American Idol - Tennessee

My gosh!  Tonight, I don't know if I wasn't feeling it, or they just did a really bad job of putting tonight's show together, but it was hard to get through.  It started out with a screeching audition and it seemed like the crackpots were out in full force.  Full moon, maybe? 
There were sooooo many wrongs that I only wrote down the rights.

Rob Bolin & Chelsee Oaks - they are young and sing as a duet, but they both made it through.  I thought they were good.
They put through a past Ms. Teen something whose name was Stormi, but I didn't think she was very good. 
 
Adrienne Beasley had a great story and a great voice.

Jackie Wilson, she was OK.

Paul McDonald is someone to watch.

Matt Dillard reminds me of a guy Truman that we used to go watch sing.  He was in overalls with a cowboy hat and was complete country.  He made me laugh out loud when he said "I can pretty up if you want me to."

The last audition they showed seemed to make it all worthwhile.  Her name was Lauren Alaina she is only 15 and definitely one to watch!

TomTom didn't want to write anything down tonight.  He sat and watched quietly and is ready to be tucked in - good night!

Stan's lunch of the week.

Stan the man is trying to start up his catering business and we have been lucky enough to be selected as the guinea pigs for his dream. He sends the lunch menu via email on Tuesdays and you reply if you want a dish.   It has been decided that Thursday is the day he will bring us the catered lunch.

Here we are Thursday morning anticipating our home cooked lunch. We know it will be excellent and hour by hour the anticipation builds. The time he scheduled to bring lunch was 1145 AM. Francesca randomly screams "Stan is here!" This causes my neck to practically snap off as I look out the window. But to no avail, Stan is not present in the parking lot.

It is now ten minutes after noon, my stomach is growling and my attention span reflects that of a gnat. Where is Stan the Man? Ms. J enters the room with an update... Stan will be here in 10 minutes. The co workers are coming out of the cracks and a small audience forms outside the window to cheer on Stan at his arrival.

At the same time the masses are converging outside, Francesca has a nervous breakdown inside from her hunger pains.  She came flailing out of her desk chair and flung herself toward the heater because she couldn't take them anymore!

We thought she was gaining some composure as she slowly started to get up.  Just then her light headedness took over and she passed out on the floor in a fit of starvation!

It was at that moment I could hear them beckon from outside the window....."Stan is here!".

I didn't believe it, I wanted to believe it, but I figured it was just Franny's conscience screaming out to us in her last moments... "Stan is here!"  It was at that moment I lifted my weary eyelids and with infinite hope peered out of the window once more.  Alas, this dark horse gallops into the parking lot and Stan dismounts drawing his shining catering tins! The crowd of peasants assist with the heavy labor (reality is they were ready to chow down).

And the almighty Stan approached the building with a hero walk all his own.

Finally the anticipation has ceased leaving a belly full of satisfaction in its place. Thank you Stan! Thank you!

The menu today was Cheese Stuffed Panko Crusted Chicken, Penne Pasta with tomato sauce, garlic bread and caesar salad.  All items are made from scratch (even the salad dressing) and delivered hot out of the oven.  If you are interested let me know and we can add you to the email list.  He also will cater events!

American Idol - Milwaukee

Tonight the auditions from Milwaukee came on, 2 hours of it and I think they were just wasting some time.  Remember the scene from Wayne's World when Wayne and Garth go to see Alice Cooper in Milwaukee?  "We're not worthy!  We're not worthy!"

Anyways, TomTom did not participate in tonight's blog because of his inability to do things the first time I ask him and he lost his privilege last night.  Better luck to him for tomorrow night!

So here's the skinny....at this point we realize that Steven Tyler is a camera hog and attention whore, but yes he is the only one that makes me laugh this season.  What was JLo wearing for day 2?  It looked like a stripper costume for Laverne & Shirley or carhop or something???? 

They stated that all the 15 year olds that tried out here made it through to Hollywood.  We only got to see one or two of them audition.  There were about 8 really bad auditions that they showed us instead.  The guy with the insanely large toothbrush?  The civil war reinactor?  The Obama imitator?  WTF??

The people to watch from my sofa: Molly DeWolf, Haley, Tiwan, Big Goon (I don't remember his first name but his last name was a take on these words), Scott Dangerfield.

The OK's from my sofa: Scott Mcrary (he sang Josh Turner and I love that guy), Emma - the 15 year old audition they did show, the judges were split up over this decision, Jerome Bell & Thia Megia (I think she was 15 too so maybe we saw two of those guys).

My favorite part of the two hour drawn out drama... Tiwan makes it through to Hollywood and goes out side to his family.  They all start hooting and hollering, but one little lady in the bunch keels over and grabs Ryan's hand screaming louder than all the others "Oooooo! OOOOOOO!  Charlie Horse!  Ooooo!  Charlie Horse!  Oooooo! I gotta Charlie Horse!"  Ryan didn't know what to do with that and she totally upstaged Tiwan's win.  HA!

IHOP... UHOP... again.

Franny did it!  She went back to ihop aka stj!  And this time she went alone.  For the past two days she has talked about the "great deal" at ihop for soup and sandwich.  She also shared her thoughts with us that overcame her at the two seat table that she rocked solo.  There was a gentleman at ihop that caught her attention and she had the random thoughts that most single females have... then she stated she had never had sex on a table at ihop.  I giggled at this and shared that those sticky tables had to come from something... ewwwwwwww!!!!!

 

Quote of the day

This may be too much for some, but I read this in his "Book of Sketches."  It was what Jack did best for me, take a simple situation and explain it simply for exactly what it was - and I just get it.  Do you get it too? Ha!  It's not just in a man's life, it happens in a woman's life too.

"The trouble with fashions is you want to f*ck the women in their fashions but when the time comes they always take them off so they don't get wrinkled.
Face it, the really great f*cks in a man's life was when there was no time to take yr clothes off, you were too hot and she was too hot - none of yr Bohemian leisure, this was middleclass explosions against snowbanks, against walls of shithouses in attics, on sudden couches in the lobby -
Talk about yr hot peace."
— Jack Kerouac (Book of Sketches)

Life after Mr. Darcy

Are there any other fans out there of Jane Austen and her Novel "Pride & Prejudice"?

It is one of my favorites and holds one of my favorite characters, the infamous Mr. Darcy.

My favorite movie for the novel  is the one starring Keira Knightly.  My favorite scene is at the end and Mr. Darcy saunters across the field between the estate he is staying at and Lizzie's house.  Keira looks beautiful in the dawn light and Mr. Darcy, well, I get speechless. Favorite, favorite, favorite!  Have I said it enough? 

In the movie he says, "You must know... surely, you must know... it was all for you. You are too generous to trifle with me. I believe you spoke with my aunt last night, and it has taught me to hope as I'd scarcely allowed myself before. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes have not changed, but one word from you will silence me forever. If, however, your feelings have changed, I will have to tell you: you have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love.... I love... I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on."

Give that man an award!  God knows he deserves one! 

I love this story!  And the movie is just as wonderful to me for a quick refresher instead of reading the book.  I popped it in the dvd player the other night and had this reaction after the credits rolled (be warned that multiple questions are stated below that many have asked before me):

Can I be so bold as to ask what happens after Mr. Darcy?

Do he and Lizzie live happily ever after?  Or not?  She is a headstrong woman greatly connected to her "inferior" family and friends.  He is a man greatly connected to his rank in elite society.  When he walked her into a ballroom did everyone greet her with kindness and affection?  Or did they snub her and whisper about her?  Were they kind to her face yet patiently waiting for her to do something that they considered absurd  in the ways of their high society?

Would Darcy have someone over to the estate to teach her all the things she did not know about his type of people and manners?  Would Lizzie even stand for that?  She never pretended to be something different in front of him and he fell in love with her.  Would she be okay with changing or adapting her head strong nature to make life easier for him in front of his equals?

Would they have certain days when they invited only her family over?  Was her family even allowed to visit Pemberley?  Did they travel to see her family alone - where no one could witness it?  Did they even visit her family at all?

This isn't a multi millionaire marries some floozy and they are both welcomed open armed to the best places in town, this was hard core old English upper class.  They did not welcome new comers unless you were born into their wealth.  I mean, didn't we fight a war to separate from this among many other old world customs?

Perhaps Darcy's elite friends snubbed them both?  Separating themselves from Lizzie and Mr Darcy for deciding to marry her, leaving them out of the social circles to fall madly in love with each other.  He had those huge homes and his younger sister and they could all get lost in one of them together.  Then their children's children could try to ease their way back into elite society by some "advantageous" marriages.

Seriously, what happened after?  How happy were they together 20 years later when the decision they made to marry each other had taken its toll?

This is an excellent love story, but it would definitely change them both over the course of time. 

I discovered there were some conclusions written to the story by other authors.  Life after marriage and such, something I might look into in the future, but I sort of like just wondering about it.  I'm a happily ever after girl so I am going to stick with that until my cynical side pops out again.

Where in the world is Kenny's coffee mug? Part 2

Poor Kenny!  He is still longing for his coffee mug, but nothing, the selfish little piece of plastic hasn't even sent him a word!

Well, all of a sudden... out of the blue.... there is a letter in Kenny's in box.  Kenny opened it up thinking it was just another normal day with another normal envelope full of paperwork.  And SHAZAAM!  It was a letter from his Coffee Mug! 

CM says he is still doing fine and just needed a little time away.  He hoped Kenny was OK and doing well with out him and even sent a photo from where he is spending the week.  I don't know about you, but CM is looking better and better every letter!



We think he is in Bora Bora!



You don't bring me projects anymore.

It has been many long weeks closing out 2010 and bringing in 2011 at work.  It has also been a long hard journey downward for our industry in general and it isn't looking any better as the month tolls on...  During this time our boss, AKA Mr. Krabs (think spongebob), has been pretty much obsolete to our every day life.  This is the same man we confide in, look for advice from, and are in constant need of approval from for paperwork, forms, etc.  How we have missed him!  Every now and then I walk by his office and see his back (he is facing his computer) and his door is shut as to not suggest "Come in and talk with me!"  He is trying to cut out distractions so he can complete the various projects that have been put on his table.

Day after day I either view an empty office or the back of the man I once new and called my own Mr. Krabs!  Finally we couldn't take it anymore.  We started to bait him by leaving various chips or snacks on the conferance table in the middle of our office.  Slowly, but surely, he would advance from his office to grab said chip or snack and soon after the mass of peasants approached for conversation he would retreat back into his office to complete his spreadsheet of the day.  Our attempt to once again socialize Mr. Krabs had failed miserably.


Last week I decided a different approach.  When I grew up in the 80's I was a great fan of Barbara Streisand and Neil Diamond and the song they did together titled "You don't bring me flowers."  I am embedding a youtube of this song in this posting below so you can get familiar with the tune.  If you listen to it you can almost hear me singing in the background, off key, trying to keep up with Babs.... "Now after lovin' me late at nnnniiiiiggggghhhhhtttttttt!!!!!"  Ahhhhhhhhh, it's good stuff I tell you! 

Anyways, I decided to change the lyrics so it fit our work atmosphere and emailed it to Mr. Krabs (and the rest of the department) because I knew he was in his office facing his computer.  I put each one of us in the lyrics as the singer of that line, and used the entire department together for the Chorus.  I really wanted him to visualize what this would look like if we decided to enter the Karaoke contest at the family picnic.  Once I pressed send I ran to the window in his office door to watch him....  I saw the email notification pop up and distract him from his spreadsheet project.....  Then he clicked on it..... And then he read it.... the whole thing!  I think I saw tears in the man's eyes.... It went a little something like this......

Sarah: You don't bring me projects
You don't call for meetings

Francesca: You hardly talk to me anymore
When I come through the door
At the start of the day

Sarah: I remember when
You couldn't wait to blame me
Used to hate to praise me
Now after leavin’ work late at night

Francesca: When it's go for you, Krabs
And you're feelin' alright

Sarah: Well you just walk out
And turn out the light

Department: And you don't bring me projects anymore

Mr. Krabs: It used to be so natural
To talk about crew issues
But "used to be's" don't count anymore
They just lay on the floor
'Til we sweep them away

Ms. Y: And Krabs-y, I remember
All the things you taught me

Kenny: I learned how to laugh
And I learned how to cry

J: Well I learned how to love
even learned how to fly

V: So you'd think I could learn
How to tell you goodbye

You don't say you need me

Department: You don't bring us projects anymore
Well you'd think we could learn
how to tell you 'goodbye'

You don't call for meetings

You don't bring us projects anymore...

Photo of the Week

Last Friday we had some time to goof around before we headed out to work and school.  Here are our photos of the week.  I got a new hair color (but you can't really tell in the photo) and TomTom hit us up with a new pose.



Mom



TomTom with AR necklace on - he's up to 30 points!



We hope everyone had a good weekend!

Valentine's Day Clip - the 2 Taylors

We talked about this movie at work today.  This is for Y because it is one of my favorite parts of the movie.  I crack up everytime I watch it.  "Walk it off Baby!  Walk it off!"

Quote of the Day

This is one of my favs from Robert Frost.  There are so many things that I read and it seems like time stops for a few seconds and I completely get it.  And then a few more seconds go by and I'm caught right back up into all the things that don't really matter, but we all like to pretend that they do.  Am I making any sense?  Maybe not, but again... i get it.  This is a poem that gave me one of those moments.  It is the second half of Robert Frost's poem "Birches" first published in 1915.

"So was I once myself a swinger of birches;
And so I dream of going back to be.
It's when I'm weary of considerations,
And life is too much like a pathless wood	45
Where your face burns and tickles with the cobwebs
Broken across it, and one eye is weeping
From a twig's having lashed across it open.
I'd like to get away from earth awhile
And then come back to it and begin over.	50
May no fate wilfully misunderstand me
And half grant what I wish and snatch me away
Not to return. Earth's the right place for love:
I don't know where it's likely to go better.
I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree,	55
And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk
Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more,
But dipped its top and set me down again.
That would be good both going and coming back.
One could do worse than be a swinger of birches"

American Idol Recap - New Orleans

Another night of American Idol fun! 
Tonight it was only for an hour, guess we didn't impress too much down in New Orleans.  A total of 37 people made it to Hollywood: 10 of them they sent through and we didn't get to see their auditions, 10 of them did not make it to Hollywood and we got humiliating highlights of their auditions. 

Here is my list from tonight's show.

People to watch:

Jordan - He was up first, a music teacher from Laplace - had a great voice I think

Sarah - Steven Tyler asked her where she got her lips from??

Brett - he came with a sad story

Jacee - he was young and great voice

People that were "OK":

Jovani - can we get some wine with that cheese???

Jaquelyn - she was good, but no David Cook if you know what I mean!

Paris - she has a sad story too.  She was OK, but I think her story helped her through to Hollywood.

OMG... WTF????

Blake Patterson??? He was the first clip, throwing a temper tantrum as he sung "Smile" because he did not make it.

Gabriel - he was the Steven Tyler/Mick Jagger look alike... a tad on the weird side.

What were they thinking?

Tonight they aired short clips of these horrifying auditions...

Najsha

Jarrell

David

Liana

Alex

Better luck next year!

Our Sad Stories of the Night:

Brett - he was constantly picked on and was sending a message to bullies.

Paris - she is trying to support her daughter when doctors recommended she should not have been born.  However the baby is healthy and dealing with hearing loss issues.

There wasn't really anyone I really favored and no Hotties tonight.  There also wasn't the infamous music collage. 

Now for Thomas' list.  These are the names of the auditions we watched and whether or not he would put them through to Hollywood:

Jordan - yes

Najsha - no

David - yes

Liana - no

Sarah - yes

Jovani - yes (he checked no first, then changed his mind)

Brett - yes

Gabriel - he didn't check off anything for this poor guy

Alex - yes (hmmmm... I'm not sure about this one, he wasn't that good)

Jaccee - yes

Paris - yes

However, TomTom does win the quote of the night because this was his thought about JLo as a judge.  Straight out of the mouth of babes...."She has a hard time making decisions.  She wants to say yes to everybody, but she can't."

Next week they go to Milwaukee. 
Milwaukee makes me think of Wayne & Garth's road trip to see Alice Cooper.
And Laverne & Shirley (wasn't that Milwaukee???)

Song from The Wild Trapeze

Brandon Boyd Solo Album

If anyone else out there appreciates Incubus as much as I have over the years, check this out...

Quote of the day.

"To be nobody but yourself
in a world which is doing its best,
night and day to make you everybody else -
means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being could fight;
and keep fighting."
~ E. E. Cummings

American Idol - New Jersey Auditions

Thomas and I have kept careful track of the newest star hungry American Idol auditions.  First of fall they dramatized the announcement of the new judges....
Steven Tyler - a success - best choice the show and Steven could have made - who can't love this guy?
Jennifer Lopez - the verdict is still out on this one with her inability to say no and look for sympathy about it...
Randy Jackson - what's up dog?  You're still awesome!

The first stop for auditions was New Jersey - Jersey Baby!  Jersey! 

51 made it through, but we only saw about 16 on the show tonight. 

Here is my list from tonight's show.

People to watch out for:

Rachel - the opera chic - if she can get it together in Hollywood

Caleb - he was just laid back cool, but is his voice that good???

Kenzie - I think she was a youngin'

Robbie - he was really good and has a huge nose, I'm feeling Barbara Streisand talent here.

Melinda - she's got potential

Travis - pretty much perfection in the voice department

What were they thinking??!!:

Achille - she sang "Dress Me Up" by Madonna - it was horrible

Ashley - I think she might be on a lot of caffeine or something else,  and I am a huge fan of Thoroughly Modern Millie, but I thought it was a bad song choice for her audition.  However, she begged her way to Hollywood.  Amazing.

Genise - this clip was for humiliation only

Ima - humiliation only clip

Rob - yeah, humiliation clip

OMG.. .WTF????:

Tiffany - with stars taped to her tatas - however she was an OK singer and made it through

Chris - this was REALLY BAD advertising for the Boy Scouts

Michael - I don't remember, but I didn't like him when he was on the screen

Victoria Huggins - she is just weird, but made it through

Jimmy - again I'm clueless, but it was bad

Yogi - Michael Jackson impersonator, humiliation clip

Sad Stories:  This is when Idol finds out about a personal struggle and airs a longer clip on these guys.

Robbie - AKA nose guy - he was in a wheelchair when he was 5 & 6 years old, but again he was a great singer

Melinda - her parents were war refugees and moved to America - she had a good voice and made it to Hollywood

Brielle - her dad was a lung cancer survivor - she had a good voice and made it to Hollywood

Travis - his family has struggled all around over the years - he had a GREAT voice and made it to Hollywood

My favs:

Caleb - he needed a cut & a shave and might be a cutie

Devyn - singing waitress and I loved the way she sang

The musical collage of the night was set to Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA".  This is when they air all the people who auditioned (good and bad) and piece all the clips together of them singing this song.

This is how TomTom would have voted for all the people who aired before his 8 PM bedtime:

Rachel - yes

Caleb - yes

Kenzie - yes

Ashille - he first said yes and argued it was about the feel not the voice.  I reminded him it was a singing competition and he later changed his vote to no.

Tiffany - no

Robbie - yes

Chris - yes

Michael - no

Ashley - yes

And there you have our summary of the two hour show tonight!  Tomorrow night is my home town of New Orleans!  Until then........



American Idol starts tonight!

We are very excited in my household for the premiere of American Idol’s Season 10 tonight.  We are hunkered down in the living room enjoying the best and worst of the auditions.  I am going to keep track of our “people to watch” list as the auditions air on my blog.  Will anyone ever replace David Cook????? I think not!

So come on and say it with me…. “You could be the next American Idol!”

Where in the world is Kenny's Coffee Cup??

 

This is for Ms. Y..........

I bought coffee cups for everyone in the office this Christmas.  Kenny has some how lost his with less than a month of use.  He says that one day it was there and the next it was gone.  We have brain stormed many theories on what happened to his coffee cup.  Mainly because everyone else still has their coffee cup and well... it's Kenny. 
  The theory we all agree on is that the cleaning crew accidentally threw the cup away thinking it was a paper cup.  The only thing that doesn't work about this theory is that everyone else has the same coffee cup with a different color band on their desk in plain sight of the cleaning crew.

Kenny is one of the rare breeds that never checks his inbox by the copy machine.  I mention he might want to check it because it is piling up and suddenly there is a letter in there from guess who????? THE COFFEE CUP!  Now all of a sudden I have taken the coffee cup!  ME!  The one who bought it for him in the first place! 

The letter was basically a note to Kenny letting him know the coffee cup was fine and that it appreciated the fact he was looking for him, but not to worry, all was well.  It was signed by the coffee cup.

So for Kenny's sake, and the sake of my word that I DIDN'T TAKE IT, if you have seen the following coffee cup out on the town please let him know that Kenny is getting desperate and needs him to come home!  This is the EXACT brand of COPCO coffee cup that I bought for Kenny this year.  It even has his initials KS on the bottom of the cup in silver sharpee.  Kenny might be willing to offer a reward but you will have to take that up with him.  Please leave a comment if you have seen the coffee cup!  Thank you to everyone for your effort with this!

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination

This Sunday I took a minivan full of friends to the Lafayette Science Museum to see the exhibit, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.  I spent most of the time on the drive there explaining to my unsuspecting friend how Star Wars is a glorified love story with light sabers and blasters so that guys will watch it. 




The kids in the back of the van were watching Star Wars episode III, the highlight (I think) of all the Star Wars movies that shows what a mad love story it is and of course the birth of Darth Vader. 

Yes!  He did it for love everyone!  Anakin was trying to save Padme from dying during childbirth.  He has this horrible premonition of the event and knows he cannot live without her.  Mr. Ugly Ole Palpatine uses his jedi (or shall I say sith) mind tricks on poor weak Anakin (yes, Yoda told him long ago that attachments make him week AKA his mother and now Padme)  and basically tricks Anakin in coming over to the dark side.


Palpatine promises Anakin that together they can discover the secret to keep their loved ones alive.  Anakin at this point says he would do anything to save Padme, so off he goes to kill all the jedi children (very morbid) and anyone else that gets in his way.  Poor Padme tries to track Anakin down to see for herself that the rumors are true and red-eyed Anakin thinks that she has turned on him because Obi-Wan sneaks out of her ship. 

It's a horribly tragic scene and yes, it brings me to tears every time.  And the score, the music, it is so awesome as Anakin changes and then massacres and Padme tells him through tears "Anakin, you're breaking my heart! You're going down a path I cannot follow!"

Later, Palpatine rescues Anakin - who is now known as Darth Vader - on the verge of death without an arm or legs, and burned to a pulp.  At this point you bring on the big black suit that keeps Darth Vadar alive, and our sweet little Anakin returns to consciousness.  Here he finds himself in a big suit, and that after everything he did Padme still died in childbirth.  And the big burly scary Darth Vadar screams "NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"


And there you have it!  Why in the hell do I know all of this????!!!!!!  I think I asked myself that a few times while I was explaining it to my friend and tried to ignore the crazy look she was giving me!  Ha!

Anyways, we get to Lafayette and every other parent in the area has decided to do the same thing on Sunday because the line wrapped around the building and to the end of the block.

It took us about forty minutes to make it up to the front of the street where Thomas posed for a photo with the Darth Vadar poster.  You can see me in the reflection and his light saber is strategically placed across my body (no pun intended) as if it were my own.  I told you the force was strong with me!

By the time we made it inside we could see a sign that read "Millennium after 5 PM".  This basically meant that the Millennium Falcon Experience ( a five minute.. ride??? or something) was only available after 5 PM and you had to buy separate tickets for that.  This was the area where you got to see the Falcon's cock pit and all kinds of other cool stuff, one of the many reasons we drove two hours to the event.  By the time we made it to the ticket counter, it was sold out :(  I'm still upset about that. 

However, we did get to see lots of amazing props from the movies like Luke Skywalker's land speeder....

And my favorite part was when we saw the show at the Planetarium and learned all kinds of cool things about our Sun the star!  The seats in there were all cadillacin' back and I wished that the seats at all movie theaters were like that. 

All in all it was a great day and I would do it all over again, but the next time I will buy tickets in advance through Ticketmaster and see the Millennium Falcon Experience!



Ti-i-i-ime is on my side....

Who knew that when I started this I wouldn't have enough time to write about all the things that I wanted to???  Well, I'm going to try to squeeze as much in tonight as I possibly can without making myself a zombie tomorrow.

Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby

The Pinewood Derby came and went today.

When we got there we weighed our car and made sure it met the regulations.

The excitement was in the air as the boys waited patiently in the "pit" area by the track.

Nana made an appearance to help out with the concession stand.  TomTom did an "Act of Kindness" by giving her help without her having to ask him for it.  He earned a dollar toward his Den's charity. 

We were all ready for the races!

On your Marks!

Get Set!

Goooo!!!!

And after a day of good sportsmanship and fun, you'll never guess who won 1st Place!

 

TomTom won First Place!! GO BUDDY!  We are very proud of you!

And you know they couldn't let the little ones have all the glory.  The grown ups had a version of the Pinewood Derby for themselves.

Good Job to Pack 222 at the Pinewood Derby today!

The Weekend is Here!

This weekend is sure to be a super busy but fun one!

Saturday - Pinewood Derby for Thomas.

Sunday - Lafayette Science Museum for Star Wars Exhibit!!!!

I can't wait!!!! TomTom is practically freaking out!!!

I will update with photos as soon as possible.

Toe socks gone wrong.

I have been blessed with feet like Fred Flinstone.

It was freezing last night so I brought out the toe socks for sleeping.

This is what the Fred Flinstone feet look like in pink toe socks before bedtime.

This is what happens after spending some time on my laptop..... the toes just slide right out of the toe socks. 

This happens ALL the time.  They are super warm, but I think you need some length in your toes to make them work.  And after a night of sleep.... it's a complete FAIL.

From my toes to yours.....



The Jawbreaker.

Today was day twelve of quitting smoking, one of my many New Year’s resolutions.  I’ve been referencing timelines from different websites that let me know what to expect physically and mentally.  Everything has been text book so far, but then there are the whacked out cravings that hit me when I least expect them.  The best remedy that I have discovered so far (thanks to Francesca) are Jawbreakers and Gobstoppers. 



Jawbreaker

I re-discovered the Jawbreaker recently when Francesca grabbed the last one out of the candy basket at work.  Then I raided the candy machine and found the next best thing, Gobstoppers.  Gobstoppers are mini-jawbreakers.  They are smaller versions and they don’t last as long as a Jawbreaker.  A Jawbreaker is a serious commitment!  If you have a 1” Jawbreaker you can expect it to last a good hour, changing colors & flavors as you make it through each layer, until you get to the chewable sweet tart center.  It definitely outlasts any cravings.  A Gobstopper is much smaller and lasts maybe 20 minutes.

We found a package of about 15 jawbreakers at Fresh Market in Mandeville and they have lasted us about a week.  Today was just like every other, I ate my lunch and then the craving got out of hand.  It feels like my throat closes up and I just have to breathe to de-stress myself and get rid of the craving.  I knew we were low on Jawbreakers so I was trying to do quick fixes with the Gobstopper.  Then Francesca announces that we only have one Jawbreaker left!  Instant panic!  I played it coy and said I could always have my gobstoppers.  She did her normal Francesca song and dance and said she would let me have it.  Oh, how she lives to make me happy!  If the Jawbreaker made me happy it was mine! 

I got caught up in my work and probably about a half hour later I asked about the Jawbreaker.  I heard some rumbling, mumbling and shuffling of plastic packages.  Francesca walked over saying “it is right here” and handed me the see through plastic package with a soggy jawbreaker in it!  I called her out in her misfit lies and reminded her of her sweet songs about my happiness.  Then I think the sugar took over because she wigged out and popped the Jawbreaker back in her mouth fussing something about “Here’s your Jawbreaker right here!  Take a photo of it to last you longer and put it on your blog!”

So I did… and it seems she was somewhere between blue and green….

I made it through my craving with laughs and Gobstoppers.  We also started a search for Jawbreakers in the area to get us through no smoking week three.  I will be in Lafayette this weekend and we came across a wee little shop called the Candy Craze.

  I have called and confirmed… Jawbreakers?  Check.  Will they be open? Check.  AWESOME!  Now the hard part will be taking three young boys with me into the candy shop.  Why would I think that would be difficult when my son keeps popping into my bedroom doorway and shooting suction cup darts at me????!!!!!!!!!!

HA! HA! HA!  That is sooooo fun mom!  I shot you right there in the boob crack!

Abandoned Kittens!

Free to a good home.

If anyone is interested in these kitties please let me know!

"Take one, take all, several designer colors from which to chose! Fully trained for: litter box, eating, sleeping and purring."

IHOP... UHOP

Did I mention that Sweet Lil Franny loves IHOP?

I have an issue with these establishments that I categorize as "Sticky Table Joints".
They just don't really appeal to me unless it is after 2 AM and I am sloshed and not ready to head home.
It is my firm belief that the people in the STJ's are aliens!  Like in Men in Black!
You never see them anywhere else in life, and as you look around.... it's just plain creepy.

Franny wasn't feeling too well from a virus that was effecting her ability to store food inside her body for any lengthy amount of time.  Under these circumstances she had grown very hungry and had a craving for pancakes.  I humored her and her illness and decided to suck it up and join her at the STJ.

I parked the car while she went in and got a table because, as usual, the STJ was packed full of aliens.
When I walked in I scanned the aliens and saw no sight of her.  For a moment I thought I was going to be on Unsolved Mysteries exposing the STJ and the aliens!  However, she came to my rescue by screaming my name across the restaurant and waving at me like a wild woman.  I was sure that no one could identify me in a lineup... until that point. 

I have to share with you how cute she was as she ordered her hot chocolate and sipped it down in complete and utter satisfaction.  She followed the hot chocolate with a sweet tea, a bowl of grits, and pancakes.  After receiving her grits she decided on a side of shredded cheddar cheese for extra binding... if you know what I mean.  After the miracle cure was mixed together her grits appeared very similar to the same substance used to hold bricks together in a foundation.

At this point I heard heckling from the kitchen between the servers because someone took server #1's turkey melt and no one was owning up to it!  Server #2  (our server)  was offering honesty in the fact that her turkey melt had eggs on it and that was the one she pulled off the counter.  OK, I ordered a Ham, Egg & Cheese melt but swapped turkey for ham.  I was trying to enjoy my sandwich but all I wanted to do was stand up, with sandwich in hand and egg on face, to prove the innocence of our server.  My better judgement took over because there is no telling what the surrounding aliens might do if the commotion continued... and they already knew my name! 

We soon paid our check and departed the restaurant as fast as possible.  Unfortunately, IHOP made a second performance for Franny about an hour and a half later at the office.  But her attempt for intestinal normality was well noted and I will always love her no matter what situations we have to endure together.

PS~ most of this love for her stems from another outing during Mardi Gras when we went to another STJ.. AKA Denny's.  After we ordered, I proceeded to the ladies room to use the bathroom not noticing the urinals as I walked back into the stalls.  Moments later another patron entered the restroom with me and I noticed his general atmosphere was not that of the cute little ladies that normally attend a public bathroom with me.  I quietly spent my time in the bathroom stall and was sure to turn around and everything so that my feet were facing the toilet, not the general female position of feet facing away from the toilet.  I didn't want to just walk out while he was using the urinal and give him stage fright.  Finally he left, and I returned a few minutes later to the table where Franny sat enjoying the scene and giggling when I explained what a dumb a&& I was for going into the wrong bathroom.  Good Times!

Kitty Cat!

This one goes to the Kitty Cat that ran through Northpark this morning.  You made us pull out the binoculars to make sure you were not an escaped monkey??  You kept darting past our window and we only got glimpses of you out of the corner of our eyes.  You entertained us the entire morning.  My highlight was hearing Francesca scream "It's a MONKEY!  It's a MONKEY!"  Repeatedly.  Loudly.  Into my gentle early morning ears.  I only wish I had your actual photo to prove that no, you are no monkey!