is a twelve-year-old girl living in Madame Michel's building. She is a member of France's upper class, la bourgeoisie. Her father is a member of parliament, her mother has an advanced degree in literature, and her older sister, Colombe, is a philosophy student at the École Normale Supérieure. Like Madame Michel, Paloma strives to conceal her intelligence, but, unlike Madame Michel, she is not always successful; she still earns high marks at her school. Paloma is a withdrawn child, one who plans to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday, and then burn her family's apartment.

The first half of the book alters its narrative between Madame Michel and Paloma. Each character has their own unique way of looking at the world. Madame Michel was born to a family of poor laborers, and her upbringing has greatly affected her perception of people. Paloma was born under opposite circumstances; however, she is not very fond of being rich. She is almost embarrassed by it. Her narratives, while slightly tinged with the sort of drama only a twelve-year-old can provide, are still very deep and profound, and very mature for her age. Both Madame Michel and Paloma quote philosophers to support their opinions, and use colorful metaphors to describe what they see. For example, here's Paloma's first impression of Madame Michel:

Madame Michel has the elegance of the hedgehog: on the outside, she's covered in quills, a real fortress, but my gut feeling is that on the inside, she has the same simple refinement as the hedgehog: a deceptively indolent little creature, fiercely solitary--and terribly elegant. (p. 143)

Neither Madame Michel nor Paloma interact with each other much, if at all, until a wealthy Japanese man moves into the building. Karuko Ozu soon befriends both ladies: Paloma, because of her love for Japanese culture (especially manga), and Renée, for her love of Tolstoy. Their friendship with Karuko helps them through some difficult times: Paloma, through her adolescent struggles, and Renée, with an incident that has haunted her since childhood.

The friend who had read the book before I did advised me to have a dictionary next to me as I read the text. While I didn't have it next to me the whole time I read the book, it is still a good thing to have on hand. I learned lots of new vocabulary just from the first half of the book alone.

Additionally, the first half is packed with lots of intellectual and philosophical material. You will need to pause after reading a few chapters. Fortunately, each of the chapters are very brief. Once you've digested what you've read, keep going, but slowly. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is like a rich chocolate dessert; you can't gobble it up within five minutes. The pace of the book picks up in the second half, though, and once it starts, you don't want to put it down. The characters in this book are very well-developed, and their eloquence and ability to articulate is amazing.

So far, this is the best piece of fiction I've read all year. I like any book where the protagonists stay with you for a long time, and I certainly will keep Renée, Paloma, and Karuko very close to me.

My state of mind right now

2010-07-10T16:30:00.002-04:00

Lucy Knisley is a Chicago-based cartoonist who publishes her own comics via her website. I first discovered her after I read her first book, French Milk, which I reviewed last year.

I had the chance to rediscover her recently, and as I was perusing her comics, I came across this little gem. It perfectly describes what I'm going through right now.

I hope you can all click to enlarge the drawing, but if you can't, you can find the original right here.

Lookin' for love online...

2010-07-06T17:17:00.000-04:00

So I decided to take the plunge and register for some Internet dating websites. The results have been far less than promising...

First up, here's what eHarmony had to say...

And here's what Perfectmatch.com had for me...

Looks like I really AM fated to be a crazy cat lady...

When friends join the "Mommy" and "Married" Clubs

2010-07-05T10:50:00.002-04:00

WARNING: This post may be perceived as whiny and selfish, so if you wish to spare yourself, don't read!

Over the past three months, I have had two friends get married and one friend have a baby. I am thrilled for all three of them. One friend came off of a very difficult first marriage and finally found a man who loves her and cares for her deeply. My other recently married friend finally found someone amazing after years of less-than-stellar partnerships, and many tears shed over, "Why can't I find a guy?" And my friend who just gave birth finally did so after years of trying, thinking of foster care, and fertility treatments.

And yet...there's this other side of me which feels...well, bitter. Depressed. Left out. On the outside looking in.

My friends and I have a lot in common, as you know. We've all had our share of adversity when it comes to men and children. I had another wedding to go to yesterday, and during the ceremony, I started to think, "I'd like for that to happen to me." And then later, during the reception, I thought, "Why hasn't it? So-and-so has a girlfriend, and so-and-so is now married, why am I still single?"

And then I was sitting next to this guy at the reception, and we really hit it off, and we had a good time. My friends couldn't understand why he didn't ask me for my phone number--and then the bride tells me that he, well, plays for the other team. I told her that I was kind of disappointed that we didn't exchange information, and after she told me, I felt awful. Awful that I felt like he was leading me on, and awful that I told her that I was sad--on her frakkin' wedding day!--what was going through my head! So now I've hurt my friend's feelings, and I won't be able to talk to her until after her honeymoon--if I do.

After the ceremony, people were talking about getting together with the bride, mostly couples. Well, I'm single. This really started to hurt. Badly.

Here's the thing: I have never complained about my lack of a romantic partner, but yesterday, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Now I realize I may be missing something. My philosophy is to never complain about something unless you can do something about it, but the thing is, I'm scared as hell to join an internet dating site or put myself out there to meet someone. And at this point I must confess something: I've never had a steady boyfriend. I'm afraid of dating right now because my lack of experience is going to count against me. That, and I'm afraid of getting my heart broken. Basically, I'm either the gay man's best friend, or guys aren't interested in me more than friendship. What is wrong with me?

And my friend with the baby: Yes, I know she has new priorities now, and can't spend as much time with me. She's spending time now with her mother friends. Again, I'm feeling left out, and I shouldn't be. It's a pretty damn cute baby, too, and I really would like to spend more time with her and the baby. But as my friend says, weekends are saved for family time.

And I am not a part of the family.

So why am I taking this to the blog, as opposed to face-to-face contact with my friends? Easy. I'm afraid of pushing my friends away. They're going to think I'm acting like a two-year-old. Which I am. So I am better off putting a smile on my face, faking everything's cool, and pushing my feelings way down into my gut and not saying a word.

Not like they'd care. My friends are a very tight-knit bunch. They all live within the immediate area--except for me. They're all in a choir--except for me. They all get together for dinner before choir rehearsal--except for me. Geography, I realize, pays a huge part in this. I have a mortgage; it's not like I can switch apartments. And I have a steady job; not like I can switch in a jiffy (especially in this economy).

I'm at the point where I plan not to return phone calls, to isolate myself from the world. And I know that's not healthy. I just can't believe I'm feeling this way, that I'm not stopping myself from doing so. Not like anyone would care; I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I'm always going to be on the outside looking in, career-wise or friend-wise.

I used think that I was okay being the single, crazy cat lady.

I'm not sure about that anymore.

Happy Canada Day to all of my brethren north of the border!!!

2010-07-01T07:31:00.001-04:00

And to celebrate this glorious holiday, here's a little Conan love for you! This clip was taken from one of the shows he did in Toronto years ago, not sure which year:

Limbo Contest! from Darci Frederickson on Vimeo.

Book Review: This Time Together, by Carol Burnett

2010-06-25T22:03:00.003-04:00

I have been a huge Carol Burnett fan since I was seven or eight years old. I'd watch the old episodes of Carol Burnett and Friends at my grandparents' house, and later in life when cable finally came to my hometown. In college I was known to tape episodes of Carol Burnett and Friends on the Family Channel. It drove my roommate crazy. She didn't get it, but BFF, whom I met in college, did. We'd go to each others' dorm rooms and watch Carol Burnett together. That's one of the things that has bonded our friendship.

I have her first book, One More Time, which is a detailed memoir of her childhood, growing up with alcoholic parents, a hypochondriac grandmother, and living in poverty in a one-room apartment one block north of Hollywood Boulevard. You can find my review of it here, and you can read other posts I've written about Carol here.

I had pre-ordered this book last October, almost as soon as I heard that it was going to be published. When it finally arrived in my mailbox this past April, I put aside the book that I was reading at the time and dove right in. I finished in about two hours.

As Carol writes in the foreword, this book originally started out as a collection of show business anecdotes that she had wanted to write for her grandchildren. Many of these recollections came from questions that audience members would ask at her touring Q&A show (you can read about my experience here).

Lots of the anecdotes are humorous. For example, she writes about the time she first met Jimmy Stewart, her idol, and was so flustered when she talked to him that when she left the studio, she stepped in a bucket of whitewash and walked out with said bucket still on her foot. There are several stories about the cast of The Carol Burnett Show, particularly about Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. There is one story involving Tim Conway and a stuffed sheep that had me laughing out loud--something that doesn't happen often when I read.

Some of the tales remind us that even celebrities are human, and get starstruck. Carol describes living in the same New York apartment building as John Steinbeck, and how they first met in an elevator going to their respective floors. There is a very funny story about renting her beach house to Sir Laurence Olivier. And there are two particularly funny stories involving meeting Cary Grant for the first time, as well as an Iranian princess who had the same physician as Carol.

At times, some of the stories that Carol told were touching and heartbreaking. There are a couple of sections in the book about her late daughter, Carrie Hamilton, and the play that they wrote together, Hollywood Arms. Carol writes in a style that makes you feel as if she's sitting next to you, having a conversation with you, and you can really feel the mother's grief as you read through these chapters. Carol also writes about the time when she met a very young cancer patient, and how this patient came to the set of The Carol Burnett Show to meet her. Again, the sense of grief and sadness that you get when reading these sections is incredibly palpable.

This book is not a tell-all book in any sense. In spite of some sadness, Carol generally keeps the tone light and conversational. Not only does she recall some moments of her career, but she recalls some humorous life moments, too, such as the time she had to take her dog to the vet in the middle of a New York City blizzard. There are a few stories about her daughters when they were growing up. And there are some tales about living a normal life as a celebrity. Not only do you get a sense of Carol Burnett as a performer, but you get a sense of Carol Burnett as a person. Both personae make her that much more connected to the reader.

I am going to make an unusual recommendation here: By all means, read the book. But I also want to tell you to get the audio book, especially if you're a fan. Carol herself reads the book, and the conversational aspect of the text takes on a whole new different meaning. Yes, she is there in the same room with you, because she's reading her own stories, but she's reading it as if you're the only person who's listening to the text, as if she's giving a performance just for you. She sings, she does different character voices, and at times, becomes emotional. I don't know how I stumbled upon it while I was in iTunes, but I'm a big enough fan that I purchased it, even though I had a hard copy. And I don't regret it at all.

While I finished This Time Together in one sitting, I found myself going back at random occasions and re-reading some of the anecdotes. You may find yourself doing the same thing. Because while you appreciate the time you had together with Carol, there are times when you just want to have a little more.

Book Review: The Geography of Bliss, by Eric Weiner

2010-06-24T17:54:00.002-04:00

How many of you have ever thought about happiness? I mean, what does it mean to be happy? How does one remain in a state of contentment and never let anything bad happen to them? Or, rather, how does one deal with both the good and the bad in their lives?

Eric Weiner wondered just that. As a foreign correspondent for NPR, he had been to places such as Afghanistan, Indonesia, and Iraq--places not exactly known for happy people. Unhappy people and places, Weiner reasoned, make for good stories, because they inspire people, and they are more newsworthy.

After reporting so much, though, on the doom and gloom of the world, he thought about taking one year off to study the happy places of the world:

Places that possess, in spades, one or more of the ingredients that we consider essential to the hearty stew of happiness: money, pleasure, spirituality, family, and chocolate, among others. Around the world, dozens of what-ifs play themselves out every day. What if you lived in a country that was fabulously wealthy and no one paid taxes? What if you lived in a country where failure is an option? What if you lived in a country so democratic that you voted seven times a year? What if you lived in a country where excessive thinking is discouraged? Would you be happy then? (introduction, page 2)

Weiner starts his journey in the Netherlands, where he visits the World Database of Happiness, an institution which attempts to collect data and statistics on this state of being. In other words, happiness is something that can be measured. Along the way, he attempts to find his own brand of Dutch happiness by ordering from the many offerings at one of Rotterdam's famed hashish bars. Did he find happiness in that bit of Moroccan hash he smoked? Well, just for a little while.

That is just one of many little experiments that Weiner conducts during his year-long voyage around the world. He visits ten countries in all, including a study on American happiness, written after he returned to the Mother Land. I won't include details on everything that he learned (since I'd really like you to read the book), but there are some interesting little revelations throughout the work. In his visit to Switzerland, Weiner figures out exactly why Swiss watches are known for their punctuality--Switzerland itself is obsessed with being on time, right down to the second the trains and planes leave the stations and airports. In Bhutan, the king has implemented something called the Gross National Happiness, a national priority/mandate. (NPR actually covered this recently on Morning Edition; you can read more about this report here.)

In Iceland, happiness can be found in one's failures--in fact, failure is encouraged in Icelandic culture. This is a lesson that I believe Americans need to learn desperately. In our culture, failure is seen as something terrible, and many spend their lives trying to avoid it. In Iceland, one is a failure for not experiencing failure. This chapter, for this very important lesson alone, is one of the most valuable in the book.

Another chapter I found really intriguing was the one about Qatar, a nation that is full of money and riches--but no national culture. It's interesting to read the reasonings behind how a nation can be content with all of its riches, but still lacks such a self-awareness about something to call its own. This is something that Qatari expatriates pick up on very quickly, but something that the natives are, almost blissfully, unaware of.

The chapter on India is also especially interesting. This is a nation where poverty and misery are profound, yet this is a nation where many foreigners travel to find contentment in one of its many ashrams. Weiner does indeed visit an ashram, but it is not where he obtains perspective on the Indian philosophy behind happiness.

I picked up this book on a whim one day, at Borders, during one of their "buy one, get one 50% off" sales. It, like many of my purchases, made its way to my bookshelf for about a year. I finally retrieved it from "Bookshelf Hell" when I decided to embark on my own little Happiness Project. This was the first book I decided to read, and I am--pardon the expression--happy that I did. The Geography of Bliss really gave me a lot of perspective on my own definition of happiness and contentment. Not only that, it helped me get perspective on balancing happiness with sadness. Down times are inevitable in anyone's life, and to see how different cultures deal with life's ups and downs help me deal with mine.

More importantly, it helped me examine the overall American attitude towards contentment. There is a general American perception that one needs to be happy and content all the time. Sadness, failure, and depression are too often seen as weaknesses. If this book does anything for our national culture, I hope it's teaching the lesson that sadness, failure, and depression are not weaknesses, but character builders. I'm going to stop short of saying that The Geography of Bliss should be required reading in psychology courses, but it should be something for people who are going through their own Happiness Projects should read. If anything, it provides so much perspective.

Stay tuned over the next few months, kittens, as I read more books I've chosen for my Happiness Project, along with an explanation--coming soon--as to why I've decided to launch this.

Book Review: A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, by David Foster Wallace

2010-06-22T17:55:00.005-04:00

I brought this book with me on my cruise in February. I had been wanting to read David Foster Wallace's works for a very long time, and thought I'd start off small, before perusing his pièce de résistence, Infinite Jest (which tops off at over 900 pages).

I didn't realize until after I started reading the book how academic it is in nature. Wallace, after all, was a journalist who wrote for such diverse magazines as The New Yorker, Esquire, The Paris Review, Harper's, and Playboy. The book was composed of seven essays that were once published in magazines such as these. Some of the essays are very interesting. And some, if you don't have the background knowledge in order to appreciate what Wallace is writing about, can be difficult to read. I had to go back and re-read several paragraphs at a time in cases like these in order to fully absorb what I had read.

For example, the first essay, "Derivative Sport in Tornado Alley," was a memoir of Wallace's days as a competitive junior tennis player. Apparently he was once one of the best high school tennis players in Illinois. When he got to college, however, he realized that he could burn out very quickly, and gave up the sport. As a kid who was never an athlete, and never competed fiercely in any high school competition, I couldn't relate personally to some of his experiences. I liked the metacognition, or schema, that was needed in order to fully appreciate this essay. (My high school English teachers would be so proud of me for writing that last sentence!)

However, that first essay prepared me for the second to last tome of the book, an essay about a rising tennis star named Michael Joyce. At first I wondered who Michael Joyce was, since I had never heard of a tennis player with that name. And then I looked at the publication date of the essay: 1996. I decided to do a Google search to answer the "where are they now" question; however, I'll let you do a Google search, if you wish, once you finish reading this post. I don't want to include any spoilers.

The essays, while cerebral, are quite enjoyable, but not something you can read in one fell swoop. This is one of those works where you have to read a few paragraphs at a time, allow some time to absorb the information, and then continue. My friend Chantal, who went on vacation with me, would look over at me and pronounce that my book "wasn't beach-reading material." She is right; this is not something you can take with you to the beach on a lazy, hazy afternoon and breeze right through.

However, I read portions of the last essay to her, and she had to laugh at it as much as I did.

Why?

It was about the then-fledgling cruise industry.

That was a fitting conclusion to the book, given the environment. Next time I go on a cruise, though, I'm leaving the David Foster Wallace at home. This is good middle of the day reading, when your brain is functioning at its peak, but not just before bed reading when you're in the mood to relax. That having been said, I'm going to give him another chance; I just haven't decided which book it's going to be, yet.

I know it won't be Infinite Jest, though. Not yet.

The Queen's Meme: The Beach Meme

2010-06-21T23:46:00.002-04:00

Ahhh...a meme we can ALL relate to!!!

1. When is the last time you saw the ocean?
When I was in Newport, Rhode Island this past Memorial Day weekend.

2. Where is your favorite stretch of beach shoreline?
Long Beach Island, New Jersey. For years it was the Jersey Shore's best-kept secret. But lots of people discovered it, and now it's become a mega tourist-trap for the nouveau riche. It's not the same LBI from my childhood.

3. Are you planning a beach vacation this year?
Just day trips to Connecticut beaches. I'm not going away for a week. Long Island Sound is definitely NOT the ocean, though. But at least I live in a state with a coastline.

4. Bikinis or one-piece?
If you've got the body for a bikini, go for it. However, I don't have a bikini body, so I'm gonna go with one-piece in this instance.

5. Do you sunbathe or sit under an umbrella?
Sunbathe with the highest SPF I can find. I feel sheltered if I sit under an umbrella.

6. Have you ever been to a nude beach?
I've walked through one, but never spent a lot of time there. A friend of mine wanted to walk through the nude sections of the Robert Moses beach on Long Island, so I obliged. We were in our late teens when we went, and we just kept talking about nothing so we wouldn't stare.

7. Favorite activity at the beach while on vacation?
Body surfing is the best! The bigger the wave, the better!

8. Condo, hotel or cottage rental?
A cottage rental is the ONLY way to go.

9. What beach in the whole wide world would you like to visit for the first time?
Any California beach.

10. Did you ever have a special romantic time at the beach?
Who hasn't?

11. Tell us about a favorite beach memory.
As kids we went to Long Beach Island for two weeks every summer. We'd literally be at the beach from 10 AM till 5 PM. We'd walk back to the rental for lunch, then go back to the beach ASAP. Then the ice cream man would stop by the beach and we'd pick up a treat. We were in the water almost the entire day. I miss those days something awful.

Book Review: Happens Every Day, by Isabel Gillies

2010-06-21T18:10:00.006-04:00

Could it be...that the Bookkitten has actually written a book review for the first time in months? Yes, it is true--and I am soooo happy to be finally writing a review!

We're getting back into the book reading groove with this selection--which I read while I was on vacation in February:

I had originally picked up this book back in April 2009, during a random trip to Starbucks. This was one of the coffee chain's monthly book selections, which they put right next to the register. The cover itself looked appealing enough for me to pick up a copy. As I waited for my latte, I skimmed the summary on the left flap of the dust jacket:

Isabel Gillies had a wonderful life--a handsome, intelligent, loving husband; two glorious toddlers; a beautiful house; the time and place to express all her ebullience and affection and optimism. Suddenly, that life was over. Her husband, Josiah, announced that he was leaving her and their two young sons.

When Josiah took a teaching job at a Midwestern college, Isab el and their sons moved with him from New York City to Ohio, where Isabel taught acting, threw herself into the college community, and delighted in the less-scheduled lives of toddlers raised away from the city. But within a few months, the marriage was over. The life Isabel had made crumbled. "Happens every day," said a friend.

There are many, many stories out there about this exact plot. Woman thinks she has the ideal marriage to a smart, handsome man, and has the house with the white picket fence, the dog, the mini van, and the 2.5 children. And then, suddenly, it all goes wrong. It's a story we've all heard before. However, I was intrigued because this was a true story. Additionally, Ms. Gillies is an actress (she played Detective Stabler's wife on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit), and I wondered how much of her dramatic training would lend itself to the storytelling.

It takes awhile for the memoir to build up to the climax. She writes, in vivid detail, about meeting Josiah one summer in Maine, where their families vacationed. She was instantly attracted to the scholar, who eventually earned a Ph.D. in poetry. Josiah's ultimate goal was to obtain a full-time professorship, teaching poetry.

That opportunity arrived when Josiah accepted a position at Oberlin College in Ohio. Isabel threw herself into her new life, and eventually became an adjunct drama professor. They purchased an old house near campus, and everything seemed wonderful.

But soon, Isabel suspected that her husband was cheating. There were the late nights in the office, and the deepening friendship with a female Oberlin colleague. The fights between Isabel and Josiah increased. Isabel wanted to save the marriage, but Josiah kept telling her it was beyond repair. She had very mixed emotions: On one hand, she knew she had to leave, but on the other hand, didn't want to give up the life she had.

Happens Every Day is a no-holds-barred look at a deteriorating relationship. Isabel Gillies is raw, honest, and unapologetic towards her now ex-husband. The further I read this book, the more I thought of Josiah as an ungrateful, self-centered man who really didn't care that he was abandoning two children. I was especially affected by the descriptions of "keeping up appearances": giving friends and family the perception that everything was normal, and there was a happy family life, without providing any detail of the tension that lied within.

So how was this book different from other tales of marriages ending? Well, unlike the movies, Happens Every Day does wrap up its plot in a great big bow, with all of the plotlines neatly tied up. It's like having a conversation with someone who is going through a similar breakup, and just needs to vent, in order to get all of the emotions out. It's like being witness to a therapy session, and you're the therapist, listening to it all.

This is one of those books that begins where you read it in one fell swoop, but then, you have to put it down for awhile before you pick it up again. That is not because of lagging storytelling; rather, you have to sit back and process all of the emotions that Ms. Gillies has laid out on the page. It's as if you have to get over being angry at certain parties (namely Josiah) before you can continue.

There are no wasted emotions in this story; Ms. Gillies makes no attempt to try and cover up any biases towards her husband and his mistress. She is very honest, which is what makes this book such intriguing reading.

While this book is painful to read at times, Happens Every Day is hardly a woe-is-me type of tale. Not once did I feel any pity toward Ms. Gillies, but rather, admiration for her strength and determination. She does not, at any point, make herself out to be a victim, which is probably the biggest strength of the book.

And that's the main thing that makes Happens Every Day different than the typical "perfect marriage suddenly ends" story: The woman doesn't have any self pity, and doesn't make anyone else feel sorry for her.

And I thought the A and Piss Off was bad...

2010-06-14T22:14:00.002-04:00

Atlanta bloggers, if you can vouch for what I'm about to write, please do so.

As many of you know, I am not a fan of my local grocery store, the A and Piss Off. I used to think it was the worst grocery store in existence...that is, until this afternoon, when I came across an article about a place called the "Murder Kroger" in Atlanta.

I won't describe the details, because you can read about it here and here. Proceed with caution.

Sunday Stealing: The Dark Side Meme

2010-06-13T20:35:00.003-04:00

1. You’re building your dream house. What’s the one thing that this house absolutely, positively MUST HAVE? (other than the obvious basics of course)
Very tall, book to ceiling bookcases

2. What is your dream car?
A four-door sedan that runs purely on electricity...or better yet, water

3. What is your favorite website that isn’t a blog?
I loves me some Facebook

4. iPhone 4 or Droid, which do you want?
Neither...I love my Pantech...I'd rawther have an iPod touch, though...all the apps of the iPhone, sans bills

5. When you’re feeling down or lonely or just generally out of sorts, what do you do to cheer yourself up?
I read, nap, watch Conan clips on YouTube or my Carol Burnett and Glee DVDs

6. Tell me about something or someone that you love that most people seem to hate.
Spinach...I love raw spinach...or spinach sauteed in olive oil and bulbs of garlic

7. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A travel writer

8. Would you go on a reality show if given the chance?
NO. FRAKKIN'. WAY.

9. Who was your favorite teacher when you were growing up. (Grade school, Middle School, Jr. High or High School only.)
Mrs. Werner, 2nd grade

10. You get one pass to do something illegal or immoral. What are you gonna do?
Beats me!
11. What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was finishing my first year of grad school

12. By this time next year, I ...
..will be one year older.

13. Do you think the United States will elect a female President in your lifetime? Do you think this would be a good thing?
Yes and yes.

14. Which fictional, TV show character you would shag anytime?
I have no idea. I have some real life actors I'd like to shag, but no fictional characters.

15. What is your greatest pet peeve?
People who are late to EVERYTHING.

16. Tell me about your most recent trip of more than 100 miles?
Over Memorial Day weekend I went on a three-day road trip to Newport, Boston, and then Fall River for a friend's wedding. 398.8 miles round trip.

17. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
Spell check baby!

18. Do you have a nickname? What is it?
I don't really have a nickname.

19. What are you dreading at the moment?
It's been stressful at work lately.

20. Do you worry that others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
Nope.

21. In two words, explain what ended your last relationship.
Too young.

22. What were you doing this morning at 8am?
Sleeping

23. Do you have any famous relatives?
Nope

24. How many different beverages have you drank today?
Three...water, coffee, tea

25. What is something you are excited about?
I have a friend getting married July 4th...it's going to be a mini-college reunion

26. When was the last time you spoke in front of a large group?
This morning at church

27. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
I'm extra curly today!

28. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Baking cupcakes for coffee hour today

29. What’s a word that you say a lot?
Ayudeme (Spanish for "Help Me")

30. Who is your worst enemy?
me, myself & I

Bookkitten Basics: More about your Hostess with the Mostest

2010-06-13T17:50:00.002-04:00

I figured it was time to update the ol' "Bookkitten Basics" post. There's one in the right sidebar of this blog, and it contains features that were present a year ago, but not so much today. My little corner of the blogosphere has evolved, and I must update according to the changing times. I also need to update my blogroll, but one step at a time, kittens, one step at a time!

Welcome, dear kittens, to my humble little corner of the blogosphere! I am the Bookkitten, but you may call me "Kitten" for short. I address all of my readers as kittens, even if they are bipeds, puppies, hamsters, snakes, etc., etc. I love all kinds. I do not cater to one specific species.

So why am I "The Bookkitten?" Easy! I originally created this blog back in 2007 to post my book reviews. You'll still find those here, but this space evolved as a personal journal for me. I write about things that have happened in my life, such as my travels, my concerts, and other experiences. Sometimes I get philosophical. Sometimes I'm funny. Sometimes I'm serious. But I try to write as close as I can to my own personality, without revealing my identity.

Speaking of identity, there are a few of you regular readers who know who I am in real life. However, I prefer to blog, for various reasons, anonymously. Let's just say I have a very public job, and while I say nothing controversial here that could make me risk losing it, I would prefer that no one bombard me at work the next day about something I said on my space. I need to keep my work and personal life separate.

I do blog about several people in my life, but I use pseudonyms to keep their identities private. My family members make frequent appearances; they are known as Mama Cat, Papa Cat, and Sister Kitten. Some friends of mine make appearances, too; two of the regulars here are known as my best friend (BFF) and Chantal, who loves to sing. (Chantal comes from the French verb chanter, which means "to sing.")

I participate in a lot of memes, but I don't do it every week, only when I really, really like the questions. I also like to post a lot of YouTube clips when they catch my fancy.

What else do you need to know about me? Well, I love Glee and will admit I am obsessed with it. I have all of the songs downloaded to my iPod, and have the DVDs. Carol Burnett was my very first comedy hero, and I like to write about her a lot. And I am a major Conan fangirl. I try not to blog about either Glee or Conan or Carol too much, but these shows do get a lot of mentions here. (Glee, in particular, gets a mention whenever I post my latest iPod playlists).

So basically, in addition to books, you'll find music, television, pop culture, and philosophy here in this space. But why exactly am I known as "The Bookkitten." I love books, and I love cats. Simple. I have two cats, who used to get a lot of mentions in the blog during the early days, but I haven't blogged about them much at all lately. Call it evolution; I may return to writing posts about them one day, but I'm not sure when.

Not to mention, I don't post nearly as often as I used to. I have a very busy life. I used to post almost every day, sometimes three times in one day! These days, I'm lucky if I get to post once a week. But life, as you all know, has its ebbs and flows, and I pretty much post whenever and wherever the mood strikes.

So that's me in a nutshell! Thanks for stopping by my little space in the blogosphere! Please come back again!

Kitten's Conan Adventure

2010-06-07T09:39:00.003-04:00

TWO NOTES: This is a longer entry than usual, and full of tour spoilers, so if you haven't yet seen the show, you may wish to skip this. But I want to record as many details as I can as soon as I possibly can. There are also a couple of video clips from past shows. But for those of you who couldn't make it to the show, I wanted you all to see what went on. And if any YouTube clips from Mohegan Sun get posted, I will post them for you as well. And photos to come soon, too. :)

So last night was THE night. The night that Sister Kitten and I exchanged almost two dozen E-mails over the actual purchase of tickets. The night we both had been looking forward to for so long. Yes, kittens, Conan was at Mohegan Sun last night, and I, along with my lil' sis and BFF, were lucky enough to see him.

And the evening was worth every. Precious. Penny. Sister Kitten even stopped smarting over the $4 fee the casino ATM charged her, as well as the $25 she lost at the slots.

Anyhoo, first of all, about the arena itself. It's a small enough arena that there isn't a single bad seat in the house, but isn't large enough to feel like it's an arena, if you know what I mean. There are about 10,000 seats in the house. Conan said it was the largest room that they played on the tour, and the place was almost entirely sold out.

The show started promptly at 9:00 PM with the opening act, Reggie Watts. He was, in a word, bizarre. Lots of his riff between songs--if you could call them those--were nonsensical. Every third or fourth word he uttered was "shit". He opened his set with a really bizarre song about grandparents, then continued with a "tender" song about lovemaking, and closed with an interesting beatbox mix. I will admit that some parts were laugh-out-loud funny, but man, this guy was weird.

But we didn't come to the casino to see Reggie Watts, no!!! We came to see our favorite ginger!! There was a ten-minute break between the opening act and the main attraction. And then, Conan's band, the LPB Band, came onstage.

The LPB Band consists of almost all of the members of the old Tonight Show band, sans Max Weinberg. And they were tight. Awesome. Seriously, one of the best live bands I've ever seen. The horn section is particularly amazing.

The band opened with an amazing cover of "Move On Up." LaBamba had lead vocals! And the man can sing--more than just the falsetto he used in the "In the Year 2000/3000" skits. And then he, Jerry Vivino (on sax) and Mark Pender (on trumpet) went into the audience and played! It was wild! And then Pender blew his trumpet--and held the note--for what seemed like five minutes! Lots of people were chanting "Blow man blow!" It was a great opening to the show!

And then, the arena went dark and the screens filled with the words, "Two months ago..." (Note: the video clip says "One month ago..." because it's a clip from one of the Vancouver shows in May. Thank you, YouTube gods).

At that very moment, the lights start to flicker. Andy Richter makes his grand announcement. And then, he walked onto the stage, clad simply in a dark grey suit, purple shirt, and a full red pompadour and beard. The audience immediately was on its feet.

Conan immediately went into his monologue, and it didn't take him long to start riffing on the casino's location: “We’ve played a few casinos on this tour, Las Vegas and Atlantic City, but now the crown jewel – Uncasville. There’s a name that rolls off the tongue – Uncasville." (He's not the first performer to make fun of Uncasville's name, trust me. I saw Debbie Reynolds at the Cabaret several years back and about a third of her show was based on that).

There was a Connecticut Sun game in the arena hours before the show, and Conan quipped that when he entered the arena, people thought he was one of the players. That was just one of the many examples of self-deprecating humor during the show. At another point, he compared his legs to "a pair of ivory Slim Jims dusted with paprika." He also mentioned that someone told him he resembled the Brawny paper towel guy after a bone marrow transplant, upon which he quipped, "I'm not feeling very absorbent right now."

Conan also took lots of ample time to make fun of our fair state of Connecticut. He mentioned that there would be lots of raccoons on the drive home giving him the finger. He took time to riff on the robotic wolves that could be seen throughout the casino, wolves that cried out such things as "Your children will never go to college!" He said that he couldn't say, "Hello, Uncasville!" at the top of the show because not everyone was from Uncasville. He told the story of the guy he met who drove fifteen hours, from Maine, to see the show, and started doing an imitation of the man driving, pacing back and forth across the stage. At one point during this riff, a woman screamed out that she was pregnant, to which Conan responded, "That was one wild night in Uncasville!" One thing I love about Conan is how he plays off of the members of his audience so well, and tonight was certainly no exception.

Near the end of the monologue, which was about half an hour, he talked about how he "visited a therapist" and how she told him about the "eight stages of grief for a late-night talk show host who just lost his job." The eight stages started off with...well, rawther than me tell you about it, allow me to show you:

After the monologue, the fun continued when Conan picked up his guitar. There is just something so sexy about him playing guitar--and he can play! The band started playing, and his backup singers, the Coquettes, danced on stage. This is when Conan started to sing about his childhood, to the tune of the Elvis tune, "Polk Salad Annie". Following this very high-energy number, there was another video clip featuring a "generic network executive" (clip from one of the Seattle shows):

Speaking of Conan and women, he said that women have never liked it when he growls and hisses at him. Au contraire, mon frere! That's one of my favorite things about him, and many other women in the arena felt the same way! (And some men, too. At one point Conan asked, "Why do I always get the guys? At the hotel there's always a line of three or four guys waiting for me, wanting me to watch ESPN together.")

After this number, Conan introduced his old sidekick, Andy Richter, to the tune of "Trololo" (which sounded, to me, like something from The Muppet Show.) Andy and Conan riffed for a bit, then segued into a "commercial" for Mystic Seaport--a very raunchy commercial involving lots of "seamen" on the decks. (Please use your imagination on this one, kittens). This was one of the few weak parts of this show. This commercial was tightly scripted, and Andy flubbed his lines a couple of times. He would return a few minutes later, but only after...

...the ginormous, inflatable Bat Out of Hell from the Meatloaf. I will post pictures of it when I can. It has to be seen to be believed. It was one of the funniest sight gags I've ever seen.

The bat made a very brief appearance and was deflated very quickly. But not to fear, kittens, the laughs would continue with another old friend...

TRIUMPH!!! (clip from one of the Seattle shows) Oh, and be sure to check out Conan's outfit after Triumph's bit...

Following this clip, and this brilliant sight gag (God, I can't wait to post pictures), Andy came back on with a segment that told about "what he learned after leaving The Tonight Show." Again, it was, unfortunately, a weak segment where Andy flubbed his lines. I really felt bad for the guy, I really did. Andy can really get some funny moments every now and then.

There were no special guests at this particular show--no Dropkick Murphys like in Boston, and certainly now Stewart/Colbert/O'Brien dance-off like at Radio City. But that was okay. Deon Cole, one of the old Tonight Show writers, came out and did a hilarious set. He was even funnier on stage than he was on The Tonight Show, probably because he was free of network constraints. He played off of the audience brilliantly, and had a lot of jokes about the relationships between Caucasians and African-Americans. Very, very funny.

Conan came back after Deon Cole's set and went into a cover of "On the Road Again," with some changed lyrics about his situation about "wanting to have his own show again." When he came to the lyrics about thanking TBS for having his own show again, the arena erupted into applause.

Then out came the "Walker, Texas Ranger" lever. If anyone remembers from the old show, this was the handle that, when you pulled it, played random, bizarre, and unaltered clips from the old show Walker, Texas Ranger. However, because this bit was now owned by NBC, he had to change it to the "Chuck Norris Rural Policeman Handle." And I will say, these clips were extremely funny. I mean, really bizarre, the kind that made you think, "How the hell did these clips fit into the storyline?"

Finally, the closing number (sadly) arrived, where Conan thanked all of his fans, in a genuine, heartfelt way, for all of the support he received since leaving The Tonight Show, and ended with a cover of "I Will Survive," as performed by Cake:

Was there an encore, kittens? Not just one, but two!!! This following video is straight from the show I saw. The Coquettes each had a solo in the first encore, "The Weight", and then Conan ran into the audience for the second one, "Forty Days":

Unfortunately, this video clip didn't have the solos with the Coquettes, but it was still an amazing number.

As you could tell, I had an awesome time. Conan's amazing as a live performer, and I think he's even better without the network constraints. I can't wait to see what he does with his TBS show. I loved the fact that he was able to play music during his show; he can really shred that guitar. I really, really hope that the rumored documentary comes to fruition; I will certainly buy that DVD!

After I got home, at 1 AM, it took me two hours to fall asleep. I was that wound up from the excitement of the show. It was not a disappointment in any way. I had a GREAT time.

P.S. He DID do the string dance. That made me enormously happy. :)

Exactly WHY am I a Conan fangirl?

2010-06-03T20:07:00.004-04:00

People who have known me my entire life have known me not to get too excited or obsessed with celebrities. I mean, I never developed an obsession with them. For instance, I have a friend who is in lurve with Josh Groban and has seen him in concert several times. She has all of his CDs, DVDs, and even a pillow with his image. (That last item was a gift). I am friends with a couple who follows Phish and they go to see them any and every chance they get.

Now, kittens, as you know, I'm a huge Carol Burnett fan, but I never was obsessed with her. Ok, well, a huge fan, but never a rabid, drooling, obsessed, gotta Google-her-name-for-the-latest-news kinda thing.

And then...

He came into my life.

Yes, kittens, if you are a regular reader of this blog, you know of my Conan obsession. I must confess that I was a fan of his during his Late Night days, but did not become the rabid, drooling, obsessed, gotta Google-his-name-for-the-latest-news fangirl until June 1, 2009.

That was when his version of The Tonight Show debuted. I stayed up late to watch the whole thing out of pure curiosity. I could never stay up late enough to watch a full Late Night, but with all of the hype and hoopla surrounding Jay Leno passing the baton, I had to watch.

And I fell in love. Hard. I mean, I've always had a thing for redheads, I will admit, but...my God, I had to tune in and watch the next night, and the next, and the next.

What was it about him that made me go from a mild-mannered, stay behind the cover of my books all day girl, to an "is it 11:35 yet" woman? I must admit that I go crazy whenever he does the string dance. And I've always loved and appreciated goofy, off-the-wall type of humor. I absolutely love it whenever he pulls out his guitar and starts to sing. He may not be the best singer in the world, but there's something about it that's so endearing, like your boyfriend singing to you outside your bedroom window.

Conan very quickly became a part of my life. On the nights I could stay up late, he tucked me into bed. After I got DVR last August, he and his crew became a part of my morning routine. I'd watch the monologue as I ate breakfast; I'd see the rest of the show after NBC Nightly News. I loved it especially when he'd talk about his family; he didn't do it often, but those little stories he'd tell about his little kids were so charming.

Yet during all of this, I always had a sneaky suspicion that he wouldn't last long. When I heard that Jay Leno was moving to 10 pm, I had a really bad feeling about that move. Call me paranoid or delusional, but when I kept seeing Conan's ratings go down, I had a feeling that NBC had a plan B in place to get The Tonight Show back up to pre-Conan levels.

Needless to say, I was devastated when Conan left the airwaves, and actually cried during his last episode. I still am a little embarrassed by my reaction. Me, cry at a TV show? One that is ending too soon? It was so atypical of me; before DVR, I rarely watched TV. Now I have three or four shows I follow religiously, and am emotionally involved in all of them. This really is quite the change for me.

So, in dealing with my Conan withdrawal, I joined the "I'm with Coco" page on Facebook and started following members of his old crew on Twitter. Again, this was atypical of me. I entered a Google alert for his name. Yes, I know, this is borderline sick. And finally, when rumors were abound that he was about to tour, I recruited BFF and Sister Kitten and asked if they would join me. If the price was right, and the time was right, they agreed to go.

Well, the rumors were confirmed, and in March, the day tickets went on sale, Sister Kitten sent me a madcap E-mail. She sounded more excited about the prospect of seeing Conan than I did! I knew she liked him, but didn't know she was that much of a fan!

So long story short, we got three tickets, and the three of us (and possibly BFF's little bro) are going to see Conan. As excited as I am to see him, I must admit that some of this is a little anticlimactic. I've been reading his tour blog, so I know about some of the numbers that are going on, and I just really, really hope this all lives up to the hype. Ok, I can't start feeling regrets now!

Am I nervous that Conan won't live up to my expectations? Yeah, you could say that. I didn't feel that way with Carol Burnett, though; I had more like nervous butterflies and giddy anticipation when I saw her.

So, in conclusion, I'm not exactly sure why I'm a Conan fangirl. I know I've explored some of the reasons above, but there's nothing really conclusive about what draws me to him. I just really dig him. Maybe it's as simple as that.

The Bookkitten's iPod Playlist: Memorial Day Road Trip 2010

2010-05-31T23:11:00.004-04:00

Every trip I make, I always have to make a road trip to commemorate the occasion. Here's this year's Memorial Day selection:

***Ironically, this playlist is very New York-filled, given that I spent my entire road trip in Newport, Boston, and environs!***

1. "Empire State of Mind," Jay-Z, featuring Alicia Keys
2. "The Night Chicago Died," Paper Lace
3. "That's What Love Can Do," Boy Krazy
4. "Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down," Alicia Keys
5. "This Diamond Ring," Gary Lewis and the Playboys
6. "Everybody Loves a Clown," Gary Lewis and the Playboys
7. "My Cherie Amour," Stevie Wonder
8. "Hallelujah 2010 Version," k.d. lang
9. "Glitter in the Air," Pink
10. "Hey Soul Sister," Train
11. "Haven't Met You Yet," Michael Bublé
12. "Express Yourself (featuring Jonathan Groff)", Glee Cast
13. "Vogue," Glee Cast
14. "Like a Prayer (featuring Jonathan Groff)", Glee Cast
15. "Theme from the A-Team," Daniel Caine Orchestra
16. "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," Dropkick Murphys
17. "I Got Rhythm," Nikki Yanofsky
18. "Bienvenue Dans Ma Vie," Nikki Yanofsky
19. "Airmail Special," Nikki Yanofsky
20. "Sunny Side of the Street/Fool in the Rain," Nikki Yanofsky
21. "Let's Have a Party," Derek Miller, Eva Avila, and Nikki Yanofsky
22. "Girlfriend (Radio Edit)," Avril Lavigne
23. "The Boy is Mine," Glee Cast
24. "Live Like We're Dying," Kris Allen
25. "Whataya Want From Me," Adam Lambert
26. "In My Head," Jason Derülo
27. "Breakeven (Falling to Pieces)," The Script
28. "According to You," Orianthi
29. "Fool in the Rain," Led Zeppelin
30. "Alejandro," Lady Gaga
31. "Your Love is My Drug," Ke$ha
32. "My First Kiss," 3OH!3 featuring Ke$ha
33. "Bad Romance," Lady Gaga
34. "Beautiful, Dirty, Rich," Lady Gaga
35. "One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not a Home," Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenowith
36. "Home," Glee Cast featuring Kristin Chenowith
37. "Pay Me My Money Down," Bruce Springsteen
38. "Halfway Gone," Lifehouse
39. "Shout It Out Loud," Glee Cast
40. "Long May You Run," Neil Young

The Queen's Meme: The Last Time Meme

2010-05-31T22:28:00.002-04:00

rolled your eyes

When was the last time you...

Tied your shoe?
About two months ago, when I tied my sneakers. I typically put my shoes on without tying them; I prefer slipping them on as opposed to tying and re-tying laces.

reorganized your bedroom?
Seven years ago, when I first moved into the condo.

Took a walk in the park?
Yesterday, actually, when I visited the Boston Common and the Public Garden.

Chewed gum?
About a month ago, I think. I have TMJ, so I don't chew gum all that often.

drew a stick person?
Last week.

activated something?
I don't remember; haven't used the old Wondertwin powers in awhile, sorry!

***Little aside here, kittens: ever notice that the guy Wondertwin ALWAYS turns into water?***

Took a photograph?
Today, as a matter of fact; a good friend of mine got married!!!

Drank a milkshake?
Yesterday, at the Lily Pad Cafe next to the Frog Pond on the Boston Common.

ate orange jello?
Ahhh, NEVER!!!! Not a fan of Jell-O. When I was a kid Mama Cat and I both had pneumonia at the same time, and Papa Cat made us lime Jell-O. Haven't been near the stuff since.

google mapped an address?
Yesterday, when I realized I hadn't Google mapped the way home from the wedding!

sang your favorite song?
In the car, on the way home today!

made a peace globe. (Please show us!)
It's on my to-do list once my life calms down, I promise!

Threw a baseball?
A few years ago at a Memorial Day picnic. Got hit with said baseball, and haven't thrown one since.

Fumbled with a button?
Tonight, as I put my PJs on.

answered the doorbell?
Last month, when the guys from Public Power came around trying to sell their wares.

Spilled your drink?
Last week, at work, spilled coffee all over my desk.

administered CPR?

Never, but I know how to do it. Unless you count my certification a year and a half ago, when I did CPR on a dummy.

looked in the mirror?
An hour ago, while I was washing my face.

testified in court?
Never, thankfully.

Made a sarcastic remark?
Moi, sarcastic?!?!

Offered someone advice?
Last week, when I told a friend of mine to get tea tree oil to get rid of zits. Works better than Clearasil!

Watched a sunrise or sunset?

Watched the sunset last night from my hotel room, as well as driving home tonight.

Were jealous?
I honestly don't remember...this is a big thing for me!
Smiled when you didn’t feel like smiling

Loved when you didn't feel like loving?
I don't think I've ever experienced this feeling. Or maybe I'm unwilling to disclose this information...Mimi, I didn't know you were such a psychologist!

Ironed an article of clothing?
This morning. Ironed the dress I wore to the wedding today.

noticed you didn't give a damn?
Last Thursday, I was at work and almost fell asleep at my desk. I had a lot to do, but I was like, "Forget this! I'm going home and taking a nap!"

had a mammogram?

Haven't had one yet! One more year before I'm eligible!

Read your horoscope?
Tonight, when I logged onto Yahoo Mail.

moped?
I've been so busy lately, I haven't had time to mope.

Held someone’s hand?
A month and a half ago. I was having a rough day and BFF just started holding my hand and squeezing it.

Crossed a bridge?
Tonight! I crossed the Braga Bridge on 195 West between Somerset and Fall River, Massachusetts.

threw away a candy wrapper?
This morning, I threw away a Hershey Kiss wrapper. My friend made a little goody bag for the wedding guests staying at the hotel.

Sat on a bench?
Yesterday, I sat on several benches in Boston--at the T stations, Boston Common, etc.

turned a page?
Yesterday afternoon, reading a book at the Trident Booksellers in Boston.

tripped over your own 2 feet?
Saturday, walking through Newport. Tripped over a step I didn't see.

Sat on a beach?
This past February, when I went to Magen's Bay on a cruise of the southern Caribbean.

dialed the wrong number?
Last night, when I called the banquet facility to find out what time the wedding was. I panicked because all of a sudden I was uncertain of the time!

Ignored a phone call?
I don't remember.

Kissed a bride?
Today, at my friend's wedding.

tweeted?
Original tweet: five days ago. Retweet: this morning.

Rode a roller coaster?
Fourteen years old, I think. I'm not so fond of roller coasters anymore.

you were really you?
Right now.

Cried yourself to sleep?
Last week, after a really frustrating day at work.

Were speechless?
Speechless? Moi? Hmmm...

rode a bus?
Yesterday...the T closed the track between two stations and we had to bus our way there.

went to a funeral?
Last October, for a friend and mentor of mine.

were right?
I got the answer to a trivia question correct on the Harvard tour yesterday...does that count?

smoked?
NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL.

were left?
Well, I do consider myself a liberal...

googled?
A few minutes ago, when I went to find out the name of the bridge I crossed today.

bent over?
A few hours ago, when I changed from heels into sneakers for the two+ hour drive home.

sent a text message?
A few hours ago, after Sister Kitten texted me to ask about the wedding.

Lit a candle?
I don't remember...winter, perhaps?

Lost your temper?
Last week at work, when I went into Freakout Mode.

fell off a horse?
Never happened...I haven't ridden a horse since I was a kid.

changed the oil in your car?
I personally have never done this, but my mechanic changed the oil in my old car back at the end of March. Haven't had an oil change done on 2.0 yet.

Added a new FACEBOOK friend?
A couple of weeks ago.

went bowling?
A year ago.

Laughed uncontrollably?
A month ago.

Felt guilty?
I was born and raised Catholic. I have what I call "Original Guilt". Original Sin goes away with baptism, but Original Guilt stays with you forever.

Looked up a word in the dictionary?
Friday afternoon, I looked up a word in the Spanish-English dictionary.

returned from the point of no return?
About two and a half years ago.

couldn't remember your name?
Hasn't happened yet.

surrendered to temptation?
Yesterday. Bought a hot dog from a street vendor.

felt genuinely happy?
Right now.

saw a famous person?
May 22, when I saw Carol Burnett at the Palace.

kissed in a car?
It was a looonnnnggg time ago, but it was wonderful...

Sent a greeting card?
Today. Gave a card to the bride and groom.

used your passport?
April, when Mama Cat and I went to Niagara Falls, Canada.

yelled at your television?
During the NHL playoffs last week.

confided a secret?
Can't tell ya. It's a secret!

changed your blog template?

When I got my header...I think it's been a year!

danced like no one was watching?
Today, at the reception.

wrote in cursive?
I always write in cursive.

took a driving test?
May 27, 1992...the day I got my license.

Backed up your computer files?
Last month, after I first got my external hard drive.

When was the last time you said this was the last time?
Last week, some time...

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!

2010-05-27T21:36:00.002-04:00

Kittens,

I'm going to christen 2.0 (aka my new wheels) this weekend with a tres fab, good ol' fashioned, New England-highlighted ROAD TRIP!!!

It all started when I was invited to a wedding on Memorial Day. Yep, Monday proper. At first I wasn't terribly thrilled about spending my Monday off several hours away from home. I booked a hotel room for Sunday night, and the bride arranged for a late checkout so we didn't have to putz around town before the wedding.

I complained to my hairdresser about this the last time I got my hair cut, and she asked, "Why not make a weekend out of it?"

And that's what I'm doing.

Saturday I'm getting out of Dodge early and heading down to Newport, where I'll be spending the day. I booked a night at a little hostel down there. Sunday I'm driving up to Boston, and spending the day there before driving to Fall River, where I'll be spending Sunday night and then going to the wedding the next day. Monday's the wedding, I'm home Monday night, and I hope not to fall asleep at work on Tuesday.

Oh, and did I mention this is my SECOND road trip in as many months? Mama Cat and I drove to Niagara Falls, Canada in April. We had the BEST TIME. And we're already planning for next year.

I absolutely LOVE when the travel bug hits, don't you?

Will talk to you kittens next week, when I am back from my travels!

Ciao for now!

Kitten's Carol Adventure

2010-05-22T23:14:00.002-04:00

I currently don't have any pictures to post, but they are on my camera and they will be uploaded here once my vida loca calms down a bit--whenever THAT will be.

Anyhoo, tonight was the long-awaited night when I finally got to realize a childhood dream--seeing Carol Burnett live. In person. At the Palace. How cool is it that I live in a state that has a theater called the Palace? But I digress.

I arrived at the Palace Theater around 7:00 PM and parked my car in the adjacent garage. The Palace is a part of a fine arts complex that includes the Waterbury Arts Magnet School. It was my first time in this particular part of Waterbury, and I was a little nervous. However, there were so many patrons around, as well as so much security, that my worries turned out to be unfounded.

The doors to the theater didn't open till about 7:15. I waited in line and tweeted about my impatience for a bit, but then managed to strike up a conversation with two people behind me. It was really nice to meet other hard-core Carol fans--and I was sharing the space with over 1,000 of them tonight!

First of all, let me just say that I may get a subscription to the Palace Theater just for the Palace itself. It is an absolutely gorgeous space. It underwent extensive renovations about ten years ago, and the results are more than worth it. I will post pictures when I get a chance; lots of patrons tonight were taking pictures of the theater itself. Meanwhile, you can read more about it by clicking here, and going to the Palace Theater's official website.

The show officially started around ten after eight. The gorgeous red-and-gold velvet curtain rose, and revealed a video screen, which played a montage of Carol's Tarzan yells from her show. This segued into clips of some of the funniest segments from the questions and answers that opened The Carol Burnett Show every week. Finally, to conclude the video presentation, there was a montage of openings from Carol's show, featuring Carol entering the stage in a different Bob Mackie outfit every week.

And then, at the end of the open...

Timpani roll, please...

Spotlight, stage right...

Enter, Carol Burnett.

She was wearing a sparkly black minidress, black heels, and a warm smile. About half the theater stood up in welcome.

And I had to wipe tears from my eyes. That really surprised me, that reaction. I knew that Carol had always meant a lot to me, but...wow. I'm still teary just thinking about it.

The stage was very simply decorated with three oriental rugs, and later, a chair, a side table, and a bouquet of white lilies. Carol introduced herself, briefly outlined the evening's agenda, and encouraged any and all questions. And then, just as in her show, she asked to "bump up the lights", and the questions began.

The leadoff question came from a man who had just read Carol's latest book, This Time Together (review coming soon; again, I've got a vida loca lately). He wanted to know why Carol named her Yorkie Bruce, even though Bruce was a girl. Carol explained that she had a very good friend at UCLA, Bruce Campbell, and once promised Bruce that she would name her first child after him. And her first child was a female Yorkie. Hence, Bruce.

The next question came from a fellow who wanted to hear the Tarzan yell. And of course, Carol obliged. :) She talked about how she can only do the yell in controlled circumstances; one time, she went to a department store in New York to buy stockings, and didn't have a credit card to pay. She had her checkbook, but the sales clerk needed identification (!). So, the sales clerk went to talk to her manager, who then told Carol that her check would be approved if she did the Tarzan yell. She did the yell, and all of a sudden, a security guard burst into the room with a gun in hand.

There were lots of other questions asked. One woman drove all the way from Pennsylvania with her mother and sisters to be at the show. She asked Carol to call on her sister, who was terrified to speak. Well, the sister did speak, and asked Carol two things: What she knew for sure, and what was the smartest thing she had ever done. I loved Carol's response: What she knew for sure was that you don't really know anything for sure. As for the smartest thing, she wasn't sure what it was.

One young man announced that he brought his 93-year-old mother with him, and it was her birthday. He asked Carol to sing "Happy Birthday" to her, and both she, and everyone else in the theater, obliged.

One woman stood up and announced that she was named after Carol, and wanted to know if Carol had any advice for her. Carol was flattered, chuckled quite a bit, and just told young Carol to "keep on keeping on."

Carol also had a very funny story to share about Tim Conway. Tim's wife, Mary Ann, was a champion bridge player, and she'd travel across the country to participate in bridge tournaments. One night, she was invited to a party hosted by other bridge players, and Tim accompanied her, albeit reluctantly. The evening went on, and Tim's getting bored, because he knows nothing about bridge. Finally, near the end of the shindig, Tim goes to the bathroom, opens the medicine cabinet, and pulls out a jar of Vaseline and a jar of Q-Tips. He took a glob of Vaseline and dotted it on his face, then took the Q-Tips and stuck them into the Vaseline. He returned to the living room, looked at his wife, and his wife was stunned. There was a long silence, and finally, Tim quipped, "The Q-Tips jar exploded."

Carol stated that Tim and Mary Ann divorced shortly after that.

Now, for those of you who are wondering if Carol is as nice, sweet, and grounded in person as all of those news stories say she is...I'm here to say they are all true. Even though the Palace was a big theater, and there were over 1,000 people there to see her (a sell-out crowd, nearly), it still felt like a very intimate evening. The audience was gushing in their adoration toward Carol, and she was very touched and flattered. She accepted a gift of a lovely, hand-knit scarf from a fan, and chuckled when another told her that this evening was on her bucket list.

One fan asked her if she would follow Betty White's lead and host SNL. Carol flatly said no, and the audience groaned. Carol then smiled and explained that she thought Betty did such a good job, she felt that she couldn't top her. She added that she didn't want to feel like she was copying Betty, either. Carol did mention, though, that she really wanted to be on Glee, and there were screams and hoots from the audience in response to this news. Carol gushed about Jane Lynch, and the music, and said that the "kids were fabulous."

The evening was interspersed with video clips of movie takeoffs from the old Carol Burnett Show, musical duets with guests, and anecdotes about her life in show business, all very warm and moving. She had nothing but kind words to say about her mentor, Garry Moore, when a fan asked her whom she had learned the most from. And then, of course, was a question about Carol's relationship with Lucille Ball. Lucy died on Carol's birthday, and every year, on her birthday, Lucy would send Carol flowers. Carol learned about Lucy's death from the morning news shows on TV, and later that afternoon, Lucy's flowers arrived at her door.

Overall, it was a very wonderful evening, one I will hold close to my heart for a very long time to come. Yes, Carol, I really am glad we had this time together, and the last lyric of your theme song does ring true: it seemed we really just got started, when the time came to say "so long."

It's TOMORROW!!!!!!

2010-05-21T22:14:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow, at 8:00 PM, one of my life-long dreams is finally going to come true.

I am going to see Carol Burnett perform. Live. In person. For ninety minutes. Sans intermission.

I have been anticipating this day for weeks now, and while the excitement has ebbed and flowed due to life's daily travails, I'm just BURSTING with excitement right now. So. Frakkin'. Excited.

I am bringing my Went With the Wind Barbie doll to the performance. I hope that I can meet her to sign it. I'm not sure if I am courageous enough to wait at the stage door after the performance, though.

And yet a part of me is in total disbelief. I can't believe I'm actually going to see Carol Burnett. I can't believe this is finally happening to me. I'm just flabbergasted. Flabbergasted, excited, bursting with anticipation...I'd better stop.

You can bet that I will post about my experience!!! I hope to have photos, but I don't know how strict the theater is with cameras. All I know is my little Kodak M380 can take excellent pictures sans flash or sound.

I will write soon, kittens...I will NOT let you down!

Thursday Thunks: My life according to the alphabet

2010-05-19T21:31:00.002-04:00

Click here to play along this week.

This week is going to be easy... just one question. Ok, well maybe not so easy. Take each letter of the alphabet and describe something in your life... don't skip any!

Am very, very busy lately, which explains why I haven't posted anything other than memes.
Barely staying awake right now.
Coffee is a godsend. If I'm in a rush in the morning, I go to...
Dunkin' Donuts for a large iced dark roast. Best iced coffee beverage I've ever had.
Every now and then I will purchase breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts...a turkey sausage egg white flatbread.
Flatbreads at Dunkin' Donuts are tres yummy.
Got tickets to see Carol Burnett on Saturday night!! This makes me very...
HAPPY!!!
I'm also going to see Conan in two and a half weeks, as you know. I'm not too excited about that one...
JUST KIDDING!!! You know that I'm a Conan fangirl! Or CocoNut...or CocoHead, whatever ya wanna call it.
Kias are great cars. My old Spectra lasted over 147,000 miles, and my new Spectra is even better.
Love the show 30 Rock. Season finale tomorrow night? Will Jack choose Avery or Nancy?
Maybe he'll choose Avery, but I'm hoping for...
Nancy. I'm a sucker for high school sweetheart reunion stories!
Oprah interviewed Will and Jada Pinckett Smith this week. Their family is so frakkin' adorable and smart and articulate and...I want Will Smith to be my dad!
Probably will fall asleep as soon as I post this. Probably not. Either way, I need some peace and...
Quiet. I love the quiet. I also love to...
Rest and relax, and especially to...
SLEEP!!!! Especially sleeping late on the weekends.
Tea is the beverage I drink when I need to...
Unwind from a long day. Sometimes it also helps to...
Vent to a friend or family member.
When I go to the dentist's, every now and then, I need to get some...
X-rays. If this question started with an E, I'd have an easier time answering.
Yaaaawwwnnn...I'm sleepy. Time for bed!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

The Queen's Meme: The Under the Covers Meme

2010-05-16T22:01:00.003-04:00

1. Name 2 things you have done under the covers in the last week.

Slept
Watched TV...sorry, kittens, you're not going to get any sexy talk outta me

2. Do you know what a woobie is? Do you have a special one?
What's a woobie? I don't feel like googling it right now.

3. What prompts you to pull the covers over your head and hide from the world?
Stress from work, conflict with colleagues, having wayyyy too much to do and not enough time to do it.

4. Firm or soft?
Not too firm, not too soft...somewhere in the middle.

5. Silk or flannel?
Flannel!

6. Lights on or off?
Off!

7. Fan or no air?
Window open! Wide in the summer, a hair in the winter. I need to have fresh air circulating.

8. Completely dark or nite light?
COMPLETELY, TOTALLY DARK.

9. Windows open or shut
See #7.

10. Sweet dreams or nightmares?
Sweet dreams 99% of the time.

11. PJ's or……
Flannel PJ's, or a t-shirt and shorts.

12. Set bedtime?
I aim for 10 or 10:30 PM. If I can get in earlier, that is awesome.

13. What do sheep count when they can't sleep?
They count people.

14. What does your alarm clock sound like?
A rawther loud, obnoxious beeping sound.

15. White noise or music
Music

16. TV or IPod?
TV

17. Can you recall a pleasant dream you'd like to share?
My brain's too tired...which is why I'm doing this meme, so I'll fall asleep soon.

18. Under the covers or outside the covers
Burrowed under the covers. Short-sheeted, preferably. Total cocoon.

19. Insomniac or sleep angel?
Sleep angel.

20. What is your favorite sleep aid for those tossin' and turnin' nights?
A glass of wine and totally boring TV. The Weather Channel's good for that.

21. Morning person or night person
NIGHT PERSON. I HATE MORNINGS.

22. Bedtime snack?
Wine and cheese. Sometimes a cookie. But nothing really heavy.

23. Hot or cold room
Cold room.

24. Bedtime ritual?
Brush teeth, wash face, read a little, watch the news, shut it off when the weather forecast comes on. Of course, when Conan was still on the air sometimes I'd catch the first half hour if I was awake enough. Things will change come November, when he returns to the airwaves at 11 PM...

25. Twin, Queen, King, Bunk or Futon
Queen

26. Socks or naked feet
Socks in the winter, naked feet in the summer.

27. Bedroom door locked or unlocked?
I have a loft bedroom, and no bedroom door.

28. Tent or hotel room
HOTEL ROOM No tent ever!!!

29. If you could be bored to sleep, what would bore you?
Good question...C-SPAN used to bore me, but now it keeps me awake at night. Probably one of my old English professors lectures.

30. Prayers or mantra?
Prayers

31. What was the worst nightmare you ever had?
Too nightmarish to blog about...I don't want to give any of you kittens nightmares of your own.

32. Please share any ideas on how to stop a person from snoring.
I'm all ears.
Surgery. Or stuff cotton or a cookie into their mouth.

33. If one purely pleasant thought could ensure fast and sound deep sleep for you every night, what would your one thought be?
That worry doesn't exist.

34. How many hours do you normally sleep?
Ideally, I'd like to get eight or nine hours, but lately, it's more like five or six.

35. Thunderstorms or quiet starry night?
Starry, starry night...

36. Warm bath or hot shower?
Hot shower, but I'd love to have more time for a warm bath.

37. What is the craziest thing that ever happened in your bed?
Tee hee hee...;)

38. Name a song you could fall asleep to.
As corny as this sounds...my best friend has the most beautiful singing voice. Any song he sings would guarantee pleasant dreams.

39. Who last told you a bedtime story?
It's been so long, I can't remember.

Sunday Stealing: The Speed Dating Meme, Part 2

2010-05-16T00:10:00.002-04:00

26. Have you ever been stung by a bee?
Many times when I was a kid...never as an adult. Of course, now that I've mentioned that I'm gonna get stung next week.

27. What's the sickest you've ever been?
I was hospitalized with the flu back in 2005. Four days, three nights, no fun.

28. What's your favorite form of exercise?
Walking/elliptical/Zumba

29. What's your favorite Cyndi Lauper song?
"Time After Time"

30. What did you do for your 13th birthday?
I celebrated with the Cat Family, as well as Auntie and Uncle Cat.

31. Are you afraid of heights?
HELLS NO! I love flying and will always request a window seat, plus love climbing to the top of lighthouses, tall buildings, and the like.

32. Have you ever taken dance lessons?
I took ballet in the 4th grade. I stopped taking ballet in the 5th grade.

33. What's your favorite newspaper?
The New York Times

34. What's your favorite Broadway / West End musical?
Les Miserables

35. What's the most memorable class you've ever taken?
French Culture and Civilization, Part II, second semester, freshman year of college, spring 1995. That's when our professor took us to see Les Miz, and took us out to dinner. We had orchestra seats to the show, and she sent us home in chauffeur-driven limos. And we didn't have to pay a dime! It was fantastic!

36. What's your favorite knock-knock joke?
I. CAN'T. STAND. KNOCK-KNOCK. JOKES.

37. What's your least favorite commercial?
Any of the Viagra commercials with the parody of "Viva Las Vegas."

38. If you could go to Disney World with any celebrity alive today, who would it be?
Look at my left sidebar and you'll have the answer.

39. Do you prefer baths or showers?
Nothing beats a hot bubble bath.

40. What's your favourite newspaper comic strip?
Pearls Before Swine

41. What's your favorite breakfast food?
The egg white turkey sausage flatbread from Dunkin Donuts.

42. Who's your favorite game show host?
Please don't laugh at me for saying this...Bob Eubanks. Don't ask me why; I'm not even sure why I like him.

43. If you could have a super power, what would it be?
I wanna fly.

44. Do you like guacamole?
NOOOOOOO.

45. Have you ever been in a food fight?
NOOOOOOO.

46. Name five songs to which you know all the lyrics.

"On My Own," Les Miserables
"Hungry Heart," Bruce Springsteen
"Don't Stop Believin'," Journey
"Dancing Queen," ABBA
"I've Loved These Days," Billy Joel

47. What's your favorite infomercial?
The one for WEN Cleansing Conditioner. No, I have not bought any.

48. What's the longest you've ever waited in line?
Five and a half hours to get into the Palais de l'Elysee, where the president of France lives.

49. What's on the cover of your address book or day planner?
I don't own either; I use my cell phone.

50. Have you ever taken a picture in one of those little booths?
Back in high school and college, yeah. Not recently, though.

Can an iPod really lower your self esteem?

2010-05-10T19:49:00.003-04:00

So my bloggy pals Jenners and September Mom did it, and now I am giving into the peer pressure of doing this little iPod Shuffle meme. Here's how it goes:

1. Put your iPod or MP3 player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. NO CHEATING PLEASE!

Well, Jenners' iPod called her a name; I'm hoping that mine doesn't do the same thing. Let the games begin...

How do you feel today?
In Your Room by the Bangles. Okaaaayyyy...I'm not quite feeling romantic today.

What’s your outlook on life?
Joy! by the Boston Pops. Yeah, that's pretty accurate. Thank you, iPod. :)

What does your family think of you?
Baby Don't Go by Sonny and Cher. This makes no sense, since the opening lyrics are:

"I never had a mother,
I hardly knew my dad..."

My parents and I are very close, so this is NOT a good choice. Can you redeem yourself with the next one, iPod?

What do your friends think of you?
Another Suitcase in Another Hall from the Evita soundtrack, original Broadway cast. So I'm disposable?!?! NOT!!

What do your exes think of you?
I'm Not in Love by 10CC. Can an iPod really cause low self-esteem?!?!

How’s your love life?
Stay (I Missed You) by Lisa Loeb (Awwww...that is so sweet. I missed you too. Who are you?)

How will your love life be in the future?
Puer Natus Est by Cantus. Loosely translated from the Latin, it means "For unto us a child is born." WHAAAATTT?!?!!? Does that mean I'm gonna get pregnant soon?!?!

Will you get married?
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow. Well, I guess, like Sheryl says, "It can't be that bad."

Are you good at school?
El Shaddai by Amy Grant. Well, I was good at languages.

Will you be successful?
Scattered Pieces by Domestic Problems. They're a band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. You really have a high opinion of me, don't you, iPod?

What song should they play on your birthday?
La Vie Boheme by the original Broadway cast of Rent. Well, I am a little quirky, may as well celebrate it!

The soundtrack of your life?
2000 Years by Billy Joel. A little obscure here.

You and your best friends are?
When the Stars Go Blue by Tim McGraw. Well, if you really read into it, it's accurate. "Where do you go when you're lonely/where do you go when you're blue/where do you go when you're lonely/I'll follow you/when the stars go blue." That's really sweet!

Happy times:
School's Out by Alice Cooper. Tee hee hee...

Sad times:
Don't Ask Me Why by Billy Joel. Yeah, I'd say so. When shit happens and you don't know why, "Don't wait for answers/just take your chances/don't ask me why." Didn't know my iPod was so philosophical.

For tomorrow:
Ludlow Street by Julian Casablancas. A song of regret and lament? Gee, iPod, I thought you were turning the tide with that last one.

For you:
Swinging Hawaii by Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis. Um, yeah, I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, but what do you mean it's just for me? Is it a sign for me to leave Connecticut?

What does next year have in store for me?
A Kiss is Not a Contract by Flight of the Conchords. Okay, so how should I put this together with the question that tells me that I'm gonna get preggers?

What do I say when life gets too hard?
Makes Me Wonder by Maroon 5. An answer that makes sense! Don't we ALL wonder why life deals us some crappy cards sometimes?

What song will I dance to at my wedding?
Skating by Vince Guaraldi. This is one of the songs from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Guess I'll get married in December, to a pairs skater or an ice dancer, and we'll have our first dance--er, skate--on the pond.

What do you want as your career?
Anticipation by Carly Simon. I got nuttin'.

Your favorite saying?
Kung Pao by Brad Paisley. Well, it's as good as any.

How will I die?
Eensy Weensy Spider by Carole and Paula. Okay, I'm gonna die in a flood, huh?

My iPod doesn't have much faith in me, kittens. I thought I'd have better luck with this meme. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna head over to Mimi's to see what she's got cooking up this week.

Sunday Stealing: The Speed Dating Meme

2010-05-09T00:02:00.002-04:00

1. What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
Wacky Wednesday. I still remember the opening line: "One day I woke up with a shoe on the wall. A shoe on the wall? Shouldn't be there at all!"

2. If you could live in any home on a television series, what would it be?
The Smurfs' village. Always wanted to know what it's like to live in a mushroom.

3. What's the longest you've gone without sleep?
Twenty four-plus hours. It was my senior year in high school, and we had flown to Madrid from New York. I had jet lag, and had to adjust to the time change.

4. What's your favorite Barry Manilow song?
"Copacabana", hands down.

5. Who's your favorite Muppet?
Sesame Street: Big Bird
Non-Sesame Street: Rizzo the Rat

6. What's the habit you're proudest of breaking?
I'm still trying to break several bad habits, such as biting my nails.

7. What's your favorite website?
Facebook

8. What's your favorite school supply?
The sticky note

9. Who's your favorite TV attorney?
I don't watch any of the Law and Order shows, and there are no attorney characters on either of my two favorite shows, Glee and 30 Rock. So I guess I don't have one.

10. What was your most recent trip of more than 50 miles?
Last month, when Mama Cat and I went to Niagara Falls.

11. What's the best bargain you've ever found at a garage sale or junk shop?
A $50, barely used Kitchen Aid stand mixer. Well, I got it from Craigslist, so I guess that doesn't count. But I DID get my steam cleaner from a garage sale!

12. Where were you on September 11, 2001?
At work, during my first full week on the job.

13. What's your favorite tree?
It's either the white dogwood or weeping cherry blossom.

14. What's the most interesting biography you've read?
I've read lots of them! But I really liked Carol Burnett's memoirs; I just finished reading her latest book.

15. What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
Sesame chicken.

16. What's the best costume you've ever worn?
I dressed as Madonna for Halloween one year. This year, I want to dress as Flo, the lady from the Progressive commercials.

17. What's your least favorite word?
Debt

18. If you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be?
Florida--because it's the one state that sounds most like a girl's name.

19. Who's your favorite bear?
It's either Winnie the Pooh or Smokey.

20. Describe something that's happened to you for which you have no explanation.
Everything happens for a reason. I don't think there's much that's happened to me that can't be explained.

21. If you could travel anywhere in Africa, where would it be?
Egypt. It's all about the pyramids, baby!

22. What did you have for lunch yesterday?
Homemade chicken soup.

23. Where do you go for advice?
In this order: mother, father, sister, biffle.

24. Which do you use more often, the dictionary or the thesaurus?
The dictionary.

25. Have you ever been snorkeling? Scuba diving?
Snorkeling, yes. Scuba diving, no.

Saturday 9: Hey Jealousy

2010-05-08T23:50:00.002-04:00

1. When was the last time that you got jealous?
I honestly don't remember. I really don't. Way back in the past I used to let the green-eyed monster get the best of me, but now I recognize whenever jealous impulses come along, and I try to stop them.

2. At what point do you finally decide it's time to move forward with your life (like, major changes)? How do you know? What do you do?
Whenever some major catastrophe has occurred. The best thing to do is learn from your mistakes, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and forge ahead. Sounds cliched, I know, but it's true. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

3. When is it time to just let it ('it' can be whatever you choose) go? How do you know? What do you do?
I always go with my cut. My intuition has never, ever let me down. Whenever I've gone against instinct, I've had to pay for it dearly.

4. How many times must someone push your buttons before you've just had enough? Why?
Depends on who's doing the pushing and what the situation is.

5. If I S/O were to cheat on you, could you ever see yourself giving them a second chance? Or a third?
No. Effing. Way.

6. What was the last thing that someone did that you were very grateful for?
Papa Cat's offer to help me negotiate a deal for--and pay for--my new car.

7. How much time do you spend online in a given weekday? What about the weekends?
One or two hours seven days a week.

8. How many online journals/blogs do you read regularly? What are some of your favorites and why?
I have a lot of blogs in my readers, as you can see, but I usually only make it to three or four per day. Look in my sidebar to see my faves!

9. What was the last major purchase that you made?
A new car. Signed the paperwork yesterday.

RIP: My little green car, 2002-2010

2010-05-08T07:43:00.002-04:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that I have absolutely RAVED about my car, a 2002 Kia Spectra. Kittens, I am saddened to report that she has bitten the dust--and it was a sudden death to boot.

I was driving home from work Wednesday afternoon, cruising down the highway at 70, when all of a sudden she started revving funny. And she started losing power, fast. So as I'm pulling over to the side of the road, I hit the gas, and all of a sudden, she revved from 1000 rpm to 4000 rpm. I got over to the shoulder and killed the ignition, then pulled out my cell phone and called AAA. I then called my mechanic to let him know I was on my way, and requested arrangement for a rental.

I waited about half an hour for AAA to show up. As I waited, I started the car again to see if I could pull her further to the side of the road. She started up fine, I put her into drive, hit the gas--and she DIDN'T MOVE. At all. I knew this was serious.

So AAA comes to get me and we drive up to the dealership. I was devastated. Yes, my little Spectra had 147,000 miles on her, and I was hoping to get her up to 200,000 before I considered a new car, but I guess it wasn't meant to be.

We arrived at the dealership and the tow truck guy takes her off the flatbed and I hand my mechanic the keys. He goes out to move it; it won't budge. He said it was a transmission problem, most likely. Greeaaaaaaattt.

Enterprise Rent-a-Car picked me up at the dealership, and I made arrangements for my rental--a 2009, royal blue, Kia Spectra. Same car as I was driving, but a newer, redesigned model. Oh, the Universe has SUCH a sense of humor...

I knew when I got home that it was time to look for a new car, and fast. I knew that I wanted another Kia. I bought my little green car brand new, and got 147,000+ miles out of her. And that breakdown was the ONLY time she ever broke down on me. All she needed, before her death, was routine maintenance, oil changes, and as she got older, replacement parts. But she NEVER broke down on me until this week.

So when I got home I went to the website and looked at their used car deals. I found several, printed out the specs, called Papa Cat and told him we had something to discuss over dinner the following night (I was planning on having dinner at the 'rents house, anyway. It's as if the moon, the stars, and the planets aligned just for me).

The next day I'm on my way up to the Cat Family homestead when my mechanic calls--the transmission's completely dead, and I needed a new one. $1500. At 147,000 miles, it really didn't make much sense to invest in a new transmission. I said, "No thanks."

I arrived at the Cat Family homestead, and Papa Cat and I looked at the specs. We decided on a 2008 Spectra, used, for under $10,000. I called the dealership and got a hold of a guy in sales. That car was sold that day. My heart broke. However, there was another Spectra on the lot--the exact same car that I had for the rental, except it was gold.

Again, I felt that the moon, the stars, and the planets were aligning just for me.

We did the deal over the phone, and made arrangements to pick her up yesterday afternoon. So now I am the proud owner of a 2009 Kia Spectra. I'm thinking of calling her 2.0, since my last car was the 2002 version.

In retrospect, I had had some gut feelings for several months that my little green car was about to die. It was falling apart gradually--first it was the little things, like the rear defroster. It had trouble starting up in the mornings. And then the hazards got stuck and I had to call AAA for that one. And then--and this was probably the biggest tell-tale sign--my car, in the last month of its life, would lurch whenever I put it into drive, and sometimes I would have to shift it into reverse before it would shift into drive.

When I went to take care of the service bill, my mechanic told me that they couldn't even push the car into the garage. It wouldn't shift into drive at all,. I don't think it would have switched into neutral. He told me that the technician had to go outside and look under the car IN THE PARKING LOT to see what was wrong. The fluids were all good, and the engine was in fine shape, but something snapped in the transmission.

In spite of my little green car's tragic death, I must admit I really like my new one. 2.0 glides on the road. She handles very nicely. Even the stereo sounds a lot better. I finally have a CD player, and I've got air conditioning back.

I hope to post pictures soon.

Word of the day

2010-05-04T18:42:00.002-04:00

The word of the day is business.

I started thinking about the meaning of this word yesterday, on my way to work, when, stuck in construction traffic, I saw a sign that read, "Business entrance." Business. Don't you think it should be pronounced "busy-ness"? Think about it: we use the suffix "-ness" in our language quite a bit, and when we combine it with an adjective, we make it into a noun.

Only, when we change the adjective into said noun, and the adjective ends in a "y", the "y" changes to an "i." For example, "happy" + "ness" = happiness. "Ready" + "ness" = "readiness."

So business, if you break the word down into its components, is "busy" + "ness". A place where people keep busy. Makes total sense, right?

So I decided, to confirm my theory, to look up the word "business" in my good ol' trusty Webster's American College Dictionary:

busi-ness: n. 1. an occupation, profession, or trade. 2. the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit. 3. a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service. 4. volume of trade; patronage or custom. 5. a store, office, factory, etc., where commerce is carried on.

A store, office, factory, etc., where commerce is carried on? That's a place where people keep busy! HA! I have defeated Webster's Dictionary!

Of course, there are many other definitions for this word, but I shall choose to keep my own.

For I just love outsmarting Webster's successors.

The Queen's Meme: The Weird, Unusual, and Amusing Meme

2010-05-03T20:29:00.002-04:00

One of the reasons why I love Mimi's memes so much is that they keep the grey matter ticking and the creative juices flowing. This week's edition is quite the challenge to my cerebral cortex. Read on for the explanation:

The following statements are true. Your job is to explain why you think they are true. Just offer up your usual amusing quips! I'm betting we'll have some hysterical responses. Remember that somewhere somebody in the world needs to know these things and your tax dollars probably paid for the research that went into proving them true.

Kittens, I would love to hear your explanations of why these statements are true. Comment away once you're done!

1. More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
This is an easy one. Not all countries have airports. Not all countries can afford to have airplanes. Besides, ever try to tame a donkey? There's a reason why they're called stubborn. They go anywhere they want, wherever they want, and they don't care who or what they're running into.

2. Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
I'm sorry, Mimi, I know you wanted an explanation for this, but I don't see the logic in it at all, when Bugs Bunny and his pals are allowed to cavort through the Acme Forest completely naked.

And on another note...why is it that female animated characters are completely clothed, whereas the male ones either only have pants or shirts? Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck wear dresses and bloomers! Is this a double standard in cartoon censorship?

3. If you keep a Goldfish in the dark room, it will eventually turn white.
Goldfish get bored really easily. All they do is swim around in that little bowl, day in and day out, waiting for something special to happen, and of course, it never does. (Unless there's a cat in the house, but that's another post).

The reason that goldfish turn white in the dark has to do with evolution, kittens. You see, when you're swimming in that little bowl, day in and day out, as you get older, it's hard to see things. What goldfish may perceive as open water is actually a fake-out, like the guy who the birds prank in the Windex commercials:

That whole "turning white" thing has to do with being able to see in the dark. If they're white, they'll glow in the dark, and they'll be able to see. See?

4. The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes. Why were they fighting in the first place?
I had to consult Wikipedia, that bastion of journalistic integrity, to find out exactly where Zanzibar was. (Off the coast of Tanzania, Africa. Confirmed by gut feeling it was somewhere in Africa). Why a 38-minute war? Well, Zanzibar consists of two tiny islands. If you're a nation of two tiny islands fighting the greatest naval/colonial empire in the world, wouldn't you surrender, too? I mean, how would you defend yourself?

5. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
A gal's gotta flirt somehow--DUH!!!!

Ask this question, however, to Nancy Pelosi, and you may get a different answer:

6. The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
Because the ant carries the magnum of champagne in his right leg. It weighs it down and causes him to fall sideways. All ants are right legged, ya know!

7. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Your brain wouldn't be that big, either, if you spent your whole day with your head in the sand. All of those educational opportunities and life experiences, wasted.

8. In England, the Speaker of The House is not allowed to speak.
He/she wouldn't shut up, otherwise. Maybe he/she could take lessons from Nancy Pelosi and communicate solely by eye blinking.

9. By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.
Who wants to go out to the wetlands behind my house and find this out for themselves?

10. On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily.
I think this is really sad that this happens. Seriously, I can't think of anything funny about this. Sorry, guys.

11. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
The good doc ran out of anesthesia for a routine cavity fill one day, so he decided on shock therapy to help out his poor patient, and...whoops!

Random Saturday stuff

2010-05-01T12:09:00.002-04:00

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood, and I just enjoyed some morning coffee and a book on the porch, drinking in the sunlight. I plan to go out for a walk in a little bit, so I'll keep this somewhat short.

I recently bought an external hard drive. Sister Kitten suggested I look for one on newegg.com, and I got a 500GB portable one, with a free travel case. My computer is very quickly running out of space, due to all of the photos/iTunes downloads I've got on there, so I need to back up my stuff. Plus all of the "stuff" has been causing it to run tres slowly.

Speaking of my computer, I have a five-year-old E-Machine. Go ahead and laugh, I know. It was dirt cheap when I bought it at Circuit City--again, feel free to laugh.

Today is Derby Day--one of the two or three times a year when I actually give a damn about horse racing. I enjoy watching the Kentucky Derby and admiring the women who wear the big floppy hats and drink their mint juleps. I must admit I've never had a mint julep. I don't know how to make one, other than the fact that I need fresh mint. But y'all know me--I'm a wine lover above anything else alcoholic.

That's about it for now. Like I said, I'm keeping this short because it's such a gorgeous day and I'd hate to waste it in front of the computer screen. Ciao for now!

Writers Workshop: The one who made a difference

2010-04-28T21:26:00.002-04:00

This week's prompt:

Who have you forgotten about until right now? Think hard and list five people from your past that you really should have written something about by now but haven’t. Circle the name of the person who stands out the strongest. Write a description or brief memoir of that person.

I'm cheating on this one this week, kittens. You see, I'm writing about my second grade teacher, Mrs. Werner. She's someone whom I should have written more about on the blog before, but never had the chance to.

Until now.

I think about Mrs. Werner every now and then, but when I do, I get incredibly nostalgic. Out of my years of schooling, second grade stands out as the best year of my entire educational career. Allow me to describe the ways:

She made all of us in her class feel like we were family.

I realize that sounds rawther cheesy, but it's true. We all really loved each other. We teased each other every now and then, but her class truly was a bully-free zone--a remarkable feat for any classroom. And she loved us; she made time for each of us during the day, and even at her busiest, she always had a chance to talk to us. She'd eat lunch with us occasionally, in the lunchroom. She'd twirl the jump rope for us.

She celebrated our differences and made us appreciate ourselves for who we were.

We had a blind student in our classroom, and Mrs. Werner took the time to explain to us that, just because the student could not see, doesn't mean we should exclude her from anything. And the student never used her disability as an excuse for anything. After a few weeks, we totally forgot that Bea was blind.

But it was the little things, too, that mattered. I was the only kid in my class with naturally curly hair, when it seemed that everyone else was either blond or had these cute, straight hair pixie cuts. Mrs. Werner made me appreciate my curls. Same thing with the one boy in the class who had red hair and freckles. It may seem insignificant now, but for two kids who didn't look like anyone else in the class, it made the world of difference.

She turned me into a reader.

And not just any reader--a reader. Up till second grade I was into the skinny paperback picture books. Mrs. Werner introduced us to chapter books--real, big kid chapter books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan. She would set aside time during the school day to read to us, and often, we'd get so into the book that we'd bring our own copies into the classroom, and she'd have us take turns reading different paragraphs. It got all of us so much more into reading than ever before.

Even after second grade, she was always there for me.

I'd go visit Mrs. Werner's classroom after school as I got older, either just to say hi, or whenever I had a problem. She always made time for me, regardless of how melodramatic my situation was. She encouraged me, supported me, and listened. Most of all, she listened.

Mrs. Werner moved to another state when I was in sixth grade. I was devastated when she left. A few years ago I tracked her down and wrote her a long, long letter, but sadly, never heard back. I hope she received it. But most importantly, I hope she knows what a difference she made in my life. For she took a kid who really disliked school and herself, and made her see the potential and intelligence that she had inside herself. To me, that's more valuable than any lesson learned in the classroom.

I still miss her.

Thursday Thunks: April 29, 2010

2010-04-28T21:15:00.002-04:00

1. Robins have red breasts. Why are their eggs blue?
Sorry, but my Magic 8 Ball won't answer questions unless they have a yes/no answer.

2. The doorbell buzzes at the same moment the phone rings. Who was on the phone?
The village, calling me to tell them that their idiot was missing.

3. It seems that there are several very popular memes each day of the week. Which meme did you first become a regular of?
This one! Now I'm not so much a regular. I post whenever I can.

4. It is about time that Berleen and Kimber meet in person. Should we start a collection to fly one of them to the other, or just hope Thom's bus and get from Hawaii to Kimber in Arizona and take her to Berleen in Minnesota?
Why not meet halfway in, say, Nebraska?

5. Tell us about your pets. Do you have one that you wish would run away?
I have two cats, Maggie and Gabby, and no, I do not wish that they would run away!

6. What was the last thing colored red that you wore?
Lipstick.

7. I have a train that runs by where I live several times a day. I actually find it peaceful. What's the longest journey that you have taken by train?
Twelve hours, from Madrid to Paris. Slept in a sleeper car with five of my high school classmates. I loved it!

8. If Kimber threw a five dollar bill off a building that was five stories high, and Berleen threw a twenty off a build that was six stories high, who do you think would find the money?
Some kid who likes to stand at on the street, near the ground floor, and waits all day for money to fall from the sky.

9. If reincarnation really happens, whose life would you like to know that you have already led?
Jackie Onassis. Don't know why; her name was the first to come to mind.

10. What are your three favorite possessions?
iPod, DVR, cell phone. In that order.

11. A lot of people still believe that Elvis is alive. Have you ever worn blue suede shoes?
Ahhhh...no.

12. Do you have siblings? If yes, are you anything alike?
Sister Kitten and I do have some things in common, but we're different people.

13. Has anyone ever asked you to strip naked and cluck like a chicken?
You have.

The Queen's Meme: The Gratitude Meme

2010-04-26T20:55:00.002-04:00

More often than not, we don't take time out of our daily lives to count our blessings. Call me corny or cliched, but it's absolutely true. I know I'm guilty of this. There are days when I just wallow in a sea of self-pity. Every now and then I have to take stock of what's really important.

Thanks, Mimi, for giving me this opportunity for reflecting on what I'm grateful for in life. :)

1. What are you most grateful for when you first wake up in the morning?
Having a job, when some of my friends have lost theirs. Having a roof over my head. A reliable car. Family and friends I can always count on.

2. What are you most grateful for when you go to bed at night?
The same things that I'm grateful for in the morning.

3. Who is the person who has had the most influence on your life?
My mother.

4. Is there someone you'd like to thank for something special they did for you but haven't yet? Take the time to do it in this meme.
Oh man...there are a few people for whom this would qualify, and they don't read this blog, but here goes...to my former minister: thank you for coming into my life during the most difficult period I have ever faced. Your support and confidence in me meant a lot to me during this trying event. I will never forget your willingness to listen and lend an ear. Thank you always for helping me become who I am.

5. Who was your favorite or least favorite teacher?
If you could talk to them now, what would you say?
Mrs. Werner, my second grade teacher. This actually ties into my Writers Workshop prompt this Thursday, so if you would like to know more, come back Thursday for a special post.

6. Do you say grace at mealtime?
Only when I'm visiting my parents.

7. Name one thing you take for granted everyday.
Sometimes I complain entirely too much about various things, such as my messy house and some situations at work. I realize that some people have it worse than I do. It can't always be me, me, me all the time.

8. Have you ever looked back at your life and realized that something you thought was a bad thing was actually a blessing in disguise?
Yes, lots of things. They've only made me a better person.

9. What are the top five things you are most grateful for in your life?

family and friends
my cats
my house
having a steady job
music, reading, and writing: my best coping outlets

Thursday Thunks: April 22, 2010

2010-04-22T20:34:00.002-04:00

I haven't thunked in awhile now. I thought tonight would be good to get back into the swing of things, particularly blogging.

My oldest demon (aka Demon #1) is in Oklahoma! The musical this weekend. Yep, my kid is a drama geek. Have you ever been in a play or musical? Were you in the drama club in high school?
I was in the drama club in middle school, but not high school. Back in middle school we did musicals that were expressly written for the middle school stage; we never did traditional ones like Oklahoma.

Of course, the year after I graduated, Sister Kitten's class did the HMS Pinafore. Go fig.

You are walking down the road and the cops fly by you and stop at the house just a little ways down the street. It's the way you were going to go... do you take a detour to avoid it or do you just keep walking because, hey - you had the idea first! or do you walk by out of complete curiosity?
I take a detour, because, with my luck, I'd be called as a witness to the crime. And Lord knows what's going on there...

I drop a green crayon from the roof and Kimber drops a yellow one - which one will grow wings and fly before it hits the ground?
The yellow one...I've never seen a green bird.

What is the first section of the grocery store you go to? And I know that sentence doesn't sound right, but I don't care.
The pasta and cereal aisles. I save the refrigerated stuff and the produce for last, so they won't have time in my cart to spoil.

Do you like questions that have a yes or no answer or do you like to actually think for yourself and come up with something original?
Depends on the degree of laziness I'm feeling at the moment.

The wall directly in front of you... whats on it?
Blue paint.

Sea salt?
No salt. High blood pressure runs in the family.

420. You know what it is. It's a time, it's a day, it's a way of life. Did you celebrate yesterday?
Noooo...but does anyone else find it ironic that one's Facebook status is limited to 420 characters?

Can you read a tape measure?
In inches or centimeters?

The city/town/village that you live in... it's population is.....????
45,000--or one Dunkin' Donuts for every 9,000 residents.

If a laptop fell out of the sky do you think you could catch it? And if you did, do you think it's Finders Keepers?
If it's a Macbook pro, hells yeah. And yes, I'd keep it. If it's a Dell, I'd let someone else catch it.

Driving down the highway, driving down the interstate, driving down a dirt road that you are sure goes absolutely nowhere... whats the longest distance you have ever driven in one trip?
1,000 miles, driving one way from Cleveland, Ohio, to Hartford, Connecticut.

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?
Let's ask Mr. Owl:

(And according to YouTube, that was the ORIGINAL commercial!!!)

Writers Workshop: Papa Cat's Guide to Grooming

2010-04-15T23:05:00.005-04:00

Join in the fun over at Mama Kat's by clicking here.

Here is the prompt I chose this week:
What does that tell you about your father? List five products your father used (or uses). Write a longer piece about, at least, one of them.

Weeellll...Papa Cat is not exactly one who primps himself. He keeps his hygiene to the barest of bare minimums. I'm not even sure I can even name five products that he uses on a regular basis (or used to use for that matter). But I am definitely sure of the one product that he used to use all the frakkin' time. Read on...

So here are the products, in no particular order:

1. Irish Spring deodorant soap
Because he thinks Mama Cat's Dove Beauty Bar is too girly for him.

2. Barbasol Shaving Cream
He's been using this stuff for as long as I've been alive...and probably for as long as he's been married (37 years this June). And probably much longer than that.

3. Crest Toothpaste
Because it's what Mama Cat buys. Papa Cat did the grocery shopping once and bought something other than Crest, and there was a near-riot at the Cat Family Homestead.

4. Fresh Burst Listerine
Again, see #3.

But for number five...well, how can I not write about this one?!?!?

5. Aqua Net Super-Hold Hair Spray

There is a story behind this, kittens. You see, as a growing kitten, I often woke up to the sounds of Papa Cat emptying out a can of Aqua Net as he got ready for work. He was a man who lived in deep denial that he was balding, and had a rawther large comb-over. Papa Cat would use about an eighth of a can of Aqua Net on his head to hold the comb-over in place. It was not a good look for him. Neither I nor Sister Kitten would mention this to him, but Mama Cat did--constantly.

As we got older we'd mention that he polluted the ozone layer every time he used the damn Aqua Net. Papa Cat would just roll his eyes. Like I said, he was never big on grooming, but man, he really wouldn't get rid of that comb-over.

Until one day...he discovered he was going bald in the back of his head.

It was weird how he first found out. Embarrassing, actually. He attended a Board of Finance meeting in town, which was recorded on public access cable. He stood up to speak, said what he had to say, and then sat down. The Board of Finance thanked Papa Cat for his comments.

Papa Cat made us all watch this Board of Finance meeting. He was that danged excited to be on television. As we were watching, he noticed a short, balding man stand up to address the board.

He didn't realize it was him.

He asked if he was really that bald.

We nodded.

A week later, he went to Louis the barber, the man who had been cutting his hair for nearly twenty-five years, and had the comb-over chopped off.

Papa Cat no longer uses the Aqua Net.

His hair--and the ozone layer--are much better off without it.

Upcoming book reviews (!!!)

2010-04-10T12:39:00.003-04:00

Yep, you've read that title right...I actually have some book reviews coming up soon! I finally managed, albeit slowly, to work out of the little rut I had gotten myself into. OK, it was a majorly huge rut. I hadn't really read or absorbed myself in a good read since...last July? September? Anyhoo, it's been at least six months since I finished a book cover to cover and felt completely satisfied and non-stressed. I'll be posting these reviews sometime within the next two weeks. I've got some time off coming up, which will give me an opportunity to write some posts.

But first, I am going away, once again. I'll be going on a quick trip to Niagara Falls this coming Monday, and will be returning home sometime Wednesday. I'll probably be posting sometime next Thursday or Friday; yo no se.

But I will give you a hint as to one of the books I'll be reviewing...it has something to do with one of the two red-headed comedians I'm going to see in the upcoming weeks...(look at the countdowns to the left of your screen to see whom I'm talking about)...;)

Writers Workshop: Are you really afraid of THAT?!?!

2010-04-08T20:40:00.003-04:00

Go to Mama Kat's blog to get in on all the fun!

So here's the prompt I chose this week:

Where does that fear come from? Write about something that frightens you that other people might find ridiculous. Write about it in a poem, a story, or whatever.

When I was a kid, I absolutely adored The Muppet Show. I mean, seriously worshiped it. I had a metal Muppet Show lunchbox with matching Thermos. I had a poster of Miss Piggy in my bedroom, and my favorite sweatshirt when I was little was a Miss Piggy sweatshirt. The first movie I ever saw in the theater was The Muppet Movie. I was three years old when it came out.

But there was one thing that absolutely frightened, I mean, terrified me whenever I watched The Muppet Show. No, it was not Animal nor Sam the Eagle. It was the opening bumper, when the production company's logo came on before Kermit even introduced the guest star. It looked like the logo was about to zoom out from the TV screen and hit you. Not to mention, there was a really scary timpani-and-trumpet fanfare that accompanied it. The production company, in case you want to look it up on YouTube, was ITC. I accidentally watched a clip not long ago and it still scares the crap out of me. It came on TV one day and I very quickly turned it off. As a kid I would hide in the kitchen until the logo went off the screen and Kermit appeared again.

I didn't tell anyone about this fear. Not a soul. Obviously I'm telling all of you now, kittens, but up until about three or four years ago, I thought I was all alone. And then, one day, I was searching through Yahoo groups when I found one called "Scary Logos." And there, I found a group completely devoted to all of those scary, scary production logos of the 1970s--the Screen Gems "S from Hell", the Viacom "V of Doom," and the synthesized "WGBH" logo.

None of those logos ever scared me.

But that damn ITC one still does.

I still think it's an irrational fear...but it's one that I have.

P.S. Don't even think about sending me a YouTube clip with the ITC logo on it. Or rawther, ANYTHING with the ITC logo--pictures, screencaps, whatever. I will NOT find it funny. AT ALL.

Happy Easter from Conan O'Brien and Martha Stewart

2010-04-02T06:19:00.000-04:00

Well, my darling kittens, I'll be heading off to the Cat Family homestead for the holiday, so please enjoy these Easter greetings from Conan and Martha. They go together like the chocolate and peanut butter in the Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. So please enjoy these two clips while I am away. Happy Easter!

Cadbury Eggs unleashed!!!

2010-04-01T18:37:00.000-04:00

I love this Cadbury Egg campaign...I think it's from either Britain or Canada...but it's just awesome. I posted some of these last year, and I just HAD to post 'em again.

Happy Easter, my darling kittens!!!

Life with Mama and Papa Cat

2010-03-31T17:16:00.002-04:00

Everyone thinks their parents are weird. I don't care who you are or how close you are to your mother and father, but everybody I know has some strange story about their parents' idiosyncratic ways.

Mine are certainly no exception.

Consider these:

My parents are in their mid-60s. Why is it that the older they get, the bigger their CARS get?

Sister Kitten and I have been out of the house for years, yet our mother still insists on driving a minivan. She says she's comfortable with it, and is used to driving a car that big. But why? The only things she puts in there these days are groceries. She doesn't put furniture in there; she hardly drives whenever there's a carpool. And she doesn't have any grandchildren!

And our father drives a Ford truck. Just a small one, but again, he has nothing major to transport. Besides, he says that at his age, he can't do much heavy lifting anymore. So why does he still have it?

They refuse to break their morning routine--and they're RETIRED.

Mama Cat still gets up at the ass-crack of dawn--5:00 AM. There is absolutely no reason for her to! She puts the coffee on and pours herself a cup--or two--or three. No breakfast, just coffee. And then she makes damn sure to go outside and get the paper before Papa Cat gets up--and if Papa Cat doesn't have his morning paper, he goes ballistic.

Papa Cat rises at 6:30--about an hour later than when he was working. He pours his coffee, sets the Hartford Courant in front of him at the kitchen table, and commences reading.

Meanwhile, Mama Cat sits in the family room with her coffee, reading the latest James Patterson novel or whatever mystery novel she's into at the moment. Mama Cat loves to buy the mass-market paperbacks at the supermarket. She goes through about three or four a week. She does this while Papa Cat finishes the paper; she can't read any section of the paper until Papa Cat is done with the entire thing.

Which leads me to my next point...

They constantly complain about the Hartford Courant, yet refuse to cancel their subscription.

Sister Kitten and I have suggested, on more than one occasion, that they go paperless and start reading the New York Times online. They flat out refuse, especially Papa Cat. He enjoys his morning routine. I respect that. But if you're going to keep reading the paper, why not subscribe to something else?!?! Papa Cat claims he doesn't like computers or technology, but this is a hypocritical statement, for...

Papa Cat has a Facebook account, and Mama Cat is fluent in textspeak.

I am not at all horrified by the fact that my father is on Facebook. He's not one of those parents who constantly checks my status or comments on it. He leaves my page, and Sister Kitten's, alone. He respects our privacy--or rawther, what little you can find online.

I am, however, disappointed that my own mother, who constantly corrected my grammar as a child and proofread all of my research papers in high school, now uses textspeak. My own 65-year-old mother!!! She first started texting when she went to Rome, and found that texting was cheaper than calling us. And then her messages got lengthier, and she started abbreviating. That disappointed me greatly. I have called her out on it several times. She says, "Well, no one other than you and your sister are seeing my texts, so what's the big deal?"

It IS a big deal! Now I have to go and revise this post from a year ago!!!

OK, that rant's over. Now how do I continue? Oh yes...

My parents are beyond obsessed with Costco.

I really shouldn't say beyond obsessed, for they only go once a month. But when they go, however, they load up on all sorts of...crap. Well, I shouldn't use the word "crap," but they buy their meat in bulk, as well as vitamins, shampoo, and toilet paper.

It's just the two of them living at home. They shouldn't be going through all of that stuff so fast! (Especially Papa Cat, who has very little hair left on his noggin).

Mama Cat sends me and Sister Kitten an E-mail about once a month that goes like this...

"Your father and I went to Costco yesterday. We got you both some kitty litter (in the 50-pound pails), some refills for your hand soap (about two GALLONS worth), and some of that pumpkin flax cereal you both like. Kitten, we got you some vitamin D as well. And we got both of you girls some tampons."

Now THAT I appreciate (except the part about the feminine hygiene products). Mama Cat needn't go through the trouble of getting all of that stuff for me and Sister Kitten. It's very nice, though; I cannot fault her for that.

But I can fault her for...

Her need to keep everything museum-quality clean.

As I wrote above, Mama and Papa Cat are both retired. She therefore has time to clean her house from top to bottom all the time. It is always spotless. It puts my house to shame. It makes my house look like an urban slum.

Sister Kitten and I had a bonding moment once when she called me, in a panic, because she was having all of us over for dinner.

SISTER KITTEN: I'm so nervous about Mom and Dad coming over!
ME: Why?
SK: Because no matter how much I clean Mom always finds something wrong! I know you wouldn't care all that much, but this is MOM and DAD!!!!

Isn't it a phenomenon, kittens? No matter how clean your house is, your mother will spot something that's out of place--especially the moment when she first steps through the door? And the worst thing is, the minute she spots something out of place, she always tidies it up. And then she chides me and Sister Kitten for being such messy housekeepers.

Uh, hello ma...we're both working professionals with tres busy lives!! Cut us some slack!

And there are various other things that puzzle me about the 'rents. There's their need to constantly putter around the house. A week after I moved out, for instance, Mama Cat ripped the carpeting out of my bedroom, only to expose the gorgeous hardwood flooring underneath. She then painted it and added new curtains, pictures, and throw rugs! "All from Ocean State Job Lot!" she proclaimed. (Her other favorite place, just behind Costco). And Papa Cat is trying to improve the landscaping, to various degrees of success. For years he has built a stone wall around the backyard--using stones he's smuggled from abandoned properties in the woods. He wants to build the wall around the front yard, but Mama Cat put her paw down on that one.

And then there are those other idiosyncratic habits to which I have grown accustomed over the years. They have their own Archie-and-Edith chairs in the family room, and God forbid that someone else ever sits in them. They use them to watch TV at night and to read their Sunday paper. But I won't fault them for the Sunday routine, for it's something I actually enjoyed as a growing kitten. Papa Cat would buy bagels after church, as well as the New York Daily News and the New York Post. They'd complain about the quality of the bagels they purchased, and how they didn't compare to the ones they got in New York. They'd read their papers and talk about Governor Cuomo, the Mets' latest woes, and why aren't the Jets as good as they used to be?

Don't get me wrong, kittens. I adore my parents and would be devastated if anything happened to either of them. But man, they are strange sometimes.

And if you're a parent, have you ever wondered what your children would say about you?

The Queen's Meme: The What NOT Meme

2010-03-29T19:50:00.002-04:00

There is all kinds of advice awaiting you on the Internets, advice full of things that tell you what TO DO in any given situation. Mimi, our darling Queen of Memes, has decided to solicit us, her royal subjects, on what NOT to do in the following situations:

1. On a first date: Oh, so many choices! Don't floss in front of your date. Don't chew with your mouth open. Don't go on and on and on about your exes.

2. Intoxicated: DON'T DRIVE. I've been the designated driver in MANY situations. And there were a few situations where I had to wrestle the keys out of someone's hand.

3. In the shower: Don't confuse the shampoo with the body wash. And especially don't confuse the Nair with your shampoo.

4. At your ex’s wedding: Don't give a toast while drunk, or else you'll be telling all sorts of risque stories about your ex. You don't want to be the most embarrassing part of his/her wedding day.

5. In jail: Don't piss off the guards. Or your cellmate, for that matter.

6. being stalked: Don't pull a Hansel and Gretel and leave traces of your whereabouts.

7. Stuck to an igloo: Don't get stuck to it in the first place. In the future, remember the scene from A Christmas Story: Your tongue WILL stick to cold places.

8. In sewing class: Don't sew your project to your jeans. I speak from experience.

9. Asleep in a helium balloon: Don't wake up. If you do, you'll panic. And if you do, don't try to suck all of the helium out of the balloon in order to get it to sink.

10. At a birthday party for twins: Don't mistake their identities. If one of them happens to be cute, make sure that, after the party, you're hooking up with the right one.

11. On a nude beach: Don't keep staring.

12. At the opera: Don't bring your finest Waterford crystal and perform scientific experiments. The opera isn't the place to see if glass will shatter due to high octaves. Save that for a Mariah Carey concert.

13. you’re falling in love: Don't go too fast.

14. Low on gasoline in a bad part of town: Don't stop and call AAA right away. Try to get to a better section of town first. And DON'T be alone; call someone in the area to keep you company.

15. Having a baby: Don't take advice from me. I've never been pregnant, and wouldn't have a clue as to what you should or shouldn't do.

16. On fire: Don't use any cleaning supplies or other household chemicals.

17. Lost at the mall: Don't stand in the middle of the food court and cry out, "I'm lost!!"

18. At a single’s dance: Don't look or act desperate.

19. Riding a bike on the Jersey Turnpike: Uhhhh...why would you do this in the first place?!?! But if you insist, don't leave home without your EZ Pass. You still have to pay the tolls.

20. Driving your significant other's car: Don't get into an accident.

21. Being robbed at gunpoint: Uhhhh...can't think of anything witty or practical here. Sorry.

22. Kissing: Never kiss after you've had sardines, a tuna fish sandwich, or garlic or onions.

23. Paying the hotel cashier: Don't stiff the poor guy.

24. Buying lingerie: Don't giggle like a schoolkid, especially if you're a guy.

24. Commenting on a blog: Don't be disrespectful when commenting. Be honest, but gentle.

25. In Queen Mimi's dungeon: Don't insult Queen Mimi's cooking. Trust me, I speak from experience.

Not my best answers this week...sorry guys.