Missed opportunity

Carl, the kids, and I went to the mall yesterday to finish up our shopping. We didn't have a whole lot to do so we wound up window shopping and people watching.

At one point we were on the escalator heading up to the second level. Carl turned around and said, "Uh oh... we didn't go in the bookstore. Do you want to head back down and go?"

I said, "Nah. I don't need any new books now. I've got plenty."

I swear I thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head. And I thought he would never turn back around to watch where he was going. I just knew he was going to fall on his butt when we got to the top of the escalator.

He said, "WHAT? YOU don't want to go to the bookstore?"

I said, "No. I've got plenty to read. Plus I need to read the next book for my book club, but I wouldn't mind going in."

We didn't go back. It's the time of year to think of others.

But good grief I want a new book. BAD.

Coffee

I did something this morning that made me happy.

NO, not that... get your mind out of the gutter.

I was in line at Dunkin Donuts getting my first fix of caffeine. There was a gentleman in line behind me that had ordered an extra large coffee.

Before I knew what I was doing, I said "I'll get his as well."

He looked behind him then back at me and said "What?"

I picked up his cup, handed it to him and said "Really. I've got it. Merry Christmas. All I ask is that you pay it forward. Do something nice for someone this holiday."

He said thank you and headed out the door sipping his drink. He was smiling.

I'm not telling you this to brag, nor am I looking for kudos. It was a feeling that washed over me as I stood there. Something was yelling in my head to buy his coffee. I struggled against it. One part of me was saying he will think I'm wierd or a stalker of some sort. Another part was saying just DO it! Just open your mouth and say it!

It is a feeling I've never had before.

And now I've never felt so good. I hope he needed it. I hope he spends that measly $2 on someone else. I hope it goes on and on and on... eventually reaching around the world.

Woo hoo!!!

I haven't been to a concert in FO-EVAH. As a matter of fact, I think the last one I went to was either Rascall Flatts or Big & Rich a couple of years ago.

So I am so, so, so excited that Carl and I are going to one this Thursday. We are going to see Theory of a Deadman... a rock group that is... well... AWESOME.

Here is one of their videos...



I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about seeing these guys. Carl heard them on the radio and bought a CD... I can't get enough of it.

My hubby doesn't ask for much. When I told him this group was going to be at a local venue he got this little look on his face and said "Can we go?" I couldn't deny him. At. All.

I just hope Dad can babysit. :)

Crazy Ivan

Last night was the first time I've watched Heroes in a couple of weeks and I LOVED it. That was the show I fell in love with a couple of years ago. I may actually try to watch it again next week.

Especially if Sylar is in it again. OMG... those scenes with Elle were KILLING me.

Punkin is a Party Animal!!!

Last weekend, Punkin and I went to Tallahassee with my girlfriend, PT, for FSU's homecoming. We had a blast! AND I saw a side of Punkin I never thought I'd see...

First he had to help me pack for the trip. He likes red, so there was alot of it in the bag.


He's pretty good at being a passenger. I did have to tell him to sit still a time or two, but other than that he rode like a dream.


We stopped outside Moultrie, GA for lunch. Punkin loves Subway, so he was tickled to find one. Look at that first bite!! Yikes!

Once he got a full belly he was ready for a nap. Here you see him giving us the evil eye-- he said "Please quit gabbing long enough for me to get some sleep!" We obliged.

Once we arrived at the hotel, Punkin was ready to party. Of course, he had to wait on us to get ready -- he had his nap. We were worn out!

So he watched a little TV while we freshened up.

Then he hogged the bathroom for about 30 minutes. He kept saying "Perfection takes time." I was about ready to pop him before he finally decided we could go.

Punkin and I shared a Bloody Mary...

But he hogged the second one.

And the cheesesticks? Forget it... they were all for him.

After dinner we headed to the campus for a pre-PowWow drink. PowWow is their pep rally where they crown homecoming queen and king. We didn't want to atten all the festivities so we went to a bar called Potbellies first... it was the perfect name for a Pug's first outing don't you think?

He discovered Bud Light and we realized we had created a monster.

Before Jimmy Fallon made his appearance, Punkin decided he wanted another Bud Light -- or two. He buttered us up with his cute little begging face, and then...

He tried to keep me and PT away from our drinks. The Lush.

We enjoyed the show - even though Jimmy had some technical difficulties. Punkin enjoyed it very much... we rolled in around 1 a.m. and hit the sack.

The next morning, Punkin drove me nuts until I went and got him some coffee.

If you know pugs, they have to have a lap to sit in. He found PT's FSU doll quite comfy. And she looks like she doesn't mind. I mean, how can you deny that face?

PT took us on a tour of Tallahassee. We went to the capital where Punkin tried to make a speech. It didn't go over very well... only PT and I were there to hear it.

All the speech giving and walking made Punkin a thirsty boy.

In the FSU bookstore, he found a few more ladies to adore him. They were cheerleaders, too! He thought he had hit the mother lode.

This is the dorm where PT used to stay. I asked him if I could take his picture with it... all he kept saying was "does this building make my butt look big?" A vain lush... great.

This bronze is the founder of FSU and the grandson of Thomas Jefferson. We couldn't tell if Punkin wanted to give him advice or whisper sweet nothings... and he won't tell.

Finally it was tailgate time. Punkin drank a couple of Bud Lights...

... and got a little crazy....

We had to sober him up before we went into the stands. Here he is waiting patiently for the game to start.

He did look around a little... here he is saying "Why are all those folks on the field?"

And he was fascinated with the band... see them over there? And yes... he has on an FSU shirt. He was COLD... and look at his cute little butt tattoo!

The game finally started and he sat patiently between me and PT. It was hard for him to see... he finally got too cold and I put him in my jacket. That is where he stayed - nice and warm.

I can't wait to share more stories with you. He's ready for another trip!

Introducing my new travel companion

I'm leaving in the morning for Tallahassee for a girl's weekend. My girlfriend, PT, is a Florida State Alum and she asked me to go with her to their homecoming game.

I am so excited! NO hubby, kids or responsibilities. Lots of bars, football, and people watching. FUN!

We even got tickets to see Jimmy Fallon!!! OMG!!!

Sooooo... we have a companion going along with us. He's been aching to get out of the house for a loooong time. All he ever does is sit next to me while I play on the computer. He's told me he is sick of Guild Wars, Pirates and all the other games we play. He wants to explore!

So I told him we'd give it a shot this weekend.

Everyone, I'd like for you to meet Punkin McSmushface.

Punkin is going to start going with me - and the family - everywhere so you can see our adventures. You can call him a traveling correspondant so to speak.

He's getting ready to go... he filled up on his dinner....

MMMMM... ham, onion and pineapple pizza! A feast made in heaven!

And now he is sitting here with me while I type this post.

We have to get upstairs and finish packing. Come back in a couple of days and he'll let you know how the trip went!

And for those of you on Facebook? He's going to have his own page soon for all the photos he is going to have. Be on the lookout -- if you want to be his friend.

Music perception

I'm amazed at people's perception of me. Especially when it comes to the music I listen to.

My music taste runs the entire spectrum. I love everything from Country to Heavy Metal to Rap (main stream/hiphop... not the hardcore stuff). If it makes me feel something - like wanting to dance or cry - I love it. If it touches my soul I will listen to it.

But I find it curious what people would think I listen to. If you met me, you would probably think I'm a Country music kind of gal. I do like it. I love Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, and Brooks and Dunn - and many more.

But that isn't all to my music taste.

In high school I was a Stray Cats FANATIC. I knew everything there was to know about Brian Setzer, Slim Jim Phantom and Lee Rocker. I bought imported LPs and hard to find vinyl. I still have everything. I even have their greatest hits on my iPod and in my car.

I also loved Duran Duran and any British band of the 80s. And QUEEEN!!! OMG!!! Freddy Mercury was the b.o.m.b. and I still get chills when I hear his voice.

In college I turned to heavy metal. Of course, I have loved that genre since I was young. The first album I ever bought was KISS' Destroyer. To this day, the sound of a screeching guitar and thundering bass turns me to liquid fire. I love. love. love it. Ozzy, GNR, Whitesnake, all the 80s hair bands... OMG! These days I am in love with Saving Abel and Theory of a Deadman... they are so frakkin' awesome!

And now that AC/DC and GNR are coming out with new NEW albums - oh happy day!

All this is being said because today I was in the car with my girlfriend, T. She and I were cheering on our 3 Day Walker friend, PT, and had met her for lunch. As I was taking T back to her car I told her that I had bought two CDs that morning that were complete opposites. I had bought AC/DCs new one and Flo Rida (he is a rapper and his Ayer video is a few posts down).

She said she loved Flo Rida's Low. I asked her if she had heard In the Ayer yet and she said no. I put the CD in the player and proceeded to turn up the volume so I could MOVE.

She was laughing at me and saying "I can't believe you like this! This is so not what I expected from you!"

That floors me. Music is in my soul. Without it I would wither up and blow away. It has the power to make me happy or sad; it gets me going in the morning and provides a pick me up in the afternoon. It makes my world go around.

And it takes ALL KINDS of music to do that, too. My mood hinges on what I hear every day... so it has to make me happy. No matter what genre it comes from.

What music makes you happy? Any particular genre or do you like it all?

Tired and sore

Our neighborhood is having a garage sale next week and we decided to participate. That means for the past two days Carl, the kids, and I have been cleaning out the garage, the "man room" and various nooks and crannies.

You would not believe the number of books we found. Let's just say there are no less than 6 packing boxes FULL of page turners. I have saved about 8 that I haven't read yet. I should be able to make a dollar or two off of those.

I'm pretty excited about the sale. One of my friends asked me to join her for the Florida State homecoming game in November (she is an Alum), and I am going to use the garage sale money for the trip. The thought of going out of town with a girl friend is almost more than I can bear. No hubbies, no responsibilities, no children but an abundance of college football, drinks and girl talk... OMG... bliss. I just hate that I have to wait until November!

Yeah - I know it isn't a Georgia game, but that is OK. I told her I wouldn't wear red and black that day, but I also refuse to wear garnet and gold. I think I'll wear pink... that's a neutral color in the football world.

My garage looks insane though. Yes, we cleaned it out, but all the garage sale stuff is being stored there. I can't pull my car in at. all.

The kids and I have decided we are going to go in there one night a week, grab a box or two, and price it. It will take all week to get it done. I can't believe how much JUNK we have.

I just hope there are people out there who want to buy it.

Nothing changes!

We were watching TV with the kids last night (as usual) when a commerical came on. It is fairly new, and one that we see on occasion. It depicts a woman on a "game show" but the commercial is actually for insurance.

The emcee asks her three questions about what she is insured for and she answers them. In the end she winds up "winning" by getting the right insurance coverage for all her needs.

As Carl and I were talking during the commercial I was watching Bug out of the corner of my eye. She was INTENT on that commercial. After the third question she banged her hand on her leg and said "Man, I wish she would get at least ONE question wrong! She always gets them right!"

I said, "Honey? Do you not realize that is a COMMERCIAL and she will always get the questions right? It is all about selling insurance."

She just looked at me, grinned and said "Oh"...


If I could get YouTube at work I'd look for the commerical and post it so you would have some idea of what I am talking about. Maybe I'll do it tonight.

Sylar in a suit!

Last night's Heroes was really good, but I can't help but feel like the writers are reaaaaching when they reveal that Mama Patrelli is Sylar's mom. WHAT? I don't believe it. I think she has some ulterior motive to making him believe that.

And that would make him Claire's uncle... is that why he couldn't kill her?

Other thoughts:

• Why introduce all these new villians if they are going to kill them off or keep them locked up?
• Parkman's story is sooo boring. Enough already.
• And the white eyes/painting schtick? Again? Please. So first season.
• I wonder what the deal is with Niki/Jessica/Tracey. (Carl asked "Just how many of them are there?!!")
• Dr. Zimmerman "created" her? Could he have been in cahoots with Suresh's dad?
• It was so good to see Micah, but where was the rest of the family? Do they let a kid stay alone with a lady in a casket? And talk to "strangers"? What about his cousin with Super Memory? Where is she?
• Sylar in a suit... ummm.... wow.
• It was so much fun watching Sylar act like something other than a brooding killer. When he piped up as the FBI agent I squealed 'cause he was so cute.
• I want hands of blue fire... that looked so cool.
• The Haitian! Love him!
• The Roadrunner chick is cute but irritating. Do you think she and Ando will become an item and pair up against Hiro? I hate it that they are locked up in Level 5... why? They are harmless.

I can't come up with much more. What are your thoughts?

Premiere

My second favorite show premiered last night... Heroes.

Goodness gracious was it awesome, but I have sooooo many questions.

**** Spoiler Alert ****

1. What's up with Mama Patrelli? She's Sylar's mom? Huh?
2. Soooo Sylar doesn't eat the brains... he.... what? Pushes a button and their powers absorb thru his fingers? Explain please...
3. I hate, hate, hate time travel stuff. I get so confused. And this whole butterfly affect is hurting my head.
4. Two Peters? TWO? Who is the baddie with the scar?
5. Mohinder's skin is coming off in chunks? WHA????
6. Who is the most boring character on TV right now? Maya... why is she still around? YAWN She is the Paulo of Heroes (Losties will know what I mean)
7. Linderman is a ghost? Cool.
8. Jessica/Niki lost her badass power and now her name is Tracey and she can freeze people? WHA???? (but she's still a slut! the more things change...)
9. Claire can't die? Her real mom has come to live with them? Me thinks that is going to be a HUGE problem.
10. Ando turns "bad" -- doubt it. He's too freakin' cute.
11. I think Sylar is going to wind up being a good guy some how... if that is a possiblity at all. He is going to join forces with others to bring down the escaped Level 5 contingent.

So many more, but can't think of them all right now.

BTW: this dude is now on my Top 5. Damn... he's so awesome. I've always loved the bad boys.

Last night's scene where he got reeeeaaalll close to Claire and whispered "Claire... that's disgusting" left me in a puddle on the floor. That voice... whispering... OMG...

Comfort

Hiya... Dozer here.

I've always been allowed on the couch. Mom and Dad let me lay on their laps or on my very own seat if I want to. But lately I have been enjoying someplace new... what do you think?

Don't I look comfortable?

And check this out... I always thought Dad liked Grimmy the best. I think I could be wrong...

Me thinks Lily - the little fuzzball - is trying to weasel her way into Dad's heart. And he isn't even a "cat person"! What does she think she is doing?

This does not make me happy...

Proof

I decided to take some of my books to a used book store. I've told you time and again that I have a book addiction. It is sad really...

You open any drawer or cabinet in this house and you will find a book. Or two. Or a dozen. I keep adding to the collection and it is getting ridiculous. I don't have any bookshelves to display them so I have to put them wherever there is room.

I'm hoping to remedy the problem with my next bonus. I have an estimate froma guy to build a couple of built-in bookshelves. I just need to get the money together.

And decide on whether I want that or new boobs... but anyway...

Back to taking books to the used bookstore...

I gathered up as many books as I could find that I have already read. Unfortunately, I didn't have any boxes to put them in so the kids and I just dumped them in the trunk of my car. HA!

We got to the store and, lo and behold, they will only take 15 at a time. 15??? Holy cow.

The kids and I carted in a couple dozen for her to choose from. She made her picks and we put the rest back in the trunk. Want to see the result?

Pitiful, huh? And these are just the ones I have READ. I have at least 30 others in my room and in a hutch in the dining room. Also some laying around in cubby holes and boxes and bags. It is truly an addiction.

I think I'm going to sell these at a garage sale. Or just hang on to them for when I get my bookshelves. It kills me to get rid of them... and I don't know why!

It's a sickness I tell ya. A sickness.

(And, yes, those are a couple of chairs and a blanket. We had a family reunion last week and the chairs are from that. The blanket is in case my car breaks down in the cold months.)

** Update ** Had dinner with Coffeypot and Judy.... they took about 20 of the books in my trunk. There are still a lot in there, but they made a significant dent. YAY!