Aloha Oe

What an amazing AMAZING trip. Sorry this will be a long entry, but I wanted to share the best-of from our trip back to the Big Island.

Day 1- We arrive in Hawaii at 11:30 a.m., make a beeline for the hotel, and cheeseburgers in paradise at the Ocean Bar. Upon check-in, we discover that we have received a free upgrade to an Ocean Front Room (tantamount to $1000/night during peak season). Our bellman said the hotel was at low- capacity…. Whatever. I could hear the waves break from my bed. This is our view.

Day 2- Snorkeling in the Pauoa Bay, Hike to the Captain Cook Monument at Kealakekua Bay. 2 mi each way, but on the way back it's an elevation gain of about 1400 feet. Owch. Thought I was going to die, but the trip really was worth it. The photo to the right is the plaque that sits just below the waterline where he was hacked to death. The actual monument is a 27' white oblisk.

Day 3- More turtle snorkeling, and exploration of the North Island, including the Pololu Valley lookout (left) where you can see the waves rolling in for miles onto the black sand beach. Had it been good weather, we probably would have hiked down, but we came upon it in a rainstorm. It rains a lot on that side of the island. In just a few hours, we were in ranch country, rainforest, lava desert and what looked like the African savannah. Our travels were rewarded with dinner at Daniel Theibeaud in Wimea. My #2 favorite discovery this trip. I had duck that I would lie down in traffic to have again. No, seriously. It was that good.

Day 4- Probably our most adventurous day on the island. We drove over to the windward side of the island (one big honkin' jungle), visited Akaka Falls, drove through Hilo, and ended up in Volcano Village at our guest cottage before traversing Chain of Craters road to our biggest/best hike- out over miles of lavafield (estimates of distance range from 3- 4.5 miles each way) to where lava was entering the ocean. Armed with as much water as we could carry, a few snacks, a flashlight and two headlamps, we made it out to where land was being made. Pictures cannot capture and words cannot describe what that view was like. After an hour of basking in the awe of nature, we made the hike back with only 6 blinking beacons- which kept disappearing behind hummocks of lava rock- and our headlamps. It was the toughest hike I've ever done, but also the most worthwhile. We crashed into bed moments after getting back to the cottage.

Day 5- On our drive back around the island, we stopped at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach and the Pu'uhonua o' Honaunau (City of Refuge). Both were magnificent- pieces of the real Big Island. It was so funny to see bus tours stop at each for ½ an hour, take their pictures and leave. Exploring these spots was one of the highlights of the trip for me. We also discovered the South Kona Fruit Stand- a great stop for organic island produce. This is where we bought our macadamias.

Day 6- We were so tired, we didn't even leave the resort today. But we did get a beachside massage. 'Nuff said.

Day 7- Another adventure- one that brought us back to the City of Refuge. The picture is of the Tikis there, but we had heard that the snorkeling here was amazing. That doesn't even begin to describe it. The reef was so vibrant. I'd say the snorkeling here is the best on the island- even better, and less crowded than Kealakekua Bay. This was my #1 discovery for this trip.

Day 8- More snorkeling at the City of Refuge and a touch of shopping in Kona. Our last dinner at the resort- more cheeseburgers in paradise.

Day 9- We check out. I cry on our balcony for a little while…soak in the view and the scent of plumeria before we leave the Fairmont Orchid. We do a little Hawaiian style graffiti (at left- we made a Honu), visit the best of Kona, and fly home.

So many great adventures and discoveries:

• "The Book" - Andrew Doughty's The Big Island Revealed is the greatest tool one can have in Hawaii.
• Turtles are one of the best things about Hawaii.
  
• Always book the Bed & Breakfast Package at the Fairmont Orchid. After that breakfast buffet, you don't need another meal til dinner.
• Rent your snorkel equipment from Snorkel Bob for the week, and don't waste too much time snorkeling at the hotel- get out to the City of Refuge.
• Kayak, don't hike to Kealakekua Bay.
• There is no such thing as taking "too much water" when hiking.
• Eat at Daniel Thiebeaud whenever you can.
• Fresh air is worth a 4-hour flight. Sniff the Plumeria. You will miss it in L.A.
  
• Take the earliest flight there and the latest flight home. Get every moment you can out of the trip.

Above everything else, I've learned how important it is to get away from everything and spend time with my husband. I am more in love with him now than I have ever been, and I can't wait to sneak away from the world with him again.

Bliss. . .

My friend C recently bid Adieu to the corporate world and has started her own business- Domestic Bliss. It's a fantastic idea, and in my humble opinion, I think it's going to be huge. It always is when people really follow their passion. Who knows. I may even end up working with her if we move to Boston. Seriously, Martha. Watch out.

Baby shower!

This weekend, I threw a baby shower for Suzi-Poodles. Well, technically, I co-threw it, but because my co-host was kind of cheap, and kind of tacky, I did a hostile takeover. The theme was pickles and ice cream and this was one of the flower arrangements. Needless to say, it was an excellent party, where Suzi got much of what she needed for the new little fella. My turn next!

In other news, one of the Dudes sent me this. It's very cute. I wonder if creatures this cute know it, or if they have self-esteem issues like we do.

One Village to House Them All.......

Um....Wow. My supernerd Hubby is rubbing off on me. I'm not sure whether I think this is horrifying or incredibly cool. I'm kind of into the Swordsman Cottage.

My collection...

Today I'm sharing a guilty pleasure. Hubby thinks it's hilarious, but I'm always collecting coffee cups and nalgene bottles. I have ten. I call them my sippy cups, and I can never have enough. My two favorites are from the My favorites are the green one from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (if you haven't tried their original Ice Blended, you haven't lived) and my stainless steel on from Grenell Island on the St. Lawrence. Is a sippy cup collection silly? Yes. But, it's probably cooler and less expensive than a 900+ unit comic book collection.

In other news, both of the cats have colds. They sneeze all day and are on pediatric amoxycillin(sp?). It's as much fun as it sounds. Poor sick babies.

Where are we, five years later?

So, it's been five years since 9-11, and I'm having a bit of a tough time with all the "anniversary" stuff in the media. Have we really hit the statute of limitations on showing scenes from that tragic day? With CNN's all day "live" coverage, and movies, and television movies, and documentaries, it just seems like too much. Are we really in a place where we understand what happened that day? Are we really that much safer? Do we really need to relive 9-11 in the media? It all seems like too much. Exploitative, even. I feel like this day should be spent in quiet remembrance of the people who lost their lives. But that's just me.

How hard is decent customer service?

Because I haven't been feeling very well, and with all the work stuff this summer, I decided to treat myself to a one-time-only, top-to-bottom housecleaning. I made the reservations two weeks ago. They were supposed to be here between 11 and 12. That's right folks, it's 2:30. Has anyone called me? NO. When I called, what did they say? "Umm. Sorry. THey'll be there at 2:15. LIARS. No, they're not f(*&ing here. And I've now wasted my entire day with hubby, got up early on a Saturday to tidy up, and NOW, I'm going to be up til f*&^ing midnight doing it all myself. F)()(*)@()*#$&)(@*#)(*! Watch out customer service, here I come.

Sad day....

Two sad items in the news today-

Andre Agassi has retired after losing his final match. He's had a great career, has gone from obnoxious to class act, and I wish he could have gone out on top.

And just now, CNN is reporting that the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin has been killed while filming a documentary off Australia's coast. While he was a little wild, and saturated the market for a while, but he's done a lot for awareness and conservation and will be missed.

Grumpy.

This is how I feel about getting back to work and finding out I'm still responsible for of EVERYTHING.

Vacay- Part One

So, we're just back from a week with Hubby's Clan. I ad to start the entry with a picture from the fair. I'm sure you can see why!We spent a day at "America's Fair" where we ate fair food and had fun with the wildlife- including an apparently mean chicken. I have no idea what a figger is, but I'm not going to stick it in the cage.

Then we spent two days up north and fell even more in love with the St. Lawrence River. Here's hoping we can get back there next summer.

In addition to all the relaxing fun, we also did a little bit of good for a small New York organization- Canine Helpers for the Handicapped. We spent a few hours folding and labeling their newsletters- it brought me right back to my nonprofit days. All in all a great trip, and we can't wait to get back and see them again in December. Now, it's looking forward to our Hawaii trip in September. YAY for Hawaii!!!

Round and Orbity?

Round and Orbity? Must Be a Planet

The elite society of nine lordly bodies of rock, ice and gas would grow to at least 12 and as many as 53 members under a new definition of "planet" proposed Tuesday by the International Astronomical Union.

The core of the definition? Planets are round. And they orbit a star.

It will be voted on next week by the group's general assembly, which is now meeting in Prague, Czech Republic. Binzel said he was optimistic the definition would be approved.

The new list of planets would include UB313, which was recently discovered beyond Pluto's orbit, as well as two bodies that have previously been rejected for planetary status: Pluto's moon Charon and Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Charon and Pluto would become the solar system's first double planet, meaning they twirl around each other but neither dominates. They would become part of a new subclass of planets called "plutons," defined as having orbits around the sun that take at least 200 years. There could be dozens more plutons added after the objects are further reviewed by the Astronomical Union. There are 12 awaiting evaluation.

Ceres would also become the sole member of a subclass called "dwarf planets."

It's also an open question how the new definition would be received by the public, who grew up with mobiles of the nine-planet solar system in their bedrooms and learning mnemonic devices to memorize the planets, such as "My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas."

For the record, Hottie Hubby thinks this is dumb.

When Pluto was demoted, though, we found this->


Which rocks.

Other headlines from the U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The U.S. government has misplaced the original recording of the first moon landing, including astronaut Neil Armstrong's famous "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," a NASA spokesman said on Monday.

This country is peopled with idiots.

Tales from the California Real Estate Market. . .

Santa Barbara OKs Housing Aid for Folks Making Up to $160,000 a Year

In a city where the median home price is over $1 million, a planned condo project's units will be priced below market from $495,000 to $595,000. Teachers, nurses, police are among the expected buyers.

No, really. This was a headline in the L.A. Times today. Hubby and I have got to get out of this State.

Hot.

Tonight, I shared a "warm chocolate experience" with my friend Talon. And some dudes at the next table thought that Suzipoodles and I were making out. This may be as close to swinging as I ever get.

The best year yet....

Today, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. No, the honeymoon is not over. Not by a longshot.

The dumbest person....ever.

It's hot in Cali. It's been over 100 every day for two weeks. This, of course, is causing rolling blackouts. There is one area in West Hills that hasn't had power for three days. Tonight, on the news, a woman from that area, dressed in her Channel glasses and big straw hat says, "This is awful. This is just like Katrina all over again. Except we haven't lost our homes."

You'd better lava me now or lava me not!

There is visible lava at the Pu’u O’o vent, people. There is no lava that you can hike to, due to the potential for a large collapse but I’m hopeful, though, because this is my first lava check in over a year that has any pics. Maybe something will become visible before September 25. Keep your fingers crossed

Better news for world health.

Bill Gates has just committed $287 Million over the next five years to accelerate research and discovery of an HIV/AIDS vaccine. It’s a little ironic that the man consistently accused of monopoly is promoting global communication and partnerships in other areas, but I think this may make a difference for the world. At the very least, it should serve as an example to others. Highlights from the MSNBC article are pasted below:

SEATTLE - The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Wednesday it’s awarding $287 million in grants over five years to create an international network of scientists to speed up the development of an AIDS vaccine.

Each of the 165 investigators in 19 countries who will get money in this series of grants had to agree to share their findings in real time and compare results with others — even if they had been working on competing projects in the past. Historically, HIV vaccine research mostly has been conducted by small research groups working independently, said Dr. Juliana McElrath, associate head of the infectious diseases program at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle and a lead researcher on one of the new grants. “While critical progress has been made, the HIV vaccine field has lacked a shared, focused strategy,” she said.

Mitchell Warren, executive director of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, complimented the Gates Foundation on the approach it was taking, but warned against assuming that this is enough money to finish the work. “Funding for AIDS vaccine research is still short of what we need,” Warren said.

My First Political Rant

This one is for all my friends that are horrified that I’m a Republican (socially liberal, fiscally conservative):

It isn’t a politician’s duty to enact their personal agenda. It is their duty to act as a representative of the people. Public opinion polls have shown that the American public is in favor of Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

Science is poised to make great strides in the fight against Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, etc. and stem cell research may be the key. Despite the promise of medical advancement, and public support, the President has vetoed legislation that would allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

The article I’ve read about the bill in question did not specify, but I’d assume that it’s not like scientists are stealing embryos. In my opinion, the only embryos that should be included in such studies are those surrendered/signed over by couples finishing In-Vitro treatments or created with the sperm/eggs from donors willing to participate in such research. In fact, if it weren’t so painful and invasive, I’d be the first one in line to donate my own eggs for this type of research. Well, once I’m done using said eggs for the creation of gorgeous babies with my gorgeous husband.

What is it going to take to show politicians that the people of this country support this kind of research? And if the people support it our government should as well, and put funding toward it, despite personal opinions.

Seriously, W, WTF! It’s crap like this that makes me ache for the day when my generation’s representatives will take over, opening doors that to this point have been kept closed by the whims of a generation that refuses to see the direction in which this Country is going.

While I’m at it, where the hell is all the funding for space science? What, we want to go, but we don’t want to understand the environment out there or the forces at work that will affect whatever we do send out there?

Mike is gonna be so proud of me…

Midterm Book Report

One of my goals for 2006 was to read 12,000 pages I’m on track to meet or beat that goal, and thought I’d give a quick review of my books so far. They will be rated by Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down or just Eh. Sorry if it’s long.

• The Prizewinner of Defiance Ohio by Terry Ryan- Eh.
• Bee Season by Myla Goldberg- Thumbs up.
• Night by Elie Wiesel- HUGE Thumbs up. I have to agree when O when she says it should be required reading for everyone in the human race.
• Marley and Me by John Grogan- My favorite book of the year, thus far. Laughed until I cried, cried until I laughed, and wanted to adopt a puppy the day I finished.
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki- Thumbs Down. A lot of to-do’s but none of the “how” to accomplish the goals.
• Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt- Thumbs way up.
• My Friend Leonard by James Frey- Scandal or no, great writing style. Not as good as A Million Little Pieces but still good.
• YOU: The Owners Manual by Dr. Mehmet Oz- Thumbs up.
• Endurance by Caroline Alexander- Eh. Great story, great pictures, but could have been told in a more dynamic style.
• Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx- Thumbs up.
• Smart Couples Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner by David Bach- Thumbs WAY up. Fiscal advice for everyone with not the “how” as well as the “why.”
• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie- Thumbs up.
• Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich- Eh. Fluffy beach read.
• The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown- Thumbs still up on the third time around.
• Hello Mrs. Pigglewiggle by Betty McDonald- Thumbs Up. Kiddie-lit, BTW.
• Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld- Thumbs up.
• Perfect Match and The Pact by Jodi Piccoult- Thumbs up. My new author of the year.
• 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal- Thumbs Up
• A Spanish Lover by Joanna Trollope- Eh, leaning toward Thumbs Up
• The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger- Thumbs up.
• The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve- Thumbs up, leaning toward eh, for a lack of ending.
• Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner- Eh leaning toward thumbs up. Stick with Chick Lit, and lay off the mysteries, Jen.
• Without You by Anthony Rapp- Thumbs WAY Up. If you’re a theater geek, you must read this…. And weep…. Numerous times…. I did. Tied for favorite book of the year.
• A Little Love Story by Roland Merullo- Thumbs up, but another lack of ending.

Now I’m on to The Trouble With Girls by my college professor Marshall Boswell. Love it so far. Buy it just to support the Bos. Love that guy. Loved his classes. I doubt he so much as remembers my name but I’m thrilled he’s doing so well. I also have his second book Alternative Atlanta which is on the To-Read list for later this year.

Doing a lot more for the world than me. . .

A fellow Rhodes Alum is making a lot of news. He's running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days to support the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. I wasn't aware the human body could do such a thing. I wish there was more I could do. Hopefully building awareness will help- so if anyone reading this has access to a corporate sponsor- have them visit http://www.50in50in50.com/.

My own personal Hell...

So, I'm really horrible at this reliable writing on my blog thing. However, I have another excuse. My coworker, who happens to be the City's event planner is out on maternity leave. Her backup had a family emergency and had to step down (she later kinda stabbed me in the back, but I won't get into that), leaving me solely responsible for the City's 4th of July Show.

It was great, and I'm really proud, but I'm wiped out. Hubby is out at a show tonight, so I'm going to bed early. Hopefully, I'll have more interesting things to say by this weekend.

Bad Day.

So, we return from the vet again. Tedly is now asexual, and seems happy with that. For once, he's done nothing but nap for 5 hours. Romeo is a different story. The results of the EKG show conjenital Hypertropic Cardiomyopathy. I have no idea if I spelled any of the above terms correctly, but yes, it's as bad as it sounds. Terminal, in fact. Right now, he's in the early stages of this volitile disfunction, and we're hoping to lengthen his life with medication (we'll know about that on Monday, after the bloodwork shows whether or not his body can handle the meds). The doctor said worst case, we have less than a year with him. Best case, maybe five. I am a wreck. Maybe that's silly, but it's how I feel. I know that in the end this will be positive, because we won't have to watch his health decline year after year, and hopefully we'll have warning when it's getting bad so that we can be with him, and make it as painless as possible. Still, there's nothing easy about having something you love hurt or damaged, and this is made worse by the fact that I can't explain it to him. For now, the tears have to stop and I have to enjoy the time I've had and the time I've got left. He's my best feline buddy and always will be. We've been quite a pair since the beginning. The above picture is the day I brought him home in April 2001, and the other is of him napping (a favorite hobby) last year.

This little family is a mess........

It's not bad enough that I have stitches(healing well, by the way) and am gimping around. Yesterday, the boys started showing signs of illness so I had to take a half day off from work to take the boys to the vet.



This one just needed his first vet visit, but some strange litterbox action had me a little worried. The prognosis: After the vet manhandled his junk, and basically forced the second testi to descend, he's good to go for neutering. He's had his shots, he's FIV and Leukimia free and his fecal test - which involved me coming home, following him to the litter box and going back to the vet to drop off a test tube of something I really didn't want to be closeto- came out normal too. He's about as healthy as a kitten can be.



This one (shown here enjoying Christmas) is a different story. He's been grooming himself bald on most of his undercarriage for more than a year. However, since the arrival of the little brother, it's been getting much better. This week, however, he picked a spot and groomed it so much he actually broke skin and gave himself a sore. He now has prescription drops I have to apply three times a day. He also got his shots and routine exam and is now under the bed hiding. The bad news is, however, that his heart murmur seems to be getting worse with age, and he now really needs an echo cardiogram. Yeah. It's as expensive as it sounds, but we'll know if he can be helped by meds. I'm crossing my fingers for yes, because if not, he may have a dramatically shortened lifespan, and no one wants to deal with me if that happens. Finally, a little bit of good news- he's lost 1.4 lbs since last year, which is a lot of weight for a cat, and will probably help out his ticker quite a bit.

I felt so bad about being a bad mom, that I needed a pick-me-up. A mani/pedi worked pretty well. The first pedicure of the summer always does wonders.

OWCH!

So, as a belated birthday to myself, today I received 10 stitches to the knee. I was headed back to the sofa with the kitten, and banged my knee into the coffee table. I knew I had given myself a doosy of a bruise, but didn't realize I was cut. I then sat down for an hour or two with crossed legs (making it much worse, I'm sure). It wasn't until three hours later that I noticed the two inch long gash (and only then because I saw the bloodstain on my treasured sweatpants). It looked deep, so hubby took me to urgent care and they sewed me up, and gave me a tetanus booster. The arm the booster went in actually hurts as badly as the knee, so I guess that means I'm healing properly. Still, because we were headed home for dinner plans after the actually stitching, I didn't get to take myself out for a "You're a brave girl" treat. I think it'll be just as good after I have my wound check today.

They say it's my birthday......

Today, I am 27, and hubby has spoiled me unbelievably rotten. Other than that, nothing particularly interesting to report. My new fella Tedly and I spent the weekend right.... napping.

In other news- Other People's Jobs

If anyone reads this blog, they may wonder why I haven't been around of late. It's because I'm doing someone else's job, planning the majority of the 4th of July celebration for the City. It's going to be great, but I'm tired and want to be done with it now. Unfortunately that, along with getting paid what the actual person who does this gets paid, is out of the question....

Art Kicks Ass.

Today I realized that I hadn't had the time to post pictures of the two pieces Hubby and I bought at the City's Arts Festival. After working 40 hours of overtime in less than four days, I deserved a treat. The one above the mantle is an Angela Alvarez. The piece is created on steel using paint and other chemicals that cause reactions, creating amazing patterns and colors. It's supercool. Angela also does beautiful glassware, and I plan to get one of those pieces next year.


The other piece is an Anthony Hansen wall sculpture. He creates three-dimensional hearts fromused metal and other materials. They're beautiful and all have a great message/name. Ours is "Simply Be." We're hoping to get a larger piece of his in the future. Near future I hope. Not that we have wallspace. But it's never bad to collect beautiful, original art.


This is the greatest benefit to working at the City. I've met these artists a number of times over the last three years, and feel like I've gotten to know them. I've gotten three years to make sure I loved the pieces and window shop. Yay Art!

Oh, and Ted is still outrageously cute.

And Unto the World was Brought Forth......

Ted.

Everyone, this is Ted. Lord Tedly Montague II actually. He's very small, absurdly skinny, phenomenally noisy, and now that he's made friends with his big brother, he doesn't have to live in the bathroom anymore. We love Ted. All three of us. What a family we make.

In other news, Hubby had birthday #31. We went to Disneyland to celebrate on our own, and then on the big day, I made him superman cupcakes and suprised him by having the Dudes over for Pizza and Hockey.

My only excuse for not writing more in the last week or two is that I've been busy with work, where I've taken on at least half of the work of the chick on maternity leave, and am not getting paid for that...

The TV season ended with a bang, and for the next three months, I am no longer a slave to Moxi. Big thumbs up for the 24, Lost and Grey's Anatomy finales, and a big, loud SOUL PATROL to my man Taylor Hicks.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth.

It should suffice to say that I've worked 38 hours of overtime in the last five days, and I'm dealing with identity theft and dimwits at the bank that cannot help me, or the other person with my name that lives 30 miles away. A full update on Arts Festival and other things will follow soon. . . when the headache from talking to idiots passes.

Can't. .. Stop. . . Blogging. . .

Three posts in less than an hour is maybe a bit much, but I just got a whopper of a compliment. One of the Dudes called me "Steely" when it comes to insisting on good customer service. Just because I currently have $550 in free airfare, $160 in free Hockey on Cable, and got my birthday trip refunded last year. I hope it's more "Steel Magnolia" than "Steel Wool," but thanks.

Tuesday Night Tube

It's been a good evening here at Casa del Thompson. Buffalo is through to the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs. Do I care about Hockey? A little. Am I glad I get to wear my supercute pink Sabres hat this weekend? Oh yeah.

As for my tubing... Rory needs to let it go and Luke needs to stop being a complete tool. And now for the best news of the night:

After 5 seasons, ladies and gentlemen, I voted. And I voted for Taylor Hicks. That funky white boy can SAAAAANG!

Big Cajones, Hoodies, and a Man Bag.

The following is from Tim Goodman's Blog: The Bastard Machine... I only wish I was this witty. My apologies to Mr. Goodman for cuts and copyright infringement. My comments =italics.

• I'm crazy in love with "24." It's like dating somebody who's totally sexy and yet dangerously not right.
• Hello, this is your captain. We have flown over Makes Sense Valley and I'm going to bank this baby into a thundercloud of nonsensical claptrap!
• "You have no idea what you're dealing with, you little ass kisser." - Bill "I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" Buchanan. How great was that?
• Do you think the producers of "24" were on the phone all of the last two weeks saying, "Please, please, can you NOT release 'Flight 93' that week?' No, trust us, it's going to be weird." Weird indeed. Jack hijacked a chartered diplomatic flight, beat ass on some and performed How Not To Be A Flight Marshall dinner theater in some raggedy ass hoodie. Only Jack Bauer has the cajones to pull off a hoodie and a man bag.

• Chloe needs to get away Bill tells Karen At CTU that he'll get arrested to stall - better me than her. Uh, YEAH. She can hack into Jesus's cell.
• Chloe walks into the bar and sets up her laptop like it's Starbucks. Might help to plug that in, if you're going use dial-up to tap into, you know, the whole world.
• Are cargo areas really pressurized? Just thinking out loud.
• Maybe hiding in the cargo hold is a good time to put the phone on vibrate. No?
• The First Lady of Our Holy Percocet, to Mike: "They've taken away my medication and I need to get to it." Why he didn't say, "Uh, are you sure you didn't accidentally take five of them and just forget?" is beyond me.
• The return of High School dialog. First Lady OOHP: "You don't have much of a personality, do you, Justin?" You sooooo can't come to my party. JUSTIN.
• First Lady OOHP: " What needs to be said I can't say to you." Why? Because I'm 16 and I've had half a Budweiser and I'm totally drunk. Am I pretty? I feel sick.
• I know it's an inconsequential scene, but when President Logan was thinking Deep Thoughts, Mike came up from behind him and said, "Mr. President!" and it looked like it scared the bejesus out of the leader of the free world.
• First Lady OOHP to Mike: "I'm going to get ready for bed now. Is there something else?" Mike: "Yes...there is...." I hope I'm not the only one who shouted, " Nooooooo, don't whip it out." Personally, I think it would have been awesome if he had whipped it out. Maybe that would calm her the fuck down.
• I lied. My favorite part wasn't Bill telling Ambiguously Gay Miles that he was an ass-kisser. It was Jack saying, " PATCH ME THROUGH TO THE PILOT." Pantswetting. Chloe: "I'm not sure I can do that." Oh, really? You're at a hotel bar without wi-fi and you're not even plugged in. What's the hold up?
• Hello, this is Jack Bauer. I'm calling you from the cargo hold. No. Not at the airport. On the plane.
• Jack, the Cargo Area Puppetmaster, finds a way to control the plane and/or crash it from below? With his belt, or a towel, or whatever? I mean, couldn't a really smart and motivated dog do that?
• President Logan gets on the phone with Ron Howard(aka Dr. Romano) again.
• No, Jack. Don't bother to check the recording or have Chloe record it. WTF?
• Hi, I'm Scott Evans, your co-pilot. I'll be putting us into a death spiral.
• P.S. Where is Curtis? I miss Curtis. He's got cajones as big as Jack's.

P.P. S. On an unrelated topic, am I a horrible person because I grinned and giggled when I saw the headline "Johnny Damon Flops Upon Return to Fenway?"

Tubed!

As many of you know, I can be quite the sofa tater. It's coming up on May Sweeps/Finale time and I have to say, I am VERY excited. On the docket this year: 24, What About Brian, Gilmore Girls, American Idol, Lost, Alias, The O.C. and Grey's Anatomy. Chances are, I'll also watch Desperate Housewives and Will & Grace. So, if I'm posting a lot about these shows in the next few weeks, sorry, but this is what happens when you bring DVR into someone's life.

I also have three big dilemmas today. 1) Can I fit my baby grand piano into the front door of our very small condo?


2) To kitten or not to kitten? Will bringing a baby brother/sister into the equation make our cat more neurotic and more bald, or will it make him more well adjusted?


3) What the HELL am I going to get Hubby for his birthday? I will take suggestions on any/all of these topics.

Better news. . .

Well, no news actually, but my last post was so angry. . . It was a cultural weekend in SoCal. Hubby, the Dudes and I met for Thai food, then it was on to an 3-D IMAX movie called Magnificent Desolation about the Apollo missions. It was AWESOME, and now I can't wait to get back to see Deep Sea 3-D. Can you believe I'd never been to an IMAX movie before?

Then, on to another new experience, the LA Natural History Museum. I had never seen Dinosaur Fossils up close and personal before. That was my favorite part.....although we were there to see the BOG PEOPLE! Freaky, dude. Freaky.

Now it's on to the Community Services Division's Hell Week- Prep for the 9th annual Fine Arts Festival. The event is fantastic, and I love doing it, but working 50 hours in 4 days generally isn't my bag.

Black Death and Puppy Death- No Good News Today

So, a woman in LA is being treated for the Plague. I mean the PLAGUE. Please!

In addition to the plague, according to a great, sad, and made-me-snotty article in Los Angeles Magazine, LA has a real problem with unwanted dogs and cats. Last year, 90,000 dogs and cats were put down in the Greater LA area. That could be good news, when you compare it to the 250,000 that were put down each year in the 70s, but still, 5 Million animals in 35 years is unacceptible.

I can't imagine what kind of person abandons an animal, but people are, and in droves. The article I read quoted an Animal Control Officer as saying that during routine calls, other people will ask him to take their pets away with the strays from the nighborhood. The charge to rid yourself of an unwanted pet is only $5.

It's easy to say that LA should adopt a no kill policy, but there is simply no room for the unwanted would-be and used-to-be pets. But why can't we find a way to hold these people accountable?

I know I'm all smooshy about animals, maybe more than I should be, but this is still just sickening to me. This is just another reason I want to get a house. Houses with yards are big enough to house, me, Hubby, kids, and a menagerie of animals. Someday, I'd love to have a couple dogs, a couple cats, a fish or two, and who knows what else. For now, though, my one boy, a (neutered!!!!) rescue, is keeping the house plenty busy.

What do you do with a BA in English?

The title of my new favorite song from Avenue Q is also a good intro to this article from the LA times... Again, it's long, but it's also funny.

Here are words that no parent wants to hear: I've decided to major in English.

I suppose it could be worse. Theater arts, music history. I actually announced to my parents that I was majoring in creative writing, which is the rough equivalent—in terms of employment opportunities—to majoring in liturgical dance.

The English major presents for his or her parents a lexical quandary: What to call the graduate? My son the geologist, my daughter the physicist—these ring familiarly. But there is, ironically enough, no word in English for the English major. Our son the . . . um . . . who speaks English.

The high-minded, lowly employed English major has become a stock comedic character, most lovingly lampooned by Garrison Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion": Is this a spatula which I see before me?/The handle toward my hand?/And on thy blade brute flesh and dudgeon and gouts of blood./(DING)/Behold a car approacheth to the window./Now I must do the work fate sends me./And better it were done quickly.

Occasionally English majors will rise to greatness—astronaut Sally Ride has a B.A. in English, as well as a not-unhelpful PhD in physics from Stanford—but in the main, English degrees are regarded as the heart's triumph over the head, or the degree you get before you learn something useful. It's rare that the boss asks you to put a PowerPoint presentation into ottava rima.

And so I was cheered (note the archaic usage, so typical of an English major) recently when I found Richard A. Lanham's "The Economics of Attention" amid a forlorn pile of books (personification—again, so typical) rejected by the book review editor. "The central commodity in our new age of information is not stuff but style," read the cover blurb. "In such a world, intellectual property will become more central to the economy than real property, while the arts and letters will grow to be more crucial than engineering, the physical sciences, and indeed economics as conventionally practiced."

Really? No kidding? Sweet! I want to be director of well-turned phrases for the Federal Reserve.

Actually, Dr. Lanham—a professor emeritus of English at UCLA and a man of Rabelaisian intellectual appetite (oh, please, Rabelais?)—makes no such claim in his learned if eccentric book, which will stretch the ligaments of the best bibliophile (Quintilian, Castiglioni, Peter Drucker, Konrad Lorenz would make for a handsome game of contract bridge, don't you think?).

What he does say is that in a world freighted and fretted with information overload, the skills to make sense of it all, to lasso the fleeting attention of the public, are the old skills. The art and technique of rhetoric (from the Greek word for "orator") was part of the trivium, the three-legged stool of a classical liberal education, before "rhetoric"—and "liberal," for that matter—became a dirty word.

People trained in English and rhetoric are, as Lanham would have it, information stylists.

Along the way, Lanham—a Yale PhD and general heavy-hitter in humane letters—makes the argument that the expressive digital space offers possibilities beyond the ant-marching typography of the printed page. He proposes that text become more active and dynamic, morphing with meaning, and he points to shape poems (poems about light bulbs, for example, that look like light bulbs on the printed page) and Medieval illuminated manuscripts as early examples of the text as hyper-artifact.

What would this new text paradigm look like? "I'm not sure what comes next," Lanham concedes. Yes, me neither. Actually, I was in the weeds back in Chapter 2.

What I really want to know, as I sit at his dining room table with Lanham and his wife, Carol (a Latin scholar), is whether English majors really will inherit the Earth? Will knowing the difference between ottava rima and a Spenserian sonnet form prepare you for work in a technological society? "You can't make single connections like that," says Lanham. "You have to look at what that teaches you about the use of rhythm in your expression, indeed, in all parts of your life."

Hmm. I don't find this answer that satisfying. All my life I've been looking for a reason why I had to read "The Faerie Queene." I'm still looking.

English is certainly useful. If, for example, you find yourself in a strange country—like Georgia. But the fact is English majors must take their satisfactions as they find them. Lanham pulls out C.S. Lewis' essay on the compensations of a literary life. "This is the sentence that always gets me," Lanham says, almost choking up. "'Literary experience heals the wound without undermining the privilege of individuality.'"

"Looking back on it," he says, "I feel I've dwelt in this immensely rich world. I've dwelt in marvels and riches."

It's a pity street fights don't end with spelling bees or the consummation of a hot date doesn't depend on proper conjugation. Studies in literature are their own reward. However, fries are usually free.

I Weep for the Future

I found this article on Yahoo, and have edited it a bit for space. Sorry to the researchers for that. It's interesting considering I've been doing a lot of reading on similar subjects, because, although my parents taught me well, I still feel a little behind the 8-ball when it comes to finances. I'm working to improve my financial literacy, but it doesn't look like many out there are doing the same...

U.S. teenagers are making little headway when it comes to financial literacy, a survey out Wednesday shows. High school seniors on average answered 52.4% of a 30-question financial survey correctly. Down from 57% in 1997, the first year for the survey, according to the Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.

"Financial literacy is still a very significant problem. It doesn't seem to be getting any better," says Lewis Mandell, a professor at SUNY Buffalo School of Management who oversaw the survey. It includes topics such as investing and managing personal finances.

He said the lack of knowledge was troubling given that today's high school seniors likely will be more responsible for their own financial well-being when they retire given trends away from company pension plans and an uncertain future for Social Security benefits.

But the study suggests students are unprepared for such a task, Mandell says.

In one question, only 14.2% of the students correctly answered that stocks would have the best growth potential for money over an 18-year period. That was the lowest percentage in the survey's history.

"In the 21st century, the only person you can really count on is yourself," he says.

The results of the survey taken by 5,775 high school seniors in 37 states were unveiled at a news conference in the boardroom at the Federal Reserve. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke called improving financial education "vital to the future of our economy."

Survey details:

• White students answered an average 55% of the questions correctly vs. 44.7% for blacks and 46.8% for Hispanics. The gap between whites and blacks was the widest in the survey's history.

• Students from families with incomes of $80,000 or greater answered 55.6% of the questions correctly on average vs. 48.5% for those with incomes less than $20,000. The gap between the two income groups was also the largest in the history of the survey.

• Nearly 17% of the seniors had taken a money management or personal finance class, down from 20% in 2004. Surprisingly, students who had taken a class actually fared worse than those who did not. Students, however, who had played a stock market game, in which they used play money to pick stocks, fared better than students who had not participated.

• There was little difference in financial literacy based on gender. Boys on average answered 52.6% of the questions correctly vs. 52.3% for girls.

Students aren't the only whose financial literacy is lacking. In a survey of 1,000 adults conducted last month for the Financial Services Forum, only 57% said they knew "quite a bit" or "a great deal" about managing their personal finances and retirement savings.

Scrat

What is this creature, and why do I find it so entertaining?

Weekend Update

Another fun weekend in the life of Sweets and Hubby. Saturday was A from work's baby shower. Lots of fun, and even noodle kugel. Is that how it's spelled? I can't spell it, but I can show you a picture. It's delish. A loved her gift- very us. A Pooh shirt and Hubby-like plaid shorts.

Unfortunately, I had to duck out of the party early to head over to the local Toyota dealer. ISN'T SHE PRETTY??? This is the new family car, which will one day hold the family. She doesn't have a name yet, but we're working on it.

Sunday, Hubby, the Dudes and I went down to the California Science Center for the Marvel Science of Comics Exhibit, as seen here: http://www.calendarlive.com/galleriesandmuseums/cl-et-heroes29mar29,0,754545.story?coll=la-home-headlines It was a little more kid-friendly than any of us had bargained for, but it was a lot of fun, and it looks like we've found another few exhibits to hit. A couple weeks from now it'll be an Imax movie, and the Bog People. I'm not exactly sure what a Bog Person is, but it sounds creepy. I think after SuperHeroes and Bog People, I'm going to have to push for Air Force One or the Titanic Exhibit, or my favorite- Lorikeets at the Aquarium.

Yesterday was a tough day at work. We had to take the teen group to Disneyland. Overtime for riding Big Thunder- that's my kind of day! Disneyland with 5 adults = tons of fun. Hubby was missed. Food was great. As of now, the Main St. Corn Dog Cart and Tiki Room Pineapple Whip Hut are necessary stops. I'm personally of the opinion that Pinapple Whip should be sold by the gallon at the grocery store. HOWEVER, I took a few moments and found THIS: http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/recipes/dolewhip.asp It will be tried this weekend. How much does that rock?

In other Disney news, I'm very upset that Pirates is closed so they can make it resemble the movie. You just can't DO that. I managed to have some fun with the Pirates regardless…… "Drink up me hearties YO HO!"

Finally, the big news: Suzipoodles is pregnant!!!!!!! It was the last thing I expected her to say when I picked up the phone this morning (and I was among the first called, by the way!), but this is the best, craziest, most fantastic surprise someone can get on a regular workday. She and the Vamp are going to be great parents. By the holidays this year, I'm going to be a pretend Auntie again. That thrills me to no end.

Dude....

How Geeky are You? Quiz. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11977271/site/newsweek/ I'm "Stuck in the Last Century," but very close to "Heading to Geekdom." I think the fact that this was a Newsweek Quiz, increases my score considerably. Speaking of Geeky, on my insistance, Hubby finally took the Jeopardy Contestant quiz. He's going to get on and win enough money furnish the new house we'll be buying some time next year.

I have another geeky pursuit of late. I'm doing everything I can to learn about finances, and retirement planning, etc. I highly recommend David Bach's books. Smart Couples Finish Rich was last month's discovery, and I'm about to begin The Automatic Millionaire Homeowner. Hey, I figure that I'm a little over a year away from "retiring" to become a full time mom. If I'm not going to be contributing financially, I'm certainly going to make sure that we can do it comfortably, and on our way to a great retirement.

Finally, an addendum to our weekend in Vegas with the in-laws. His name is Dude, and as much as I tried, they wouldn't let us take him home. * Pouts *