Joe Biden, drunken uncle

I'm not a big fan of politics. Well, to be more precise, politicians.

The only politician I do like is the one that Jimmy Stewart played in Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. A fictitious one is the only good one.

From the moment I heard him speak, Joe Biden reminded me of a classic "drunken uncle". You know the one - he turns up at family functions already wasted, mouths off to everyone, sloshes around knocking things over and generally wreaks havoc wherever he goes.

I don't really have a drunk uncle, but I do have a goofy one that shares some traits with Biden, including the white hair.

Not the best choice for VP, in my opinion - Obama's first mistake among many.

Wish these were greeting cards...

Came across this site today. Creative way to disperse pearls of wisdom.

The end of an era...

Edith Shain, the nurse in Alfred Eisenstaedt's iconic photo from V-J Day celebration in Times Square, died today at age 91.

During grad school in my photo-journalism class, we studied photographers such as Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, and others who'd taken very memorable photos such as this one in the 20th century. This is in my top 10 list of favorite photos of all time. The way he's holding her so tightly around the waist and pulling her in close yet refraining from touching her face, and how she just bends to his will, her left hand keeping close to her skirt maybe in an effort of modesty, is powerful and delicate all at the same time. Wonderful composition - a perfect photo, in my opinion.

All I can say is....ahhhh.

My Stuff

If any of you read Vanity Fair, you may be familiar with the "My Stuff" section. This section is where a famous person of some sort (philanthropist, musician, designer, stylist, writer) is profiled. Their "stuff" consists of personal products like toothpaste, soap, sheets, jeans, lipstick and the like.

9 out of 10 times the toothpaste is Tom's of Maine, the moisturizer is Keihls, the shampoo is Bumble and Bumble, the sheets are Givan, and the jeans are 7 For All Mankind. Pricey and pretentious. Rarely do you see anything you can purchase at Target. I will spend more on moisturizer (good skin is important), but sheets and such just wear well. And yes, you get what you pay for, but I'm not paying $45 for mascara. Come on!

So I thought I'd put together a list of "My Stuff" for fun:

Where Do I Live - St. Louis, The Hill
Art - Artemisia Gentileschi, my own creations
Sheets - 300-thread count organic (Macy's), T-shirt (Target), Beata Blom (Ikea)
Coffee Maker - None, if I want coffee I'll buy it
Stationary - ??? Email, silly
Flower - Stargazer lily for fragrance, Gerber daisy for looks
Neighborhood Restaurant (dinner) - Mangia, Modesto, Newstead Tower Public House
Brunch - Jimmy's or Nadoz
Late Night fare - City Diner
Lunch - Drunken Fish, The Vine, Gokul
Neighborhood Bar - Red Lion, Sasha's, Hideaway
Cocktail - Vodka Tonic
Wine - 2006 Chimney Rock Cabernet
Spirit - Glenfiddich 30 Year
Dessert - Creme Brulee or Bread Pudding
Coffee - None, I like Chai tea
Lipstick - The Gloss by Benefit (Streakin')
Hair Product - Pravana straightening balm or curl enhancer (depending on the mood)
Perfume - L'Eau d'Issey, Escape by Calvin Klein, or Calyx by Prescriptives
Toothpaste - Crest
Soap - Lever, I like to smell clean, not like flowers or fruit
Stylist - Erin Slankard at Bouffant Daddy
Tattooist - Luke at Allstar, Matt at Trader Bobs
Vet - Dr. Hooks, Big Bend Vet Clinic
Dog - Oliver Scootch McFadyen the giant Shih Tzu
Kicks - Nike, Converse, Simple, Vans, Etnies, Puma
Day Bag - Fossil, Coach, vintage or NYC Chinatown Prada knock-off
Evening Bag - Um, same as above
Bike - Fuji road, Cannondale mountain
Sport Team - Kansas Jayhawks (B-Ball)
Destination - Ashland OR, Monterey CA, Breckenridge CO, NYC baby
Hotel - The Alex (NYC), Hotel Palomar (San Fran), Westin (STL)
Tourist Attraction - Ellis Island

Octogenarian IFC

My grandma could take both of 'em....

Soft and short

Great ad....


Cute Girls Discuss Mens Lengths - Watch more Funny Videos

If you're older than 35, you'll appreciate...

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning....uphill...barefoot...in 2 feet of snow.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in hell I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it.

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of 35, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. They've got it so easy. And their sense of entitlement is ripe. I mean, compared to my childhood, they live in a damn Utopia.

1) When I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the damn library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog. The paper cuts were fierce....

2) There was no email. We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen. Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there. Stamps were 10 cents.

3) Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our ass. Nowhere was safe. Which meant you usually behaved.

4) There were no MP3's or iTunes. If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself. Try sticking a record down your pants - it ain't comfortable.

5) Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up. There were no CD players. We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby. Dig? But, we made AWESOME mixed tapes. Good times.

6) We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting. If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it.

7) Of course, no cell phones either. If you left the house, you were just out of touch. Oh the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7. And then there's TEXTING.

8) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either. When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was. It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know. You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister.

9) We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics. We had the Atari 2600. With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids' and 'Pitfall'. And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever. And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died. Just like LIFE!

10) You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on. You were screwed when it came to channel surfing. You had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel. NO REMOTES!!! It was a workout...

11) There was no Cartoon Network either. You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons. But they were good (Smurfs, He-Man, Wonder Twins, Mr. Magoo).

12) We didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove. Imagine that!

13) And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. So we did - got on our bikes and disappeared until we needed food. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

14) Car seats? - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place.

Paul Cerame Ford SUCKS, Dobbs ROCKS

I've had A/C issues with my Ford Explorer for the last four years.

When the car was under warranty, I used to take it to Paul Cerame Ford, the dealership where I purchased it.

The service department was run by the biggest bunch of hoosier morons I've ever encountered in my life. And because I've traveled to/through at least 38 states, I've met my fair share of people and can spot a hoosier moron from a good 100 yards in a dense fog.

These are the guys that tried to tell me that the make/model I purchased didn't come with a key fob. Hmm...really, now? I had to go to the Ford website and print off a list of parts that came with that make/model....and a key fob WAS ONE OF THEM.

They were just too lazy to locate one for me - we had to get the sales manager involved and then MAGICALLY a key fob appeared.

So back to the story - my A/C started to get funky a few years back. First the passenger side would start to blow hot, then the driver side would do the same, and then no A/C altogether. I took it to the Paul Cerame service department three times, and every time it was the same thing - the freon was low. And everytime I asked the same question - if you're ADDING freon, where is the existing freon ESCAPING TO THAT IT KEEPS NEEDING TO BE ADDED???? MIGHT THERE BE A LEAK????

"Nope, no leak" was the answer I kept hearing. This coming from the "nope, no key fob" geniuses.

Needless to say, the warranty ran out and I never went back.

Last summer I took my car to a very nice Christian-owned garage in Belleville, which is where I was working at the time of my next A/C crisis. He told me that the condenser was leaking freon, but he could "patch" it which would keep me going for awhile at a very low cost (he quoted the condenser fix at $900). I opted for the patch to get me through the summer. Worked fine.

So now it's a sauna, and I need air. Can't go back to Belleville as it's logistically impossible. So I took it to Dobbs - they've done a ton of work on my car in the last year, and I have always been satisfied.

I just got the estimate - same price. But now I also get a lifetime warranty on the condenser, and a lengthy explanation of what a condenser is, how it works in my car, what a dryer/filter/hose connection is, how they'll replace everything, etc. It helps to have that information, and I feel that they respect me enough to educate me.

So once again, I'm giving my business to Dobbs. I recommend Dobbs if you every have issues with brakes, A/C, bearing, suspension, alignment, transmission, etc.

I do NOT recommend PAUL CERAME FORD for anything. Well, unless you want a good example of a useless service department. Then, by all means, head on over - they're winners in that category.

Only In Milwaukee

Wrong on so many levels.

BP Parody

The situation with BP is serious. This video breaks it down.

#6 with a side of nookie...

True story.

My friend had Mexican takeout for dinner the other night in Fenton.

His wife ordered the steak with extra rice.

This is what they got.

Who knew the rice was so value added?

Hot Cycle

Everyone knows what you get when you cross a lion and a tiger - a liger. Duh.

But do you know what you get when you cross a bike seat and a sex toy?

Happy, distracted cyclists. And potentially many, many biking accidents.

Apparently, the purpose of this bicycle seat is to "reduce hip and perineum pain & numbness".

Uh huh.

Just like those huge massage wands at The Sharper Image are for your shoulders and back.

Uh huh.

I'm thinking this seat would best be used in the comfort of one's own home, on a mag trainer. For indoor use only. Helmet optional.

Good Ol' Days

Taking time out to blog has been a challenge for me. There's much I want to say, but I get caught up in the whirl that is life.

So now that I am here, I wanted to take this time to complain that something very important is missing from my life.

Music videos.

Growing up in the 80's (Yup, I'm that old), we had a cornucopia of music videos to choose from. They were on MTV ALL THE TIME! There was no Hills, or Real World 28, or Elimidate. There was 120 Minutes, which was the most fabulous alternative-rock video showcase on Sunday nights from 10:00 to Midnight. There was Tabitha Soren. There was Kennedy. There was some blonde guy named Mark. There was another guy who looked like John Oates' cousin. They had "Unplugged", which featured artists singing in the studio. It rocked. It was pristine, and soulful, and had heart.

MTV today is an amalgamation of shit. Pure and simple. And there are masses out there eating it up. And that's scary.

So in a small tribute to the early (and best) days of music videos, here are a few of my hands-down faves:

Feeling wonka-rific

Class was fantabulous last night.

The news I got has lifted me high above the moody clouds I've been held down by these last few days. I feel like Charlie in Willy Wonka after he and Gramps drank the fizzy lifting drink.

I have been granted a reprieve - the next four weeks of this semester look to be very manageable. Very, very manageable.

Social life is off the back burner and in semi-full swing. I get to go to my concert tomorrow night. Woot.

Life just got a whole lotta good.

Concert alert

Tix for The National have been purchased - thanks M!

Here is my favorite track from their new album - his voice drives me insane.

Running on, in mind and body

I'm now up to 4 miles every morning. Surprisingly, I am not hating it. Well, hating the humidity, but I'm fairly sure this weather has contributed to my svelte figure - making gravy (sweating) is a sure-fire way to keep lean and mean.

This half-marathon training is providing the welcome solace I need to work through certain logistical challenges I'm currently experiencing. Yesterday, in the less-than 45 minutes it took me to finish, I reached a small breakthrough re: a past and current relationship and why aspects of one worked for me and the other is not. Probably the best 45 minutes I've spent in a long while.

Not too worried about speed at this point - working on my endurance level now, speed training will come late July/early August. Perfect timing, as this is when the summer semester ends and I can kick the training up a notch or two. Or three.

Completed my work/school/training schedule in handy-dandy Excel and the clouds rolled in. Over the next 6 weeks I'll only have 9 free hours (a week!) between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., including weekends. Free hours would include things like laundry....cleaning.....fun....whatever. My good friends are already rallying to help me keep my sanity - I appreciate these gestures more than they'll ever know. And I will be taking them up on their offers.

These are a few of the songs that keep me moving...

I still can't add...

I had a meeting with my co-intern during lunch today to plan the next 6-8 weeks, which is the summer semester.

I feel like someone stuck a hot poker in my brain. I thought I had grasped the amount of hours I'd be working this summer. Apparently, I fell short in my calculations (not surprising).

Two classes, group counseling and individual counseling internship hours (where I'm the counselor), seminars, webinars, reading, progress notes, and certification in trauma. All of this equals a bazillion hours. In 6-8 weeks.

To put it all down on paper, and to see how much "me" time (close to none) I'll actually have from 6/7 - 7/23 is kind of making me physically ill.

I'm training for a half marathon, and don't want to give that up. My weekend long runs won't be a problem, but during the week is where I'll have issues. That said, I'm seriously thinking about quitting the Y for the summer and signing up with the 24-hour fitness place close to home. Since I'm not doing any sprint triathlons, I've no need for a pool at the moment. Unless I feel the need to drown myself, at which point I'll just find the nearest drainage ditch. I kid.

I'll need to come up with a dawn-to-dusk schedule this weekend so that I can make sure I don't over-extend myself and stick to my training. And try to put some "me" time in there. I'm determined to still have a social life.

Ahhhh

Fantastic weekend. Celebrated my birthday Thurs-Mon with friends and family. Had some much-needed downtime, uptime, and in-between time.

This is my last week before I start my 8-week summer internship. I am supposed to put in 300 hours - 120 hours of direct counseling, and 180 hours of advisor meetings, charting, seminars, extracurricular education, reading and webinars. This breaks down to 37.5 hours per week. Hmm. So, I think I'll get at least 7 hours of counseling done in a week, and can probably do the 22 hours per week of non-counseling items. Breaking it down to 2 hours M-F and then 10 hours Sa/Su. It's only for 8 weeks, it can be done. Whatever I don't get done will get picked up in the Fall.

So, where does this leave me in terms of a social life?

Right where I want to be - I'll sleep when I'm dead.

Tonight I'll be at the Red Lion. Tomorrow at Schlafly. Thursday is Llywelyns, Friday is a concert, and Saturday the botanical garden and Sasha's. Sunday is recovery, but am open to whatever comes my way.