Rearview Mirror

Meme Of Fours

Thanks to Amanda for this one, even though she probably has no clue I snagged this from her site.

I ommitted the "Four Albums I Can't Live Without" because, well, I live off of my iRiver and never buy albums.


Four Jobs You've Had
         1. Boat detailer
2. Hotel/marina manager
         3. Veterinary Technician
         4. Taco Bell slave
Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over
         1. Monty Python's Holy Grail
         2. Risky Business
         3. Pulp Fiction
         4. The Wall
Four Cities in Which You've Lived
         1. Bozman, MD
         2. Easton, MD
         3. Westminster, MD
         4. Federalsburg, MD
Four TV Shows You Love to Watch
         1. 24
2. Dirty Jobs
3. No Reservations (Anthony Bourdain)
4. Crossing Over (John Edward)
Four Places You've Been on Vacation
         1. Nicaragua
         2. New Orleans
         3. Montana
         4. Florida Keys
Four of Your Favorite Foods
         1. Nachos
         2. Indian food
         3. Macaroni and cheese
         4. Strawberries
Four Places You'd Rather Be
         1. Anywhere sunny and warm
         2. Near the ocean
         3. alone
         4. On the beach
 Four Vehicles You've Owned
         1. 1978 Honda Accord CVCC (Garcia)
         2. 1977 VW Rabbit (SooperCar)
         3. 1987 Saab 900T/SPG (Blaab)
         4. 1981 Honda Accord

Small Furry Cuteness

Squirrels give me the warm fuzzies. At least live squirrels do. Not those poor unrecognizable fellas that never made it across the road.They make me sad.
Yesterday I took over the care of another little orphaned squirrel thanks to my friend and her mom who just knew I was having squirrel withdrawl. Well, that's not really true, but I did find myself staring longingly at the little critters as they gathered 'round to raid my mom's bird feeder, similar to the way young women stare at babies in strollers with storks in their eyes. Since I am obviously (thankfully) missing the (human baby) mothering instinct, I at least make up for it when it comes to helpless little critters.Now my bathroom is standing-room-only again; filled with a squirrel cage , the smell of formula eminates from the kitchen sink, and the cats are freaking out . Ok, well the cats freak out when I change a trash bag, but this is a mass freak-out of mammoth proportions directly aimed at the (delicious,tender, young) squirrel living right on the other side or the bathroom door.

I am guessing this guy is about 6-7 weeks old, although he is a bit behind in his development. Some good formula and care should bring him up to speed in a few days.

I Almost Forgot...

Something I just never blogged about (yet) was my trip to the Florida Keys earlier this month. My good friends were awesome enough to let me tag along on their boat from Stuart, FL down to the mid-keys.

Pictures speak louder than words, so check out my Flickr set from the trip:

 

Bad News For Trees

As if trees needed yet another excuse to be afraid...

SunDiesel

(an exciting and responsible technology from those clever Europeans.)

Childfree in the news

Articles like * this * make me sigh with relief in hopes that the US (and obviously parts of Europe too) will take a step back from the "family friendly" podium. Could it actually be possible that parents would care that people who choose to be childfree are paying (higher) taxes to, in part, support their kids? Or maybe employers will actually have to address the previously taboo subject of parent-employees having more "benefits" offered them than people who are childfree?
I am enjoying the publicity that the childfree lifestyle is gaining. Perhaps in the future people will stop challenging me on my decision....like when I am 50...sailing the world and enjoying life while I am young...meanwhile,parents will be working overtime to pay college tuition :)

...and NO I WILL NOT change my mind !

Kamikaze Cuisine

Seems like I haven't updated the blog in aeons. Sadly, all I can think about at the moment is Hamburger Helper. Rather, the *smell* of Hamburger Helper.Let me explain.
See, my husband is an adventurous eater. When he cooks I call it Kamikaze Cuisine because he uses ingredients, more specifically meat, that is just around the corner from salmonellaville. I bought a big ol' honkin 3-lb blob of ground beef that he has been eating off of since way after it first turned gray.In it's freshest state, the beef was chili. The second round was grilled hamburgers. Tonight, in it's final incarnation, before the maggots take over, he is cooking himself some Cheesy Nacho Hamburger Helper. The sizzling concoction, 3 rooms away, smells like sweaty socks (you know, when they begin to smell like vinegar but you keep sniffing them a few times even though they smell bad) with a faint whiff of nacho cheese.I may end up calling a Hazmat team before he is finished cooking. It smells *that* good....Call CTU...the canisters have been released !I need Jack Bauer and a gas mask!

Maybe he is retaliating since I banned him from cooking lamb, squid, clams, liver, and duck in the house. More likely is the fact that it actually smells appetizing to him, much the same way my neighbors trash smells to my dog. Men...dogs...further proof that they are definately wading in the same gene pool.
Now you may have observed that it is, indeed, Valentines Day and are wondering why we aren't at a romantic dinner somewhere together.You quite possibly have noticed that it is also 11:00 pm by the time of my post. So why on earth, you may ask, is my husband cooking himself dinner and I am messing about on the computer ? Well if you actually know us you wouldn't really think it was all that unusual nor would you think the same of Oscar's menu choice.
Here is just a samlping of some of Chef Oscar's more memorable food pairings:

Breakfast:
6 eggs,4 sausages, half a jar of Spanish olives, red wine, milk

Lunch:
4 Hot Dogs on wheat bread with mustard and ketchup
half jar of pepperoncini
Yuengling beer
(this one he eats weekly)

Dinner:
Grilled liver and steamed clams (*ugh!* I know!)
Cold can of weiners and beans
red wine
milk

Another infamous dinner:
Boiled Squid (squid juice for dessert!)
French bread
cold can of sauerkraut

It's the truth folks. I have spent the last 9 years as witness to his unique culinary episodes. I guess it could be worse if he were to weigh 400 pounds and sit around eating ice cream and twinkies all day, but he's in terriffic shape so I really can't complain too much. Guess I'll just have to get off this computer and light some incense :)

Regret Minimization In Factum

You know how, when someone says something to you, the moment passes ,and you wish you would have responded differently but going back and trying to re-do the conversation just seems trivial and a tad obsessive-compulsive?
In an effort to adhere to my pact with my subconscious regarding what I call the "Regret Minimization" approach to life,I make an attempt to blog back the hands of the clock and possibly bore the crap out of the throngs of readers who have been breathlessly awaiting a new post after such a long hiatus.

Last night my mother came by to bring me some cookies, visit, and soak up some heat from my woodstove. In the spirit of adventure she also accompanied me out on a frosty night to tour a spectacular new house belonging to one of my clients. This part-time residence is brand new, huge, and beautifully decorated for Christmas. After the expected oohs and ahhs she turned to me and, of all things, apologized for providing me with a childhood free of the burdens of remote controlled fireplaces , showers , and white carpeting. Along with a wave of the hand and "Oh that's OK" or some other lame brush-off comment and a good chuckle the sentiment was forgotten.
Not really.
In retrospect she was right. Growing up in this house kinda sucked. Living in it now sucks.
Still no harm done. Wasn't it Nietzsche who said "That which does not kill me makes me stronger"? Yeah, well it was cold...still is, had lots of bugs...still does, is very small...still is, and needs remodeling...don't even go there. At least the chickens are gone along with their smell and the social status earned by folks who kept 25,000 stinking birds in their yard.
Granted the good things were plenty too. There were (pockets of) heat in the winter and occasional A/C in the summer, food on the table, and a loving family to share it all with . I can't complain about those things that really mattered.
So , Mom, no need to apologize. We were all happy with our tiny sliver of American Pie and it tasted pretty sweet at the time!

A Runner's Ramblings

Introducing "A Runners Ramblings" , a new blog by my friend Leslie who is training for the Marine Corps Marathon  in October. Check out her site and learn what goes through a runners mind while pushing through the miles on the rural roads of Maryland's Eastern Shore. In between her revelations of private thoughts and emotions experienced while running, Leslie frequently highlights her iPod playlists and describes what songs inspire her throughout her training. I  never knew that Beethoven's 5th took the edge off of nausea caused by sidestepping hudreds of diemboweled toad carcasses!

Read her blog
Cheer her on
Send good juju her way
Support her run: OAR (Organizatoin for Autism Research)

Trailer Trash

Not that there hasn't been plenty to blog about, but I've been a busy bee working all summer. We haven't taken any summer trips at all and normally I'd be a raging bitch acting all Chupacabra-like by now; overworked, under-beached, and not to freakin' relaxed at all. But I feel fine, excited even, and it's not even a chemically induced buzz. You see, 2 weeks ago hubby and I celebrated our 8th anniversary by buying ourselves a big shiny 26 foot piece of history ....a 1963 Airstream trailer. Yup! Not only are we rednecks living in a house with a tarpaper roof,have more than 3 non-functioning cars in our yard, but are now officially trailer trash.

Check out the new digs HERE.

And, YES, it has it's own (Devine) pink flamingoes!

Show Them The Money!

It's hard not to watch the televised version of events unfold in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Even Dick Cheney says that he has been glued to the TV watching the coverage of the devastation down on the Gulf Coast. Seeing images of families torn apart and survivors who escaped with nothing but the clothes they were wearing stirs up thoughts of "what can I do to help". Hopefully most Americans will pick up a pen and write a check to some charity with a presence down there.
In our area, the St. Michaels Business Association teamed up with the Junior Womens Club and sucessfully filled a tractor trailer full of goods to be driven down. Stories in our local paper about everyday people displaying various degrees of generosity are plentiful. What it really boils down to is that any effort is generous, no matter how small and everyone should give something.
And, yes, I practice what I preach. This weekend my mom and I are having a yard sale and plan  to match whatever money we make to form a donation to help the Humane Society Of The US and the ASPCA in their efforts to save and care for pets and farm animals that survived the storm. As difficult as it is to see kids who survived the storm only to struggle with the hardships of hunger, injury, and seperation from their families, I am opting to send my money to an organization that is helping those that cannot help themselves. If there was a fund specifically to help provide care for the eldery folks who have nobody to look after their needs, then I would send some there too. The kids will make out fine with parents or family and the child-centric government to ensure their welfare. "No Child Left Behind", right ? On the other hand, animals and the the eldery who have no family will need the help of strangers who care enough to go that extra mile. The HSUS and ASPCA appear to be full of just those people.

Won't you join me in making a donation to an organization whose cause you believe in?
MSNBC.com's site has a list of organizations seeking donations and other ways you can help.