hanging out with the Dream King

I'm back to dreaming weird things again. Last night I had 2 dreams about the following individuals:
1. British Prime Minister Tony Blair
2. A nearly-nude Gene Hackman
Yikes!

game on!

Wow, what a busy last week or so, which explains my lack of posting. So many good things happened, I couldn't possibly go into detail over them all...

My family was here, and actually Mums and Dud are leaving this morning while I'm at work. They've been here for a week, and surprisingly I haven't wanted to kill them. Kevin even suggested they stay through New Year's, to which they declined. I guess my Dad's got to get home for an x-ray on his leg. Anyway, we had a wonderful Christmas with lots of food, fun, and presents. Now it's back to work. Blah.

Everything went by so fast that it's hard to remember all the stressful anticipation I experienced. January, when it comes, is always such a let down. The months ahead, however, will be filled with wedding planning. Yep. Time to get back at it again. *Sighs*

the Winfield Petting Zoo back together again

I picked a very sore, tired, groggy Isabel up from the Vet yesterday afternoon. Poor baby. Her paws are still very tender, and the underside of her belly is marked by a long red incision which is also fairly sore. Her spunk will return, I'm sure, soon as she heals. She normally runs around like the Devil, but last night and this morning she had to calculate how much pain it would cause to do various things, i.e. jump on the kitchen counter while I was getting her food = lots of pain; jumping into the bathtub to lick the faucet after my shower = not enough pain to deter her. You get the idea.

got a cat named Easter, he says "will you ever learn?"...

Last night, Kevin and I went back to the Vet to pay for Isabel's stuff, and to see if we could possibly bring her home early. No such luck, which I knew would happen. I tried telling Kevin this - they don't want her sutures to come out so they keep her over night for observation. Kevin got wicked crabby and asked if we could at least see her. The Vet said no, so Isabel doesn't get excited and bleed all over the place. Plus, she's still drugged with pain meds. You would have thought Kevin's only son was on his deathbed, the way he was reacting. He pouted and cursed all the way home in the car. True enough, I'm sure he'll be an excellent father when the time comes, but if he's like this with a kitten, I can't imagine how he'll behave with children!

is Thumbalina size 10 on a Wednesday --

Adjusted the Christmas tree last night, but I didn't get a chance to put the lights on it as I had planned. Instead, I had a little cooking mishap which kept me cleaning most of the night. I'll not go into detail, but let's just say that I had to wash the walls, floor, and complete stove top when I was finished. It kind of ruined our plans to go to the jeweler's to pick out wedding rings.

Tonight will be quiet without Isabel. I dropped her off at the vet this morning for the full deal - shots, front de-claw, and spaying. I hope she'll be ok. She has to spend the night, and I know she will completely ignore me tomorrow evening when we pick her up. I'm the bad Mom for taking her to the vet. Last night she was in heat (her first one) and howled the entire night, chasing her brothers all over the house trying to seduce them. They had no clue what was going on.

falling down as the winter takes one more CHERRY TREE

I was very productive last night - found the Christmas dishes, unpacked and washed them. We even went to get our Christmas tree. This was so last minute, though, and I am very disappointed with what's now sitting in the living room. I feel bad for the poor tree. I think someone painted her, because on the underside of the needles are lots of dark green splotches which rubbed off on my fingers. This is what I get for refusing to spend too much money on a tree and waiting till the week before Christmas. I'm really not a procrastinator. Really.

lay me down in sheets of linen, you had a busy day today

Most of my weekend was spent at church, rehearsing the kids for their pageant, which was last night. I have to say, that despite all my complaining and bitching and moaning, I really love what I do. Especially working with kids. Hearing all the laughter last night was totally worth it. Seeing their faces when Santa made a surprise appearance really got everyone in the Christmas spirit. They performed fantastically - they really hammed it up on stage. Everyone has been so stressed out over Christmas, that I think a good laugh was really needed by all. I'm so proud of those kids.

Saturday was a real blessing for me - I was waited on hand and foot. Friday night I had been at church till 10pm setting up for the pageant, making sure our lighting and sound systems were working, etc. I had to be back at 9am for the dress rehearsal on Saturday. By the time I got home that afternoon I was wiped out. I took a nap and when I woke up, Kevin and Gerry had not only made dinner, done the dishes and laundry, but Gerry had also made cupcakes for me to take to the Potluck yesterday. I am truly a lucky gal.

Kevin and I finished all our shopping yesterday afternoon between rehearsals. We still haven't gotten a tree yet, but that's hopefully going to happen tomorrow night. This week is going to be crazy - tree shopping, Isabel going to the vet, possibly some wedding-ring-picking-out...we'll see! :o) That's what I want for Christmas!

For a little computer-oriented comic relief, go here.
If yours has ever caused you excessive grief, you'll like this one. Promise.

To Do
1. Get tree but not decorate it till the family comes.
2. Find, unpack, and wash the Christmas dishes.
3. Take Isabel to the vet. (Note: Must first make appointment.)
4. Finish up last bit of shopping, which includes forcing myself to purchase the GTA4 Vice City Sound Track Boxed Set for my husband. *Gags*
5. Replenish the barren cupboards ASAP.
6. Make something for a Potluck on Sunday night.
7. Get guest rooms ready for family visitors.
8. Keep the peace between family members when I tell the in-laws I won't see them on Christmas day. (I have two families now and must learn to make concessions, i.e. I must sacrifice time with my own family who is only all together this one time a year.)
9. Clean and stock the basement bathroom with necessary cleaning supplies in case we start having a little too much fun.
10. Make Orange Refrigerator Cookies or suffer the wrath of my husband.
11. Plan and execute our office Christmas party, which no one wants any part of.
12. Drink.

Julia posted this first, but I always knew I was a Choirgirl...

Which Tori Amos Era are you?
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cutting back

The other day we cancelled our cable, because I refuse to pay $40 a month for something we never use. We got out the ol' antenna and slapped it back on top of the TV. Nothing. We got nothing. Unbelieveable. So we call the cable company. This is totally new to me- no one out here can get anything with an antenna. You still have to pay for local reception to get any channels like NBC, etc. *Grumbles* What a crock of you-know-what.

Got my Christmas cards done last night. Well, almost. I ran out of cards, with a few people still left on my list. I didn't think I would want to wish that many people a Merry Christmas. I didn't think I liked that many people. But I guess being married obligates one to send cards to one's spouse's family as well as one's own.

When do I sleep?

The Christmas party Friday night was actually fun. I had a really good time with Kevin's co-workers. Except for the one who couldn't hold his booze. We car-pooled with a 300-pound megalomaniac who projectile-vomitted out the back of the Jeep for a straight 25 minutes on our way home from the party. Bleah. Too drunk to drive home, he spent the night in our guest room. Ew, ew, ew, EW!

Saturday, my car died. Despite being married to an ASE certified mechanic, I am horrible with car maintenance. I was on my way to rehearsal Saturday morning when at the intersection of Ridge and Pleasant Valley, my car refused to accelerate. I coasted into the Citgo on the corner and luckily had the cell phone with me. Since Kevin was at work, I called Lou who came to get me and took me to the autobody shop. I cannot say enough good things about friends who are mechanics, especially those who only charge me wholesale cost for parts and nothing for labor. I only needed new plugs and wires and a general tune up, but because I drive a Mercury "Mistake", parts are wicked expensive. My repairs cost less than half of what they would have, had I gone to some ordinary joe-schmoe garage. I love my friends.

I spent 6 hours at the mall yesterday, shopping with my in-laws, Kevin's brother and his girlfriend. It was enough to make me nuts. That's all I have to say about that.

good year for hunters and Christmas parties

First, congrats are in order to: 1.) My Dad for getting a deer on Thanksgiving. I know he will try to sneak in some of that venison in our Christmas dinner, but I will outsmart him. And, also 2.) Sue for getting out of this winter weather for a spell. I hope she has a fantastic time at Club Med in Mexico with Andy. And I also hope there might be a proposal involved at some point. :o)

Second, tonight Kevin and I are off to our first Christmas party of the month. Hopefully this will also be the last. I know, I know. I'm such a Scrooge. I just have so much to do. Anyway, we're going to one of his co-worker's house tonight. It should be interesting. Everyone in attendance will also be bringing their children. We are the only childless couple. LOL And the youngest.

it's not so bad after all

Looks like my cold was short lived, to say the least. I'm feeling much better lately. Now if I can only manage my stress! I've got 2 weeks till the kids' Christmas Pageant at church, and 3 weeks till the choir concert. Yikes!

Weird dreams again last night...I can't remember all of what I dreamed, but I remember one part where it seems Oscar, my big fat baby kitty, tried to drown himself in a gigantic toilet. I pulled him out just before he got sucked down into the depths of wherever tiolet water goes to in dreams. I was happy to see him purring away this morning on top of my pillow.

sniffle, sniffle

I have come down with a monster cold, which most likely was caught from my husband. I thought I avoided it when I took extra Vitamin C and Zinc, coupled with consumiing mass quantities of green tea. No such luck. At least this isn't strep, like I had last year. Knock wood.

It's been a while since last posting...Mom went home Sunday and I miss her already. I got out a few decorations and put up some lights. This weekend is reserved for getting our tree, rearranging the living room to suit the tree I am envisioning, and decorating the house. Most of the shopping is done, with the exception of a few stocking stuffers here and there. (Thank goodness for Amazon.com, because I love one-click shopping.)

Wow I am tired. If I'm not posting for a while, it's 'cause I'm trying to get healthy. :o)

to you brave shoppers out there today:
I have not in the past, nor will I ever patronize Abercrombie & Fitch. However, if that sort of thing turns you on, you'll be happy to know that according to The Associated Press, "teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch will have male models, clad only in underwear, greet shoppers at stores in major cities Friday." Go to the Abercrombie website for a little teaser. LOL

zzzzzzzzz.....

I think I am the only one in Cleveland at work today. The roads were deserted this morning, except for the few brave shoppers who will not be intimidated by sub-zero temperatures. I also think I am catching Kevin's monster cold, which he has just started to get over. Oh great. I'm seriously thinking of heading home when someone comes in...I'm by myself for another hour possibly. Blah.

On a more positve note, we had a nice time yesterday at my Aunts'. Mom came into town Wednesday night, after taking a wrong turn (oops!) which landed her in Lakewood. She was tired. Originally we had planned to go down to Columbus Wednesday night, but since Mom never got here till after 8, we elected to go down yesterday morning instead. We had yummy turkey, and everything one eats on Thanksgiving. Dinner was followed by pecan and grape pie (ew) and a lengthy game of Trivial Pursuit. That game lasted hours. We played for about 4 hours, ending finally at 10pm with Mom in the lead (5 pie) and Aunt Marcia and I tied at 4 pie apiece. It was time to get going home. The drive back last night was smooth- no traffic or anything, but by the time we got home it was late and I was exhausted.

Kevin spent the day at his Mom's, and then paid our friend Jerry a visit. Everyone keeps asking me if it bothered me not spending Thanksgiving with my husband. It didn't, really. We would have had fun if he'd been with us, but being the only male in an estrogen-filled house was not desirable for him. Don't blame him on that one. I hate being the only girl.

Wonder if Dad and Scott got a deer yesterday...

she likes hanging Chinese paper cuts

Since the Columbus Dispatch decided to do concert reviews of Nelly and Guns N Roses instead of Tori, I'm posting the review of the Cleveland show instead. The Plain Dealer gave a very complimentary review. Read the review here.

but now I must be leaving...

Beth was here last night, staying with us so she could make her meeting with the Lake County Captains this morning. Apparently the Cleveland area now has a minor league farm team - Class A affiliate of the Indians. Anyway, best of luck to Beth on selling them her product. To see what Beth does, go here.

Anyway, tonight my Mom and I head to Columbus to spend Thanksgiving with my Aunts. Happy Turkey Day, everybody!

you're just too used to my Honey

Kevin yesterday decided to do some early Christmas shopping at Best Buy. So, we are now the proud owners of this Sony Home Theatre System. Did I want this to be my Christmas present? Take a guess.

Friday
Good seeing Matt and Julia, even if they were just passing through for the evening. We tried to play Trivial Pursuit. Matt, Julia, and Sue all did fairly well. I sucked. Admittedly, I was the worst player of the evening. I was so tired I spent most of the game with my head down on the table.

Saturday
Had a nice relaxing morning chatting with the girls. Sue and I left for Columbus around 1:00. We thought we'd run into traffic from the OSU v. Michigan game, but it was reasonably clear all the way down. We made it safely to my Aunt's, spent some time catching up. I finally told her I had gotten married. The reaction I received from her was not the reaction I had at all anticipated. She was happy, and I thought she would have screamed at me. I love it when family surprises me. :o)

on scarlet's walk

Ok, I have lots to post, but I know you are all dying to know how the Tori show was, so I'll talk about that first.

We arrived at the Palace Theatre in Columbus at about 7:30 or so. Debating about whether or not to purchase any memorabilia, I opted not to when I discovered that tour t-shirts were $35! I am a loyal EWF and I love Tori, but that's ridiculous. Maybe I'll find one on e-bay sometime. Anyway, we got to our seats - first row upper balcony - and sort of took it all in. The show was sold out, so there were people milling around everywhere.

The opening act, Howie Day came on at just about 8pm. I have to comment on this - I have never so enjoyed an opening act as much as this one. Howie Day was really, really good. So good, in fact, that I'll probably purchase his CD some time in the near future. He was the lone guitarist on stage with maybe 5 or 6 recording devices of some kind. At different times during his set he would record a few bars, loop them, and continue the process until he had layer upon layer of rhythms (by hitting his guitar), vocals, chords, etc. Sue thought he sounded a lot like Bono. I disagreed until at the end of one of his songs, he broke into U2's One Love. Which was really cool. I loved him. He called the people in the box seats Muppets. :o)

Tori came one just after 9pm. Now, I love Tori no matter what. She put on a great show, which included songs from all the albums but Strange Little Girls. Fine with me. She did 23 songs, including my favorite bee side Never Seen Blue:

Set List
Wampum Prayer
a sorta fairytale
Little Earthquakes
Pancake
Space Dog
Sweet Sangria
Sugar
Black-Dove (January)
Wednesday

Band leaves

China
Never Seen Blue
Twinkle

Band returns

Honey
Cornflake Girl
Don't Make Me Come To Vegas
Amber Waves
Precious Things
I Can't See New York
Spring Haze

1st Encore
Taxi Ride
Take To The Sky
Horses

2nd Encore
Tear In Your Hand

I was pleased with the concert except for all the idiots who got up and walked around during Tori's performance. People were so rude, including three teenagers sitting in front of us who talked incessantly throughout the concert. Grrr.

To read more about this show,go here.

35 hours till Tori!
Not that anyone's counting or anything. :o)

39 years ago today

JFK was gunned down in Dallas today in 1963.

Incidentally, this has been an interesting and eventful year for the Kennedys...the conviction of Michael Skakel, the discovery of the PT- 109 wreck...And I remain obsessed.

that reminds me
If you are so inclined to see photos of me trying on various wedding dresses, go to Sue's Blog and follow the links and instructions. Never mind how I look, though, because I was hung over.

so I let Crazy take a spin

It's going to get really busy this weekend! I'm so excited for my visitors, though. Sue, Matt, and Julia will be arriving tomorrow. Julia and Matt are stopping en route to Columbus to visit another friend. Sue and I are headed to Columbus on Saturday to visit with my Aunt and to see the Tori Amos show that night.

Next week, though, it gets really crazy:
Monday: 2 Choir rehearsals
Tuesday: Bell Choir Rehearsal, Beth visits
Wednesday: Beth goes to Indiana, Mom visits and we go to Columbus
Thursday: Thanksgiving in Columbus, driving back to Cleveland that night
Friday: Work all day
Saturday: Pageant Rehearsal
Sunday: Church, Choir Rehearsal, Beth stops on her way back from Indiana

Hopefully my Mom and I will get some Christmas shopping done amidst all my activities. I've got most of my gifts purchased, with the exception of my brother and sister and in-laws. Oh, and my husband. I also want to get my Christmas tree sometime in the near future, but I refuse to do that till it's actually December.

here you go!
Click on this link to go to my Wedding Photos page on Andy's website.
Username: webguest
Password: november
Disclaimer: If you wish to download all the pics in zip format (second to last link), it takes a very, very long time. Like, several hours. To see thumbnails, click the last link. Each individual photo is also shown, but they take a while to load.

Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

something safe for the picture frame...

After I get the go ahead from Sue's beau Andy, I'll post the link where you can check out our wedding photos. Hopefully that will be by the end of the day. If not, then tomorrow.

4 Days Till Tori!

driving on the vine, over clotheslines
but officer I saw the sign...

On the way to the grocery store yesterdy, Kevin pulled the Jeep over into a deserted parking lot, put it in park and got out. "You're driving," he said. I said "No f***ing way". Well, guess what. Kevin gave me my first driving-stick-lesson as I drove in circles around the parking lot at Southland.

I felt confident enough to drive over to Giant Eagle, so we're on the way and suddenly there's a stop sign. I stalled the car, and the lady behind me honked her horn at me. I panicked, stalled about 3 more times and managed to jerk the Jeep out into the middle of the road. Kevin was very calm and patient with me - a good teacher. But the lady behind me laid incessantly on her horn and I was on the verge of tears going "I can't do this!" So, Kevin gets out of the car, walks around behind it and screams at the lady "Go the f*** around!!!!" She stopped honking her horn. LOL I was laughing hysterically, and barely managed to get the clutch/ gas thing long enough to park it. My legs were shaking by the time I turned off the ignition and we laughed ourselves silly all through the grocery store.

you always did prefer the drizzle to the rain

Nice weather we had over the weekend. The sun didn't come out once. Blech. I did get a few things accomplished, though not as many as I had hoped. Cleaning happened, 'cause I'm trying to get ready for my visitors this weekend. Between now and Wednesday, though, I've got a ton more to do as this weekend BOTH our guest rooms will be in use. At the same time!

I have been married for one month. :o)

One week till Tori!

Whither goest thou, America, in thy shiny black car in the night?

From today until Decemebr 26th I will be living my life by the calendar. My days will be filled with rehearsals, meetings, hours of practicing, not to mention cleaning, shopping, and getting ready for the holidays. Yep. Here they come! The commercialization of it all makes me ill to my stomach, yet every year it gets worse and worse.

on the other side of the galaxy

Yesterday almost directly across the street from Arhaus, where Kevin works in Walton Hills, there were several massive explosions as two local businesses went up in flames. The fire made National news headlines. Check out the story here on CNN. Kevin said it was pretty scary. All the major businesses in the area were evacuated, including the Ford plant, and Arhaus. Here's the kicker- they forced all of the people in the office at Arhaus to leave, while the warehouse workers, including my husband, were told they had the option to go but only if they felt their lives were in danger. Gotta love corporate America. That's all I have to say about that.

gimme somethin' to believe in...

I want to be in a band. Badly. I've started to pay more attention to what's been on the radio lately, in order to compile our wedding set list. Every once in a while a song will come on and I think "I could so play this!" Ok, so in my pseudo band I could play keys and sing. Kev can play bass or guitar. Kev's good bud, whom I endearingly call "80's Frank" can play drums. (If he ever gets a set of his own.) We'd be set. The first song we would cover would be by Poison, I'm sure. LOL Every rose has it's thorn. After that though, I'd have a bloody hard time trying to get them to play Indigo Girls tunes.

you told me last night you were a sun now
with your very own devoted satellite

Had weird dreams again last night. I suppose they stemmed from my persistence at getting Kevin involved in the wedding planning. His job is to find and hire a DJ, hopefully through a connection we have at Lentine's. This "connection" is who I had a dream about last night. A naked dream. *Shudders* Incidentally, Lentine's is where I met Kevin.

This morning when I woke up, our bedroom, not to mention the entire house was bathed in orange light. I peeked out the French doors in the dining room and saw the most gorgeous sunrise I've witnessed in a long time. In fact, I think the last time I was up early enough to catch a sunrise was about 3 years ago. I should get up early more often.

the next project, continued...

Last night Kevin and I went through our CD collection. Our list of songs has grown to about 65, total. I guess I didn't realize how tough it would be to plan out about 6 hours or so worth of music. Anyway, I still need more suggestions because after last night, I looked at our playlist, and so far it contains songs mostly by the following: Motley Crue, Whitesnake, & Van Halen. (Can you tell who picked these??) I actually conceded to some Def Leppard and Bon Jovi tunes. Who doesn't love Jon Bon Jovi? *drools* Anyway, I'll post the playlist maybe tomorrow. I need more suggestions on stuff that isn't '80's Rock. Please!

the next project

Ok, our next wedding thing we're working on is the DJ/ set list. I've been racking my brain trying to come up with stuff to play during the reception. Here's what I've got so far, and I'll continually update this list as you add your suggestions. Which you must add.

First Dance of Bride & Groom: Thank You ~Led Zeppelin, covered by Tori Amos
Father of Bride/Bride:
Mother of Groom/Groom:

For Dancing (not necessarily in this order, of course):
Fields of Gold ~Sting
Ship of Fools ~Robert Plant
Heavy Metal Drummer ~Wilco
Ice Cream ~Sarah McLachlan
The Look of Love ~Diana Krall
These are Days ~10,000 Maniacs

Please add, comment, make suggestions!

Grace...
I don't mean to be cryptic, but I love these words by Leonard Cohen, covered amazingly by Jeff Buckley:

Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you
But remember when i moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah

Does anyone have any Jeff Buckley discs they'd be willing to burn for me? Please? Pretty please?

have a seat while i...

Check out Sue's new blog, entitled Take to the Sky!

Meg Squared

Over the weekend I had a chance to reconnect with some friends from college. Kevin had never met Mary Ellen, and neither of us had met her husband. We had a nice time eating, drinking, catching up. Meg and I perused the B-W yearbook from our senior year, while finishing off a bottle of Bailey's (me) and a large bottle of Beringer White Zin (Meg).

After Mary Ellen and Ed left to go back to Columbus, Meg and I attempted to get Kev and his friend Jerry into a rousing game of Trivial Pursuit. I was kicking ass, but we ended up calling the game after only about a half hour's worth of play, as Kev and Jerry were bored to tears. *Shakes head* I think they just didn't want to lose to a couple of girls.

Meg ended up spending the night, due to the excessive amounts of alcohol consumed. At least we had a good time, reminscent of that incident in college when we gave Julia a make-over, followed by Meg's consumption of an entire bottle of Boone's. *Sigh* Those were the days...

mahwige...mahwige is vhat bwings us togevah, today...

A friend sent this forward to me yesterday. I got a slight chuckle out of it. All the males I passed it on to guffawed:
My wife and I have the secret to making a marriage last: Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little wine, some
good food and companionship. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.
We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Sydney and mine is in Melbourne.
I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.
I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the
kitchen.
We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.
She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker. Then she said, "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!".
So I bought her an electric chair.
Remember.... Marriage is the number one cause of divorce. Statistically, 100% of all divorces started with marriage.
I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.
I haven't spoken to my wife for 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.
The last fight was my fault. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?".... I said, "Dust!"
In the beginning, God created earth and rested. Then God created man and rested. Then God created woman. Since then, neither God nor man has rested.
Why do men die before their wives? 'Cause they want to'.

I make no sense!

What are your personalized lyrics??
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ugh

The last couple of days have been a total mess! Tuesday I managed to rip a huge chunk out of my last contact lens. I've been wearing my awful glasses since then, which has resulted in a constant, incurable headache. Not to mention that I worked way too late yesterday. Not to mention that we haven't seen the sun in about 2 weeks.

Things are looking like they may shape up a bit for the weekend. The temperature is supposed to hit 60, and I've been talking with some out-of-town college friends about getting together this weekend. Also on the agenda is the completion of the front yard landscaping. Hoo hoo!

foodgasm

I think we finally decided on which caterer to book. Check them out here. As I've said before, we're going for fun and informal, but there will most definitely be nothing like a pig roast. Our choice should be somewhere in between. Hope y'all like BBQ!

and speaking of the Kennedys...

The USA Network has made a movie about the murder of Martha Moxley. Entitled Murder in Greenwich, it apparently follows the investigation of the murder quite closely. It ends with the June 2002 conviction of Michael Skakel, nephew of Ethel Kennedy who was married to RFK. It only took 20 flippin' years to determine he was guilty. (Just like Ted Kennedy in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick. Just like OJ. Just like Robert Blake. Just like Winona Ryder. When is it going to end?)

ah, those Kennedys

I'm not one for politics. I have my opinions, I'll vote tomorrow, I'm somewhat up to speed on most of the major issues. Today, Bill O'Reilly makes a valid arguement on the lack of integrity in Attorney Generals this nation's had since RFK. I've said it before. I'm obsessed with the Kennedys.

it is not the holiday season yet!

This really irritates me. Not only is it still and only the beginning of November, but it's not even that cold yet. This afternoon while doing my banking, I noticed that the North Royalton Police Department was hoisting their mammoth green tinsel "Season's Greetings" sign onto the side of their building. This totally makes me want to vomit because they do it earlier and earlier every year. I remember last year I was sickened when they did it a week before Thanksgiving. I mean really, people!

Hollow Weenie

I have to comment on the differences in Trick-or-Treat in Ohio and New York. I don't know who devised these "rules", but I find them odd. This was really my first true Halloween here, since now we have a house and can actually give out candy. Anyway, apparently in Ohio there is no door-knocking or doorbell-ringing before the exclamatory "Trick-or-Treat!" to which I was accustomed. Here, the kids just come up to the door and yell it as loud as possible and hope you hear them. The other "rule" is that trick-or-treating is allowed only between the hours of 6-8pm. This makes sense to me...less time for trouble to occur.

I made Kevin answer the door last night while I was reliving some old Halloween memories while talking to my mother on the phone:
Mom: Remember the year you dressed up as a No. 2 Pencil?
Me: Yes, Mom.
Mom: Remember the year you dressed up as a witch and answered the door?
Me: Yes, Mom.
Mom: Remember the year you decided to dress up as a Punk Rocker?
Me: Yes, Mom.
Mom: Remember the year you dressed up as Charlie Chaplin?
My mother recalled practically every ridiculous costume I've ever worn for Halloween.

Last night we were getting so many kids that finally Kevin just sat outside on the front steps with the candy and his 6-pack of Bud Light. I heard one all black-clad young child exclaim incredulously "You're giving out beer?!? Wow! You're cooler than Eminem!" Poor disillusioned child.

a sorta fairytale

Congrats to Courtney, an aspiring muralist, on her new website! I knew she was talented a long time ago, when she used to draw crazy pictures in my Australia journal. That was just over 10 years ago. She has grown so much since then, so please go check out Courtney's Murals. I plan to hire her as soon as I decide what to do with my house. Either that or babies start coming. HAH! JUST KIDDING!

The Latest Addition

Monday night when I came home from work, Kevin told me he had to go back to work for a meeting. I wasn't feeling well, so while he was gone I went to bed to rest for a spell. He comes home, opens the door to the bedroom, and presented me with the sweetest little KITTEN I've ever seen. Instantly I felt better.

After spending a few days with the little one, last night we finally decided to name her Isabel. We've been calling her Izzie for short. She's pure black with huge yellow eyes, very playful and lovey, and very much fond of her 2 older brothers who want nothing to do with her. Last night, all 3 of them got baths, which were very much needed. I had smelly babies. Anyway, it's a good thing Kevin brought her home to me, as I'm sure she will keep me occupied while he is busy conquering Grand Theft Auto 4. My TV privileges have been revoked for the next month.

just an empty cage, girl

Here's the weekend update from last weekend:
Friday...Kev and I spent our Friday evening cleaning the basement after Dave got everything out. We moppoed, we scrubbed, we ripped up more carpeting which we threw out. The basement bathroom was a sight to behold...it's still not clean yet. *shudders* I don't know how anyone could live like that. On top of all the cleaning, our washing machine decided to stop working on us, right in the middle of a load of towels. Luckily, my in-laws happened to be in the neighborhood so they stopped by to take a look. My father-in-law designs and installs heating and A/C systems for a living, so he's pretty handy to have around. He was able to fix the machine temporarily till he can get a part for it. In the mean time, I have to be extra careful not to reach into the washer during the spin cycle, or I could potentially lose my arm.

Saturday...Finally talked to my sister today. I had been waiting for her to call since Kevin and I had gotten married. We had a nice chat, which was long overdue. Saturday night we went to Northfield Lanes where we met some of Kevin's friends from work. I do not volumtarily set foot in bowling alleys without good reason. And Kevin buying all the beer for me seemed like reason enough. We had a good time- it's been a while since the two of us went out without our usual circle of friends.

Sunday...Spent all day working in the yard today. Cut back my rose bushes, ripped out my out-of-control tomato plant which I nick-named Seymour. The resemblance to Little Shop of Horrors was too obvious. Kevin and Frank went and got rocks to landscape our front yard. When they finally came back with about, oh, 4 tons of them, I went in the house. Kevin spent all afternoon and most of the evening landscaping the front yard around the flower beds. Finally I had to drag him inside, as it was too dark to do anything else.

Merlin likes Mendelssohn and even Mahler!

According to this article at the Discovery Channel Website, dogs are more responsive to Classical music than any other type of music. Next time Merlin is terrorizing the kitties I'll have to keep this in mind...maybe put something real sedate and boring on. Nielson's 2nd Symphony maybe, or a Machaut motet. It doesn't get any more boring than that.

"emma" was a cornflake girl

Our usual routine after work is this: we come home, have a couple beers, smoke a few cigarettes (Kevin, mostly), and talk till it's time for dinner. Yesterday, we were ambushed by our roommate Dave (rented the basement from us shortly after we moved in) while in the garage having our usual after work pow-wow. Out of nowhere he came in and exclaimed he was moving out because he felt ignored by us and that he just didn't feel like he was part of our world. *shakes head* He also accused me of snooping in his bathroom 2 nights ago. I was extremely offended by this...me of all people. I was in his bathroom the other night, but only to turn on the light so I could see to turn on the clothes drier without turning on the big overhead light which would surely wake him up. I couldn't believe the things he was saying to us. Did he think when he moved in that it was going to be like Animal House- a frat party 24 hours a day? Or did he think it was going to be like a happy little family, the 3 of us living there? Get real. We work, we come home, we eat, we talk, we go to bed. It's slightly more exciting than that on the weekends. I'm glad he's gone now. We have the house to ourselves, but I wonder if I shouldn't get the locks changed. I don't trust Dave any farther than I could throw him.

Last night Kev and I made a quick trip out to DrugMart to pick up a few things. I brought along my copy of the Cornflake Girl single. Pulling into the DrugMart parking lot, Kevin was singing "Emma was a cornflake girl...." at the top of his lungs, not stopping when we walked into the store. This continued through the Wendy's drive-thru on the way home, at every red light out the car window, and in our back yard when we finally got home. He refused to listen to me when I pointed out that the lyrics are "EVER was a cornflake girl". I can't complain, though...my husband likes Tori and knows all the words (except one) to Cornflake Girl.

poppa, i know there's a frog on my toe
maybe i'll call him jethro

Yesterday evening I met Kevin's maternal grandfather for the very first time. He and Kevin's grandmother were divorced a few years back, and the family sort of shut him out.

We stopped by his house after having dinner at the Outback Steakhouse and subsequently chasing after a stray cat on the way. (I spotted the kitty darting across the road and pleaded with Kev to pull over so I could rescue her. Guess she didn't want to be rescued, because I have never seen a cat book it that fast away from me.) Anyway, on a whim and since we were in the neighborhood, Kevin said he wanted to stop by his grandfather's. It was interesting but a little awkward as Kevin introduced me as his wife, meanwhile his grandfather was still getting over the initial shock that we were standing in his living room. After the visit, on the way back out to the car Kevin thanked me incessantly for agreeing to the visit. I didn't think I needed to be thanked for that...I would never try to keep family apart. I have such a wonderful husband! :o)

and as i twist i hold tight
and i ride to work every morning wondering why

Well, back to normal it is. It was strange getting back into my regular routine yesterday. I don't feel any different being married- I feel the same as I did last Tuesday. But everyone at work has been heckling me a little, all in fun of course. Marcia brought me pie and balloons; Phil insisted on calling me Mrs. W******** all day. Of course everyone wanted to see pictures. Even my boss was ok yesterday. Imagine that. Everyone was a little shocked, however, because no one knew about this weekend except for Marcia and my boss. To everyone else it was a complete surprise.

Birthday Wishes...

...go out to Julia today! Happy Birthday, Julia! I won't say how old she is, but I'll be thinking about her all day. And about her 13th birthday party, which I always think about on her birthday. And the incident where I convinced her father I had flushed a sneaker down the toilet. We still get a chuckle out of that, despite the fact that her father was royally pissed at me, I'm sure, for a very long time following.

you see her olives are cold pressed
and her best friend is a sun dress

Continuing on..the rest of the weekend went by so fast, I can't believe now that it's all over and I'm back at work. Saturday afternoon, Sue, my Mom, and I went out to do a little shopping. I tried on several wedding dresses, all of which were way to formal for me. I think I still want to stick with my original sun dress and flip flops idea. We went to Pat Catan's where we were attacked the moment we walked in the door. Talk about obnoxious! Everything about that place was pretentious. Although, I have to admit it was fun trying on dresses. One of them was gorgeous....very Renaissance Era-looking. My Mom cried the whole time, but Sue and I had a blast taking pictures.

That night we went out to dinner at Quaker Steak & Lube, which I thought the boys would enjoy. Classic cars everywhere, very nostalgic. Who wouldn't love that? Afterward, as a group, we went to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Everyone loved that, including my Dad, who guffawed throughout. Kevin fell asleep so I had to continually jab him in the ribs.

All in all, we had a really great weekend. The nice thing is that we'll get to have 2 weddings, which means twice as much fun. So, now it's back to the planning for July.

We did it!

Well, guys....I'm married! It was a gorgeous day yesterday- the sun was shining, we were surrounded by family and friends, and Merlin. :o)

Yesterday morning Kevin and I went downtown to get the marriage license. It was funny because while we were in the office at City Hall doing the paperwork, another couple came in. They were asked if their marriage license would be used within 60 days, and the prospective Groom said "Yeah, we're getting married in a week!" Being as overzealous as I am, I blurted out "We're getting married at 11:00!" Kev was so embarrassed he turned bright red.

We had to be at Parma City Hall a little before 11. Our ceremony was held up so they could get the prisoners out. We went in, took some pictures, met the Judge, and then proceeded with the ceremony. Kevin looked like he was going to pass out before we went in. It was a very short ceremony...we exchanged vows in front of the judge which lasted less than 5 minutes. Then we were married!

We had brunch at the Olive Garden, had loads of champagne and food, and even a small little wedding cake. We came back to our house and spent the rest of the afternoon having cocktails. All our friends came over to visit, so my Dad cooked stir fry for about 15 people. He's so good. It was such a busy day that we ended up passing out fairly early, and we even forgot to open the other 2 bottles of champagne.

Sue's beau, Andy, took lots of pictures with his digital camera and will post them on his website as soon as he can. I'll post the link when it's ready to go, so you can all check out the photos of our big day.

in the last extremity - to advance or not to advance -
i hear you laughing

My last day as a single woman. This morning I drove to work for the last time single. Tonight Kevin and I will eat our last meal as single people together. Tomorrow morning I will take my last shower as a single woman. In about 24 1/2 hours I will be married. No wonder I feel a little sick to my stomach today! Just nerves.

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my parents for this. Sue is also coming, as my witness, and bringing her beau. This weekend we're going to party until we all pass out, I'm sure. :o) It's all good. Forgive me if I don't post till Monday. Wish me luck!

It's True!

Sex really does sell, but this is ridiculous!

crazy again

Got a secret...we're eloping on Friday. To some, it's not a secret, but to others, well, now you know. My parents know. Kev's parents know. We're going to City Hall on Friday. Why? Why not? We just want to do it. We'd throw the whole wedding now, tomorrow, if we could. But that takes a little more time and money than we have at the present moment. We're both excited. I'm a little apprehensive about changing my name. he's gonna change my name/someody leave the light on/just in, just in, just in case I like the dancing... Anyway, we're having a huge party Friday night out here. My parents will be here. I'm wearing denim to the ceremony. How's that for defiance of tradition?! HAH! Last night I had a crazy dream again. I dreamed that we woke up late Friday morning- too late to get the marriage license and we missed going in front of the judge. I cried the entire time, meanwhile my parents were still frantically running around saying "we can still make it!". Uh huh. I also dreamed the pastor from my church was there. *Shudders* That'll never happen.

StrangeLittleGirls

Sue got our Tori tickets over the weekend. After we chatted about the concert, we spent a good 2 hours or so trying to come up with Tori-related things to put on license plates. *shakes head* We are freaks.

the countdown begins...

271 days till the wedding; exactly 10 months from this past Saturday. I'm not freaking.

Heidi is...

..."a key-ring that does exactly what it says on the tin! It emits heat." Hmmm.
And my betrothed? "Kevin is a bedside table that comes in seven different colours! It tells the time and looks bigger than it really is." No kidding! (Courtesy of this little random product generator called The Prior-Art-O-Matic.)

carnival time is here ~ magical time, i’m near
and as the time draws near ~ dreams fill my heart

I seem to most often dream in spurts. I'll go for several weeks without remembering a single dream, and then suddenly I'll remember everything for a week straight. Last night I had the most bizarre dream yet. I dreamed I had a daughter- a toddler with curly blonde hair. She was beautiful, except for the fact that she was missing one of her hands.

According to this dream interpretation, my dream may have had wish-fulfillment content, as I am in my prime child bearing years. The disfigurement aspect of it might have signified my dissatisfaction with something...perhaps not having children yet? Kevin and I have had lengthy discusions on child rearing lately. We've even gone as far as choosing names.

On the other hand, last night at choir practice we were discussing pregnancies, etc. There's a member of my choir who is due in January. It's fascinating to listen to her describe her feelings, her physical reactions to the pregnancy. All that stuff. I realized last night that, being the youngest female at practice, I was also the only one without children. All in good time, though. :o)

My Wedding Style Is...

According to this quiz, my wedding style is:
Tradition Meets Trendy
Your style is "tradition with a twist" -- you're not ready to forgo tradition, but you feel strongly that your wedding reflects your personality and your groom's, as well as your modern lifestyle and relationship. While you can't imagine forcing all your single female friends to fill the dance floor and scramble to catch your bouquet, you like the idea of sharing a first dance with your new husband. Nowadays, it's completely acceptable for brides to question customs and revise traditions; in fact, it's a must. That way, you can include some of the common and familiar elements that work for you and still have the freedom to make changes where necessary. After all, most brides have to figure out a way to involve parents, stepparents and often children in their wedding day.

we're painting our faces and dressing in thoughts from the skies, from paradise
but they think that we're holding a secretive ball
won't someone invite them, they're just taller children
that's all, after all

So, what is proper wedding invitation etiquette? I know I'm not obligated to invite certain people, but where does one draw the line between politeness and diplomacy? For instance, I have a co-worker whom I cannot stand. She's uncooperative, beligerant, non-communicative, and an all around pain in the ass to work with. Several other people from work will be invited and most likely will attend. Do I invite her also because it'll look bad if I don't and pray she doesn't come? Or, do I not invite her and hope it doesn't cause any problems at work? Help!

om la boomleigh

I was talking to Sue over the weekend and she gave me a great idea for music at the reception. Kevin and I plan to hire a DJ who is willing to play music we select ourselves, and none of that other foofy, cheesy, hurts-to-listen-to music you sometimes hear played at wedding receptions. We are very anti-Chicken Dance/Electric Slide, etc. Ew. Sue said that when we send out invitations, on the RSVP card we should ask each guest to request a song or two that they would like to hear played at the reception. This way, we'll still have a wide variety of music to suit everyone's tastes. I've already started on the list of music Kevin and I would like, but I welcome any and all suggestions.

Immortal Beloved

Exactly 200 years ago yesterday, in a letter to his brothers which was later titled The Heiligenstadt Testament, Beethoven announced he had been stricken by deafness. This was the first time Beethoven's affliction became public, when in actuality, he had become deaf six years earlier. In his letter, Beethoven blamed his deafness for his moodiness, depression, and volatile temper. Beethoven's hearing loss brought on intense feelings of inadequacy which plagued him the rest of his life. He thought that he, above everyone else, should possess the ability to hear his own creations.

Which Tori Amos B-Side are you?





"Just the two of us"

Which Strange Little Girl would you be?

boats made out of paper float
dreams made up for the banana king, darling

Ok, so I want to make my own wedding invitations. I love the look of handmade paper and I'd like to try and incorporate that sort of material into an invitation somehow. I found paper-making instructions here, but it seems like an awfully messy task. Maybe put in some dried flowers, or flower petals. But do I really want to get my blender involved in this? I'm not so good with household appliances.

up on the 101

Yesterday marked the third time in a week that I have heard a sorta fairytale played on commercial radio. Well, ok, so Baldwin-Wallace College's radio station WBWC The Sting isn't exactly commercial, but it's close enough. Anyway, this is the most I have heard Tori Amos played in regular rotation anywhere in Cleveland since 1998 when from the choirgirl hotel was released. (What does Cleveland have against Tori?!?) While I was listening yesterday on my way to the post office, I almost got in an accident because Tori came on and I got so excited that I swerved into the post office parking lot, narrowly missing an unsuspecting pedestrian.


Sue and I have started making plans to go to Columbus in November to see Tori in concert during the Scarlet's Walk Tour. Again! I love going to concerts with Sue. She gets just as excited as I do. We've been to several Tori shows and Ani DiFranco together. She respects the fact that I become totally mesmerized by these females, which causes me sometimes to forget where I am and what I am doing. Last year at the StrangeLittleTour I forgot that we weren't allowed to bring in cameras to the theatre, so she encouraged me to shove that sucker right down the front of my jeans. I did, we got in with no hassle, and now we have great pictures to help us remember what a good time we had.

The Whimsical Riviera Bakehouse

I saw this one morning on NBC's Weekend Today and thought it was the coolest looking cake. Then I was browsing around and found a whole bunch more! I love the Birthday Cake in the lower right hand corner. These are just too gorgeous to even think about eating!

Baker, baker, baking a cake; make me a day...

I marvel at the number of connections I've made through networking out here since I moved to the Cleveland area permanently in 1999. For instance, all the professionals who will be assisting in various activities come wedding day are people I know personally. The photographer I booked sings in my choir, and I give her daughter piano lessons. I work with a baker and a travel agent, not to mention a whole host of musicians.

My Travel Agent co-worker will help us book our Honeymoon to Aruba, probably in January 2004. We won't have time to go right after the wedding, nor will we want to, I suppose. Most likely we will spend the rest of the summer after the wedding doing things around the house, i.e. landscaping around where the pool used to be. I miss that pool.

Tonight, Kevin and I have plans to go check out a bakery upon my co-worker Baker's recommendation. I just hope the wedding cake baker is willing to give me exactly what I want. I'm envisioning tiny terra-cotta pots on a wedding cake to go along with the Garden Theme. We are still undecided on the flavor. I vote for cheesecake. Kevin votes for chocolate. Hmmm. Maybe we can have wedding pie instead.

a Bouvier till her wedding day...

I recently started reading Jackie, Ethel, Joan: The Women of Camelot by J. Randy Taraborrelli. After finishing the section on "Whitehouse Infidelities", I could not get to sleep. (I have always been fascinated by the Kennedys. During the first trip I ever made to Cape Cod, I insisted upon visiting the Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport. I had hoped to catch some glimpse of something or someone, but I never did.) Anyway, last night I wondered about happy marriages. I thought about my parents. I thought about Kevin's parents. I thought about the parents of all my friends. All this thinking was probably why I slept like crap last night.

More Stress Than It's Worth

Kevin and I are supposed to have dinner with his parents tonight, to discuss the "Master Plan". By this I refer to our wedding arrangements thus far. While I know that his parents are well-intentioned, they have started getting on my nerves in a big way. Kevin freaked out last night about the wedding, which I don't understand because he hasn't had to make a decision about anything yet. The dinner tonight is supposed to calm his anxieties, I think. But I know how it will go...future Mom & Dad-in-Law will give us suggestions, and we will be obligated to consider said suggestions. This has already happened several times in the last 2 weeks since we announced the engagement.

I am very picky and stubborn. I have a picture in my head of exactly the way I want things to be for this wedding and following reception. I am in favor of going completely against tradition and doing things uniquely and differently. Luckily, Kevin and I agree on most everything, from the level of formality to the kind of music played and alcohol served. Unfortunately, we are meeting obstacles from everyone else. We understand that his parents may feel like they have a larger burden to bear than some, because the event in it's entirety will be held at their home. But come on! Don't keep telling us that it's "our day" and then try to make all the decisions yourselves! Grr! If I hear "you might want to rethink that" one more time, I'm going to crack some skulls!

A Love-Hate Relationship

I love Autumn. I love watching the leaves change colors. I love wearing wool sweaters. I love backyard bonfires. I DO NOT love Halloween. Granted, yesterday afternoon I made a trip to the farmer's market where I purchased an assortment or gourds and punkins. Granted, I dug out my seasonal decorations and spruced up the house a bit. I will probably also answer the door for the neighborhood trick-or-treaters come 31 October. But it will be with some trepidation. Inevitably something bizarre always happens to me on Halloween. I recall being traumatized at 3 or 4 years of age when my next door neighbor, dressed as Tony the Tiger, lunged at me after my parents urged me to answer the door. Since then it has been like pulling teeth to get me to even participate in any such Halloween-ish activites.

And....they're off!

Today marked the first day of true wedding-stuff shopping, courtesy of future mom-in-law. We had a lovely, very lady-like afternoon luncheon at The Tea Room at Ashley Place. I felt very dainty, indeed...the best jasmine tea I've ever had was served to me in the tiniest, most fragile tea cup imaginable. I had a lovely cranberry and almond chicken salad, Waldorf salad, and a tiny deviled egg. Then Mom-in-Law's cell phone went off and we were promptly hustled out of the tea room.

We browsed around Pat Catan's a while, collecting an assortment of silk flowers to use for the trellis under which I will be married. Then we headed to the A.I. Root candle factory warehouse. Yummy! I was going to pick out a Unity Candle, but I felt weird doing it without Kevin.

We booked my flower order on the way home, when we decided on a whim to stop at a nursery, Barco's Liberty Gardens. We walked in, and there they were...the most gorgeous Gerbera Daisies I have ever seen. I love them! Finally! Mom-in-Law had been set on using silk flowers until she saw these daisies. We immediately ordered 40 plants. I can't wait!!

Back at Mom-in-Law's house, before I could leave to go home, we had to go pull Kevin and Lou and the truck out of the mud. Yes, yes. Again. Ever since Lou got his 4-Wheeler, they have been like little boys again, coming home caked in mud after hours of riding that thing. I refuse to get on that thing without a helmet. Since there's no helmet law in Ohio, it looks like I will be the party pooper till the 4-Wheeler poops out!

Woo hoo! Here I go!

I am jumping on the band wagon. In recent months, I have become addicted to reading blogs. Isn't it only fair that my many friends get to peek into my life, too?

OK, let's see if this works.