Thursday, December 27, 2007

I hate scary movies

I really hate scary movies.

I'll watch Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, any number of science fiction flicks, and even mysteries, but I really really hate scary movies.

So I watched SIGNS.

Did I say I hate scary movies? Yes, I did. And I watched it with Christy, who has never seen a scary movie that she didn't giggle through. What was I thinking? It scared me. And now I'm going to have scary dreams. It's Christy's fault. She knows I don't like scary movies and SHE LET ME WATCH IT.

Daughters don't let their mothers watch scary movies. What was she thinking?

Tomorrow, when I am no longer traumatized, I'll reflect on how meaningful the story is (I saw that cross he removed from the wall, and how even though the cross was physically gone the mark remained--I pay attention). In the meantime, I'm going to pout because it's after 11 pm and I'm not going to go to bed. Ever.

throw us a bone

With 200 points for the win, Jonathan decided to open a Gizmo. Needless to say, he was unable to close it and Christy and I were able to come back and win the Hand and Foot match.

BAHAHAHAHAHA.

John almost had a stroke. That was even funnier.

We generally lose, so its nice to be able to "stay in the game" with a random win.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Merry Christmas

Here are some pictures documenting our celebration. Pay close attention to the food. Yeah, John did most of the cooking. Check out the breakfast leftovers--he tackled making cuban bread, which was pretty OK out of the oven, and his coup, pastelitos. Incredible! Tummy yummy yummy. As I write this he is at the grocery store with Christy in search of more ingredients for the next project: croquetas from scratch. Suki is amazed by the all the decorations and especially the tree (that never has enough water--I wonder why?)
We had to keep the presents isolated this year, and only took them out of hiding after mass. Check out the broomstick in front of the sofa. we have discovered that the dog is terrified of brooms and vacuum cleaners--so we have brujerias all over the house with brooms set out strategically. Ha!

Like a kid, she would ratehr play with the packaging...


And finally, Fact or Crap. Interesting. It's second only to Bongo, "the game that is sweeping the nation!"Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Mistaken for Someone Who Cares

I love that people think I like animals just because I happen to be holding on to the end of a leash with one attached to the other end. It's like little kids.

I don't like little kids, either. Except, of course, that I adore my not-so-little kids, and could eat up the collection of other little kids in the family, namely, the precious nieces and nephews. And a select few other precocious wonders.

And I like my fish.

And I find Suki tolerable.

I know what you're thinking, with so many exceptions to my rule, time to re-evaluate the rule. Not. Nope. No way, Jose.

Anyway, it's Saturday morning. I'm up. The dog is up. The coffee is brewed. I decide to take me, the coffee, and the dog outside. There's something refreshing about the early morning in winter.

I sat on the flowerbed wall and watched the dog sniff at every leaf and perk her ears at the crackle of the pine trees. It's cold, but not so cold that I'm uncomfortable, so I enjoy the relative silence from humanity, and through the dog, hear every snap, every rustle in surrounding yards. Sound all poetic yet? Don't worry, my communing with nature ended abruptly when some neighbors from across the lake, about 90 years old, inch up the street in their hiuker-mobile moving at maybe 5 miles an hour.

My mood is dampened, as Suki instantly becomes fascinated by this new distraction. The hiukers finally pulled into the inconsiderate neighbors' house, the ones who own the gigantic dogs that are not on leashes even though there is a leash law so consequently they come into our yard and leave gigantic turds. Hmm. Sorry about the run-on. Anyway, they get out of the car and shatter the morning silence by calling for the dogs, who have clearly taken off to who-knows-where. They call loudly, setting off a barking fest of every dog in the area, except theirs. Nice call chief. Meanwhile, Suki is aquiver and forgets that she's out there to do her business, and who should be coming up the road but Reflector Man.

Jackpot. Just then, the hiukers find the dogs, load them up in their car, and take off at the blinding speed of 5 mph again. They pulled up on the side of the road to tell me that they are not stealing the dogs.

Do I care? Did I even notice there was a dog-napping in progress? Nope. Instead, I have to listen politely as they explain their connection to the dog. By then, Reflector Man arrives and continues to make inane small talk. When the hiukers leave, he proceeds to clarify their relationship to the dogs, in case I thought they were stealing them.

I didn't know dog-napping was such a crisis in our neighborhood. Maybe, if they kept the animals on leashes it would stave off the problem. Suki punctuated my thoughts by pooping.

I like that dog. Just don't tell anyone.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Peek-a-Boo

Well, so I disappeared off the face of the earth. Ok. Well, I'm back, sort of, until I disappear again.

Had a bit of a crazy end of the term. Definitely crazier than usual. In the midst of all the final exams and getting the grades ready, and the compulsory holiday cheer, we also had to move into a new building. Oh yeah, that was great fun. Essentially, we were on standby for the move. Those of us with any sense packed early and then just had to move some boxes.

Please don't ever think that in my personal life I have ever achieved that kind of order, but at work I'm pretty compulsive about records. Nothing would irritate me more than having a student question one of my practices and I couldn't pull out the documentation instantly, so I guess I use up all that energy at work.

Please don't bring up the laundry, 'mkay? I noticed last night that about a month ago I washed all the white socks in bleach and got them all white and shiny, and then dumped them into a hamper to sort later. Meanwhile, John and the kids complaining about never having enough socks. Oops. Now I know why.

So you see, a bit scatter-brained. Anyway, the good news is that I was able to get into my office and move quickly. I've managed to put everything away, and get some serious filing done, and my colleagues are still somewhat running around with an impending deadline that threatens to dump their stuff. The problem with this move is that it had to be quick because there were offices waiting to move into the area we left. Alas.

Well, this doesn't make up for my prolonged absence, but now that I have internet up and relative calm again, I should go back to my old schedule of posting silly things -- peppered, I hope, with the profound.

Unfortunately, I only have the camera on my phone, but this should give you an idea of my work this afternoon. The office is actually much bigger than it looks, but the angle of the shot was rather awkward.



You can see that I have a window! A pathetic little thing to make me happy, but after being in a tomb with the server humming all the time, it's a rather welcome sight to look outside and see the cemetary across the street. It helps me ponder the meaning of my own mortality, especially when the men in blue race by with the sirens blaring. Oh, am I sounding cynical and whiny? Didn't mean it it all. I rather enjoyed the beautiful Atlanta winter today, with its gray overcast and drizzly demeanor. That was not sarcasm. I actually hope to have a raging thunderstorm soon so that I can really enjoy the window.

And, if you're wondering what else has occupied my time, you can maybe make-out some papers by the computer where I was doing some research for my latest crazy endeavor, courtesy of the phenomenal Fr. Roderick of SQPN. Check it out, I am actually co-hosting a talk-show with him. Yeah! It consists of him saying all kinds of brilliant things, and me being totally enthralled and then adding something goofy. I hope you check us out!

And so, after getting back into this blogging thing, I leave you with:


Monday, December 10, 2007

Look who's 40!

Happy birthday, Tia Melly!

Monday, December 03, 2007

Lies, Lies, and More Lies

So Chavez lost and claims it is the will of the people.

Yeah, and I have some land to sell in the Everglades. You heard it here folks, this isn't the end of the Chavez-I-Am-A-Communist Show.

How do you spell military coup? Oh yeah, C-A-S-T-R-O.

this is me, enjoying harping about communists because it reminds me of a dear family friend out of control.