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Yes, I'm still alive
Dec. 18th, 2007 | 04:50 pm
Things are going great.
Will post more later.
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Supporting Our Troops
Sep. 30th, 2007 | 10:14 pm
mood: 
focused
But that doesn't mean I'm against the soldiers, sailors, airmen, etc., who were sent there. In fact, I support them wholeheartedly. But until recently, I didn't know HOW to support them.
Then I read about anysoldier.com
If you aren't familiar with that website, GO NOW.
First, watch the video titled "Tango Mike!"
(Yeah, I needed a Kleenex too.)
Now go back to the home page and click on "Where to Send". In the left margin is a list of soldiers who will distribute the packages to other soldiers. You can sort the list of soldiers lots of different ways -- where they're from, number of soldiers helped, etc. I suggest sorting by "# Times Requested". Any name that has been requested less than 5 times could probably use your support. Once you have chosen a soldier, follow the instructions on how to get their address. It's that easy.
What should you send? Most importantly, letters. Postcards, greeting cards, whatever you've got. Get your kids/grandkids to draw a picture and write a letter. What should you say? Well, what would you write to a friend? I wrote about Bear. Not chatty? Then send the items they request. Go through your CD and DVD collection and send them the ones you don't listen to or watch frequently (no copies, though. They don't want anything illegal, or borderline illegal. Or pornographic.) Go through your XBOX games too. And your book collection. And your magazines (no "adult" mags, of course.) And your Beanie Babies collection. ("Beanie Babies? You're telling me big tough Marines like Beanie Babies?") No, but they give them to the Iraqi children and the kids love them. Not sure what else? If the soldier isn't specific enough in the request, check the "What to Send" link. (Be sure to click on the Dunkin' Donuts link; they will donate a case of coffee FREE.) Then go to a "dollar store" (that's what Amy and I did this weekend.) Or WallyWorld. Or shop online (there are links on the "What to Send" page, and some give discounts to "anysoldier" supporters.)
Be sure to read ALL of the links, about what NOT to send, how to send it, the rules and regulations, etc.
Then mail it.
Congratulations, you've just made someone's day. Heck, you probably made a LOT of people's day.
Don't you feel great?
Um, why are you still reading this? GO TO ANYSOLDIER.COM!
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Time
Sep. 20th, 2007 | 06:43 pm
mood: 
contemplative
The future's far away
An hour only lasts for one second, one second
Lately I've been thinking about how time passes.
One reason is that, on October 3rd 2007 I will have lived in Houston for 10 years.
(I pause after typing that because it blows me away...)
I had no idea I'd ever stay here 10 years. I figured I'd long be back in California by now, but more on that later.
So much has happened in the last decade... to me, my family, my country, and the world.
Ten years ago I was truly, madly, and deeply in love. "Passionate" doesn't begin to describe it, at least from my end.
Don't get me wrong; I moved to Houston out of necessity (couldn't afford California after the divorce), but a small part of that was out of love for a man I'd known since high school. He was "Aaron Hill" to my "Luanne" (if you don't get the reference, you should read the comics more.) When I moved here, it was with a mixture of terror and elation; I felt so alive! I had my soulmate.
And one day... he decided it was over.
It would have been nice if he'd told me. But he didn't. I figured it out when a girl he'd known for two weeks moved in with him. Yeeeeeeah.
It damned near destroyed me.
In fact, I don't know why it didn't, except for that old saying, "God protects drunks and fools", and I was both.
The next couple of years I spent searching ... for God... for a meaning in my life ... for love...
I fell in love again, but it didn't last (no one's fault... we were just too different. We are still good friends.)
Thought I'd fallen in love again, but he kept proving that he wasn't worthy of my love.
Fell in lust a few times, but the relationships lasted as long as the lust did (not long).
But I also found some good friends along the way.
In the meantime, the world changed.
My buddy Bill died. Mal and Penny moved away. 9/11 happened.
Things didn't feel so secure. In fact, life got downright scary for awhile. I had stopped drinking, but did other self-destructive behaviors. I hated my job. Even with therapy, my life seemed pretty bleak.
I turned 45 and got so depressed I actually started telling Mom about it. And you know what? She listened. We found a middle ground, not as friends, not as mother-daughter, but as adults. I enjoyed our new relationship. I went to California and spent Christmas with my family for the first time in a dozen years. Standing on the beach, I cried as I realized it was no longer "home". Houston, for better or worse, is home now.
I decided to take a break from dating.
It made me realize that being alone is really okay. It doesn't have to mean you're lonely. In fact, it gave me a chance to get to know myself better, to enjoy the silences, and relish time with friends, family, and pets.
God even blessed me with a new job, a thousand times better than my old one.
My search for meaning in my life seemed to be complete.
And then... Gypsy became ill. Seriously ill. I had to make the hardest decision I've ever made, excluding my divorce: whether to hang on to a friend I've had for 15 years, or end her pain mercifully.
She died on May 20th, 2006.
I thought my heart would break.
While I was still reeling from that, Mom became seriously ill... gravely ill. They put her on life support. My sisters and I met in California and spent five days talking to the doctors, to each other, and to Mom, even though she was in a coma. We had to make a decision, similar to the decision I made with Gypsy, except a thousand times worse. We knew what Mom wanted; she had signed a DNR the week before. But when it's your mom.... it's ... different. But we were united in our belief that, though her spirit will never die, we needed to let go of the familiar mortal form of the wonderful woman we'd known all our lives. On July 16th 2006, they took Mom off the ventilator, and called us into the room. In a sudden spontaneous act, we all prayed aloud over Mom as she left this world. (We'd never done anything like that before -- we're Presbyterians!) That day formed a bond between us. Even though I am 1200 miles away from them, I feel their support. In fact, this may seem hard to believe, but it's true: in the terrible days and weeks and months that followed Mom's death, I have never, ever, felt alone! I can feel God's presence with me, everywhere, all the time. Sometimes, I've felt Mom with me. Her smile, her laugh, her humor... it's never far from my heart. (I have dreams about her. We're always shopping -- go figure... I wanted to spread her ashes at Nordstroms... ) Sometimes I feel a sense of peace so profound, it overwhelms me. I don't mean to say life is all happiness and rainbows. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss Mom, think about her, want to call her. But even in those dark times, when I sob and call out her name, I'm not alone. Kinda strange for a scientist like me to say something like that, but it's true. And I know I'll see Mom again, someday. Not yet, but someday. That's enough, for now.
This year I started a new relationship -- with a woman named Amy.
And I started a relationship with a boy, named Bear. (His photo is at the top of this page.)
It's a new start for me.
What I feel is joy.
Through the pain, through the dark times, and the good times, I have a basic feeling of joy, in living, in loving, and in life.
That's how much I've grown in the past decade.
It feels like I've been here forever, and it feels like 1997 was yesterday. I guess it's all relative, eh, Einstein?
Or, in the immortal wisdom of some wise men (the Flying Karamozov Brothers):
Time flies ... like an arrow.
Fruit flies ... like a banana.
:-)
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Julie's "Oh My Gosh, You're An Idiot" Award of 2007
Aug. 17th, 2007 | 06:56 pm
mood: 
shocked
The woman said she wanted to know if they could remove her daughters cast earlier than the doctor had ordered.
Of course, the nurse asked why.
The woman said, "Because if Hurricane Dean comes to town next week, we won't be able to have a Cast Removal Party. "
[I can imagine the triage nurse was speechless]
The woman went on, "Everyone will be driving north, out of town, not south."
[Ummmmm, well that's the general idea during a hurricane...]
"So we want to get it removed now, so everyone can come to the party."
The nurse assured her she can wait and get the cast removed after the hurricane.
Somehow the nurse managed not to brainsmack a mother who was willing to risk her daughter's health for the sake of a party.
Let's pray that the girl's father is from the deeper end of the gene pool.
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Didja miss me?
Aug. 9th, 2007 | 07:31 pm
mood: accomplished
Just to bring you up to speed:
- Amy and I are still together. I go to her place about once every 4 or 5 weeks, and she comes up here the rest of the time. It actually amazes me, because I never knew that a relationship could be this... effortless. I don't know if that's the right word... We just really get along well together. She's learning that we don't have to agree on everything -- we can agree to disagree about some stuff (like whether Rascal Flats is a great group...) ( bleh...) -- and I'm learning that it's possible to relax and not worry about things (like I used to in other relationships.) She is a really good person, and I am very happy.
- I have a temporary housemate. She's a nice lady who has ended a relationship but doesn't have that first-last-and-security-deposit for an apartment, so she is living in my guest room until she can afford a place of her own. It's actually working out really well -- my house has never been so clean! :-) No, really, she is a very nice, quiet, witty person, so it's working out fine.
- My house is still rather discombobulated, because of having Mom's furniture here. Most of the boxes are still in the garage (where it is now about 125 degrees), and they will probably stay there until the temperature drops about 50 degrees (in, like, November...).
- I've become involved in the Neighborhood Watch program here. It's actually one of the largest Watch groups in the country --especially compared to California, where "Neighborhood Watch" means, you get robbed and the Neighborhood watches... Anyway, went to National Night Out on Tuesday evening. It was interesting. Found out about mosquitoes (I had volunteered to have mosquito traps put in my yard a couple of weeks ago, but haven't found out the results yet. They put out two traps: one to find out what species are out there -- we are so fortunate, we have day-biters here as well as night-biters -- and one to test for West Nile, which has turned up in our neck of the woods.) I also got some brochures from the law enforcement folks about auto theft and identity theft (which gave me insomnia...). And got to see some cutie-pie cops, so it was a worthwhile evening.
And finally, on the horizon -- Saturday, to be specific -- marks the 7th year that God has kept me sober from alcohol. It's hard to believe. The easiest and hardest thing I ever did was giving my problem to the only One who could handle it. Trust me, "Just Say No" works a lot better when you've got a great big God to help you. So, yay God! and yay me.
Of course, the next day is the 6th anniversary of Bill's death, but having gone through the past year after Mom's death, I've come to realize that if I think of death as the end, it's hard to say "goodbye". But if I think of it as a new beginning, it gets easier to say... "see you soon."
Of course, the fact that I typed that with tears in my eyes shows that I'm not completely over my grief. As my boss said when she sent me home on July 16th, grieving is a process. Yes, I still dream about Mom, but now it's "only" several times a week instead of every night. (I even have some days where I don't wake up feeling empty because she "lives" only in my dreams. I guess that's progress.) And yes, it will take awhile before I can look at her piano and her dresser and think of them as mine, and not feel like they are out-of-place by being here.
But see if this makes sense: grieving for Mom has helped ease the pain of missing Bill.
Or maybe time really does heal all wounds.
I don't know.
I just know, I'm not dreading the 12th like I used to.
Thank God.
Well, that's it for now.
I'll try to post more often.
Yeah, right. :-P
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Guest Poster
Jul. 17th, 2007 | 07:03 am
mood: 
sympathetic
Feel free to comment, but also please keep this situation in your thoughts and prayers.
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Something you probably already knew about me
Jun. 24th, 2007 | 06:55 pm
mood: 
annoyed
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Scattergories!
Jun. 22nd, 2007 | 07:55 pm
mood: 
amused
From my coworker Darlene. I tag anyone who reads this... post yours in my comments! It's actually kinda fun!
SCATTERGORIES ..it's harder than it looks!
Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...
They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up!
If you can't think of anything, skip it.
Try to use different answers if the person before you had the same 1st initial.
You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question... Now Go!
Your Name: Julie
1. Famous singer/band: Journey
2. 4 letter word: Joke
3. Street name: Jones Rd.
4. Color: Jungle Green (it’s a Crayola color!)
5. Gifts/presents: Jewelry
6. Vehicle: Jetta
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Jellies and Jams
8. Boy Name: Jacob
9. Girl Name: Justine
10. Movie Title: Jumpin’ Jack Flash
11. Drink: Juice
12. Occupation: Judge
13. Flower: Jonquil
14. Celebrity: Julie Andrews
15. Magazine: JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association)
16. U.S. City: TX Jasper
17. Pro Sports Teams: Jacksonville Jaguars
18. Fruit: Jujube (it’s a fruit, according to Wikipedia)
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: Jackknifed big rig on the freeway
20. Something You Throw Away: Junk mail
21. Things You Shout: Jeez Louise!
22. Cartoon Character: Jiminy Cricket
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Life goes on
Jun. 18th, 2007 | 06:35 pm
mood: amused
She so grateful for my support, she sent me flowers to the office. They are so beautiful: roses, carnations, stocks, daisies... all in shades of red and purple. Very lovely.
Her housemate had a celebratory dinner for Amy on Saturday night, with her favorites: lasagne, garlic bread, and cheesecake. Yum! But aside from that, we didn't do much this weekend, mostly because (1) it was raining (most of the driving to Richmond was in an absolute downpour) and (2) I hyperextended my knee Sunday morning (old basketball injury from UCSC) so we just relaxed at her house.
On the way home Sunday I stopped to see my dear friend Jay, to see his new condo. It's a nice, welcoming place, and we had a good talk.
Last night I watched "Ice Road Truckers" on the History Channel. If you missed it, you can still catch Episode 1 on Tuesday night. It's a fascinating show. Watch it!
The cats seem to have enjoyed their weekend away from Bear. They gave him the 'mal ojo' all evening yesterday. Poor Bear. I really think he just wants to play with them, but they won't –
HI EVERYBODY! It's ME, BEAR! GUESS WHAT?! MOMMY SEZ I'M GOING TO BE TUTORED NEXT TUESDOG. ISN'T THAT NEET? I'M GONNA BE SMARTER THEN THE KITTEES! WOOF!
(Ahem) As I was saying, they won't play with him. As Amy says, he's not the brightest crayon in the box.
Well, that's it for now. The premier of "The Closer" starts soon. (Another one on my 'don't miss' list.)
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Rest in Peace, Kona
Jun. 1st, 2007 | 08:48 am
mood: 
exhausted
Kona, the dog Stewart kept after our divorce, is now running with Gypsy in doggie heaven.
I am too tired to go into the details, but I know Stewart made the right decision, as she was in pain.
It's been a long day.
Amy is in the hospital. Please pray for her.
I've driven from The Woodlands to Bellaire to Rosenberg and back to Woodlands (about 130 miles), all since 2:30 pm.
My emotions are shot and I can't stop crying, but I am going to bed with the hope that my physical exhaustion will win out over my mental and emotional turmoil.
Thank God that Bear is here to rest his head on my knee and look at me with love and sympathy even though he doesn't understand tears.
Rest in peace, Nut-Nut. You deserve it.
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Movie Meme
May. 17th, 2007 | 07:44 am
mood: amused
My buddy Ken tagged me for this.
"Pick out your ten favorite movies, then look them up at IMDb. In the overview at the top of each movie's page, there are "Plot Keywords," usually five of them. (Plus more, if you click the link.) Take the first five, and post them. Then the rest of us get to play movie buff and see if we can guess them. "
OK, here's mine.... Put your guesses in my comments.
1- Obsession / Military / Humor / Death / Reflection
2- Prosthetic Body Part / Abandoned Laboratory / Grave Digging / One Armed Man / Blind Man
3- Severed Arm / British Film / Corporeal Mortification / Severed Leg / British
4- Eccentric / Actor Playing Multiple Roles / Spacecraft / Latin Grammar / Jesus Christ
5- Misfit / Crow / Thunderstorm / Florida / Circus
6- Insulin / Diabetes / Tough Guy / Memory Lapse / Anterograde Amnesia
7- Insult / Teenage Boy / Threat / Teen Movie / Angst
8- Child Nudity / Bare Butt / Male Nudity / Balcony / Faked Death
9- Computer / Hyperspace / Outer Space / Martial Arts / Invented Language
10- Corruption / FBI / Quirky / Robbery / Con
Heh. Good luck!
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Happy Birthday, Gypsy!
May. 14th, 2007 | 07:17 pm
mood: happy
Today would have been Gypsy's 16th birthday.
I had scheduled the day off, because I knew Sunday would be hard enough (my first Mother's Day without Mom), and today was going to make it even more difficult.
I didn't do much this weekend. Slept a lot of the time. Stayed home and watched "Law & Order" on TNT.
And thought a lot.
Today I woke up about 8:30, watched ER (also on TNT) and then took a shower and got dressed, and went out.
To the Montgomery County Animal Shelter.
I cried on the way there. I talked to Gypsy, and explained that I will always love her, but I really miss having a dog.
And I was just going to look.
Famous last words.
I explained to the nice lady volunteer that I wanted an ADULT dog (Desoda taught me that), mellow, and one who can be alone 9 hours a day. She showed me all the adult dogs. The one that interested me was Bear.
He is a 3 year old lab mix. He was an owner-surrender, had grown up in an apartment (a big plus for me -- that tells me he is ok being alone), but his owners were moving so gave him up. (Personally, I wouldn't move if it meant I couldn't take my critters, but that's me.)
He is very mellow, very sweet (with dogs, people and kids) but has never been around cats.
Fortunately, they have what's called a "Foster - to - Adopt" program.
So.... I signed up.
And, I have a dog.
Bear, meet my friends.
Friends, meet Bear.
(Sorry, this isn't a great picture. I have a sucky camera, and he is very tired. After all, it's been a busy day! A new home, a trip to Petsmart and the Dog Bark, Sonic, the bank, and the mailbox!)
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I hear the drumming...
May. 3rd, 2007 | 07:38 pm
mood: sad
Anyone remember what happened 37 years ago? Maybe this will help.
Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,
We're finally on our own.
This summer I hear the drumming,
Four dead in Ohio.
Gotta get down to it
Soldiers are cutting us down
Should have been done long ago.
What if you knew her
And found her dead on the ground
How can you run when you know?
Some still remember.
I was eleven. I remember staring at the photo of Mary Vecchio, seeing the anguish on her face, and not being able to grasp why would someone order our soldiers to open fire on unarmed students?
I'm now 48, and I still don't have an answer.
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Timing is everything
May. 1st, 2007 | 10:35 pm
mood: amused
Unfortunately, they had just broadcast this news report about how bad the crime is in New Orleans. This is due to the fact that violent criminals who had been hanging out in Houston since Katrina are now returning to NOLA. In fact, the report states, you are 6 times more likely to be murdered in Nawlins than you are in Houston. And out of the 162 murders in Nawlins last year, they only charged 17 people, and only one of the murderers has been convicted.
Yeah, come fall in love in Nawlins.
It's a real Romeo & Juliet kind of place.
At least in terms of the death toll.
:-)
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Miscellany
Apr. 25th, 2007 | 08:44 pm
mood: amused
LAND FOR RENT
SE ABLA ESPANO
Yeah, I bet you habla Español, buddy.
------
Best moment today (and best example of why I will never own an Audi):
I am behind an Audi at a stoplight on Woodlands Parkway.
The driver of the Audi decides to clean his windshield.
I watch as a spurt of water forms a perfect arc, soaring right over his windshield...
... and landing with a splat on the window of the sedan next to me.
The lady in the sedan has watched this happen and looks at her wet window, and our eyes meet.
We both bust out laughing.
The light changes, we move on. But for a moment, two strangers connected in a moment of humor.
Pretty cool.
-----
Worst reaction to my haircut:
Coworker: You cut your hair off!
Me, smiling: Yep!
Coworker walks away.
Bitch.
----
Best channelling of my ex-husband:
The Kellogg's Raisin Bran Crunch ad where the guys are discussing why they like the cereal; one thinks the raisins are best, another thinks the crunch is the best, and the third guy says he likes the word "Kellogg's" because in the middle is "ello", like the British greeting, "'Ello, Guvnah!"
That's Stewart, 100%.
-----
Worst image on a scientific website:
Go to www.fishersci.com and in the search field type EGG STIR BARS. Scroll down to the fourth hit and click on the phrase "Kontes PTFE Egg-shaped magnetic stir bars".
And in case you want to see what the stir bar looks like, there is a high-tech image to help you (provided you consider Etch-A-Sketch high tech).
-----
Best quip on Monday's "Dancing With The
After the two male judges have a heated argument about a performance, host Tom Bergeron quips, "We'll come back to the lecture on Male Menopause in just a moment."
:-)
----
Most accurate fortune-cookie message I've received in a long time:
"To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?"
My thoughts exactly.
Life is good, work is good... I'm happy.
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New 'Do
Apr. 19th, 2007 | 10:48 pm
mood: 
nervous
The last time my hair was this short, gas was 30 cents a gallon.
There's a teensy weensy picture of me on my icon, taken this afternoon.
Whatcha think?
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Thank God You're Here!
Apr. 18th, 2007 | 08:41 pm
mood: amused
Amy got me started watching this new show on NBC called "Thank God You're Here".
The first couple of weeks it was on opposite "Dancing With Celebrities", but I was able to catch up by watching videos on NBC.com. But now it's on Wednesdays at 8pm (7pm here in the Central time zone), so I have no excuse. And neither do you. Watch it. It's FUNNY!
The premise is this: well-known (and not-so-well-known) actors are sent to wardrobe seconds before walking through a door to a scene. They don't know what the scene will involve; they have to 'wing it'. The only thing they know is that when they enter, someone will exclaim, "Thank God you're here!", and the scene goes from there.
Improv is one of the hardest things to do in comedy or acting. I know -- I've tried it, in both high school and later, after college. I bailed after two weeks -- it made my stomach churn! But this is a little different, because the other actors know what's going on, and have a basic outline of what to do. And they do it really well.
Yes, I know it's based on a show from overseas, so it's not an original concept. Get over it.
Trust me, it's funnier than most of the so-called comedy that's on network TV these days (except for "Two-and-half Men", which Mom got me hooked on, and is also on opposite DWC. Don't these network programmers know there are other days of the week besides Monday and Tuesday??)
Anyway, all I can say is, if you don't watching, you'll really miss out on some inspired comedy. Just seeing Jason Alexander as a "Captain Kirk"-type character was priceless!
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Procrastination: It Works For Me
Apr. 11th, 2007 | 09:48 pm
mood: relieved
Ok, so I work better under pressure.................
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Dancing With The B-List
Apr. 9th, 2007 | 08:02 pm
mood: contemplative
I have never watched "Dancing With The Stars" before this season, so I can't judge this season in comparison to previous ones, but I must admit, it's been pretty damned entertaining. And it is providing some insight into life itself.
At first, I mentally divided the celebrities (I hesitate to call them "stars") into the "Talented" and the "Hopeless", but now I have come to realize that the celebrities who aren't necessarily "Talented" are really trying hard -- for the most part.
The exception to this rule is Clyde "What Am I Doing Here?" Drexler.
Now, if I were putting together a dance show, I would not match a towering Texan with a Russian dwarf vertically-challenged woman, but maybe that's supposed to be the challenge (shrug). And it would be an interesting challenge if Clyde showed up mentally and physically, or at least tried. I can't figure out why he hasn't been voted off the island yet. (Oh, wrong show.) I feel sorry for his partner, because she tries hard, and deserves better.
Up until this week, I thought Billy Ray Cyrus wasn't really trying (one of the judges called him "a bear lost in a swamp"). It didn't help that his first dance was inappropriately danced to his new "hit" single. But this week it was obvious that he is really putting in an effort. He may not win, but God bless him for hanging in there and trying. Clyde could learn something from him.
Clyde could also learn something from John Ratzenberger. Picture Cliffy from "Cheers" dancing to a waltz, and you have an idea of the challenge John was up against. Let's face it: he's not exactly buff. But what he lacks in talent, he tries to make up for in creating a character in each dance, and he does it well. Unfortunately, the competition is heating up. I hope he doesn't get eliminated yet.
There were other celebrities who proved to be a surprise to me. Namely, Ian Ziering, Leeza Gibbons, Laila Ali and Apolo Ohno.
I didn't watch "90210" until it was in syndication, and only then in cases of extreme boredom or illness (physical, not mental), but I remember thinking that Ian had probably been voted "Most Likely To Become A Realtor" in high school. I couldn't figure out why he was a star. But I guess he has had success on Broadway, so I've been watching him to see what he has. He isn't a great dancer, but he is interesting to watch. Why? It seems he is actually having fun. (Are you listening, Clyde?) He may not win, but he gets my vote for Miss Congeniality. (He also indirectly caused the funniest moment on tonight's show. He seemed a little tense during his dance number, and the Italian judge, Bruno Tonioni, called him "Mister McStiffy". On live TV. Host Tom Bergeron probably had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something risque about it. Apparently at the break someone told Bruno what "stiffy" means in American slang, because he looked very embarrassed when they came back from commercials.)
All I can say about Leeza Gibbons is, Lord, make me look like her when I turn 50 (in two years... sigh....). She's no Jane Torvill, but she is stylish and energetic and positive. (Clyde.... sigh... never mind.)
I had never heard of Laila Ali before DWTS. And when I saw her on the first show, all I could think was, Thank God she doesn't look like her dad. I also wondered how good a dancer could a female boxer be? The answer is apparently, "Really GOOD!" She has everything I mentioned about Leeza Gibbons, but she also has a fire, a spark... a magnetism... that makes me hope she doesn't just box the rest of her life.
I also had never heard of Apolo Ohno before this show. (I only follow figure skating and ice dancing, not the speed stuff.) Whatever he lacks in talent, he makes up in youthful exuberance and determination. Having an adorable young partner doesn't hurt either (smile).
Do you see a common thread with these celebrities? Try hard, work hard, and have fun while you're doing it, and you've got my vote. (Hell, I may even vote for Billy Ray this week. He impressed me the most.)
The other two remaining celebrities are what I call the "judge's darlings": Joey Fatone and Heather Mills.
Joey Fatone (apparently it is pronounced "fa-TO-nee", not "fat one", as I had originally assumed), was in NSYNC. I know nothing about NSYNC except that they sang and danced. Hello? Danced? Isn't this guy a ringer? Not fair, guys. He is good, but he should be. He's danced before. No vote from me.
And then there's Heather Mills.
I'll admit it, I made fun of her on Ken's blog. And I watched the first show for the sole purpose of seeing if her leg would come off when she danced. (Hey, people rubberneck at traffic accidents, too. It's human nature.) But damn, she is amazing. In my mind, she gets ten karma points just for getting out there and trying. This week she didn't do so well, but the judges still gave her high marks. Maybe it's a sympathy vote. That would be a shame. She should win on her own merit, not out of pity or sympathy. I think she is proving she's more than just an amputee, more than The Former Mrs. McCartney, more than a survivor. She is a role model for every person who has any form of handicap -- physical, mental, or emotional. You go, girl.
So that's my take on Dancing With Celebrities. What's yours?
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Good stuff
Apr. 8th, 2007 | 10:40 pm
mood: content
"The only good thing I can say about the Astros today is: no one got hurt."
Bwahahahahahahahaha!
The good thing in the news today:
They are rethinking the TASS test (the Texas standardized test system). One guy summed it up: "We want good STUDENTS, not just good test-takers."
Amen, bro!
Our good deed for the day:
Amy and I were on our way back from my old church (Northwest Nazarene), when we saw a dog in the middle of traffic on Gosling road (a busy street on a greenbelt that backs up against several subdivisions). Most cars were just driving around it (one honked -- big help, shithead), but in a spontaeous joint effort, Amy stopped the car, I got out, clapped my hands and the adorable tan lab mix came right to me, wagging her tail in relief. I took hold of her collar and pointed her to the front seat. She climbed right in, but wouldn't crawl in back, so I got in back (not easy for someone my size!) and we drove on. I looked at her collar and saw her name was Ginger, and there was a phone number. Ginger was really just a big puppy, with beautiful blue eyes, freckles, and very soft fur. She was so happy to be out of that scary place, she crawled in back and put her muddy paws on my lap and licked my face. (Hard to be mad at the muddy paws with that kind of affection!) While Amy drove toward my house, I called the number on the tag. I'll be honest -- she was so sweet, and reminded me so much of Gypsy, I was kinda hoping the number wouldn't work and maybe I'd get to keep her. But her owner answered; they live in a subdivision between my house and Gosling, so we followed his directions and found him waiting for us in his driveway. He said they've only had her a month, and she is finding every hole in and around their fence! He thanked us, and we said goodbye to the still-wagging Ginger and her owner. Yes, I cried later. I so miss having a dog, and Ginger really touched my heart. I am just so scared of adopting one and experiencing a repeat of the Desoda fiasco, so I tell myself I'm just not ready. But my heart aches so much when I am around dogs, I just don't know what to do.
A good weekend:
Aside from the tears, it was a great weekend. As I mentioned before, we went to the Easter service at my old church, where we were greeted warmly.
A bit of backstory: The new pastor had called me last weekend and invited me to come to Easter. We had never met -- I only heard him preach once and, to be honest, wasn't super-impressed. But he seemed nice on the phone, so I was honest with him about why I had left NWN -- no singles group -- and that I had found a church that had one, but the sermons there were very simplistic. He said that, unfortunately, they still don't have a singles group, and I decided to be honest with him. I told him that point was moot because I was in a dating relationship, but it was with a woman. I think he was surprised but he covered it well. He said that while he believes God has something better in mind for me -- "as He does with all of us", not just me -- we would be most welcome there. And he was right.
OK, so I didn't introduce Amy as "my girlfriend", and we didn't hold hands. But everyone was very nice and it was great to see some familiar faces. Next week we will try Plymouth United (the "open and affirming" church I mentioned in previous posts), and if we don't like that one, my friend Jay told me about a Unitarian church in the Woodlands which is also open and affirming. So we have lots of possibilities.
I also showed Amy how to make my exmother-in-law's Cornish Game Hens in Apple Glaze, the easiest entree I know how to make. And things were going really well... until I showed Amy how to clean out the inside of the hen by "destringing it" (getting the red stuff out). That's when this EMT/Paramedic And Medical Transcriptionist said, and I quote, "EEEEEEWWWWWWW. GRROSSS!" This is someone who listens to detailed descriptions of surgery on a Dictophone for 8 hours a day, and she calls cleaning a chicken "gross"? Ay, caramba! I explained that she can also use the same glaze on chicken pieces, but I'm thinking she's already rethinking any ideas she had of being the next
Aside from that, we went to the dog bark (mostly small dogs this time, which was good for Apple), and both of us were craving baked potatoes so we ended up at Thomas's Bar-be-cue. (We had first tried Jason's Deli, but in yet another example of Why I Never Eat At Jason's Deli -- beside the fact that they are grossly overpriced-- the girl taking orders was busy and the girl at the register had no customers but refused to help us--apparently she can't write?--so we waitedwaitedwaited. Finally Order Girl's customer's walked away, and so did she. "I'll be right back," she says, and returns two minutes later. We give her our order, only to find that baked potatoes were going to take 20 minutes. You're kidding. Twenty minutes?, I responded. I can make one at home in less that ten! And this was at dinner hour, 6:30 on a Saturday night. I was astonished. If Miss Snotty Register Girl had helped us, we would have known that 10 minutes ago. We said "Never mind!", loudly explaining why we were leaving as we walked out. I swear, I will never darken their door again. (I copied this to Jason's website "Customer Feedback Form". Let's see what happens, she said sarcastically.)
We came home and tried to watch Amy's DVD of "Man of the Year", but it wouldn't work in my DVD player and almost got stuck in there. And her other DVD (a burned copy of "And The Band Played On") also wouldn't work and kept getting stuck in my DVD player. (Any help from my Techie Friends as to why this is suddenly happening would be greatly appreciated.)
So we just watched TV.
Sigh.
But aside from that, it was a great weekend. (Evil Grin)