Ka-Pow!*
Since I last posted, I've been busy. Celebrating Bradshaw's birthday, working a book signing, and then being incredibly ill. There's no way that I can present you with a coherent post explaining all of that, so today you shall enjoy updates and observations in bullet points.
- I really dig french fries.
- Since I have no access to espresso in Small Town (if I thought a stranger would send me an espresso machine for Christmas, I would post my address online, seriously), when I find myself in a place where I can get it, I drink far too much of it all at once.
- Politicians are always late, and Mike Huckabee's fans are, at least, not the crazy Conservatives.
- Making photo collages with Picasa is addictive and inspiring.
- I cannot finish anything.
- Blowing my nose sets off my gag reflex about a third of the time, which is really frustrating when you have a head cold.
- The first part of the Project Runway finale is never good as I want it to be for one big reason: no runway show.
- Smoked chicken makes awesome soup, and I really like making soup in general.
- My living room isn't big enough for my Christmas tree, and I have no idea where to put it. This is the only reason that I do not have Christmas decorations up yet. That may change today.
- I actually managed to take cold medicine without turning into a raging bitch.
- Carrie Underwood is adorable.
- It's going to start feeling like winter, which makes me fabulously happy. The cats can feel it and are therefore doing weird stuff.
- I spend all of my money on groceries. Mostly because I have very little money, but also because I have almost no expenses.
- This year I will be mailing the gifts that I bought for people last year. I'm awesome.
- I skinned my knees for the first time since I hit double-digit age last weekend.
*Like a gun. Bullets...get it? Yeah, not funny.Labels: lists, updates
Links to Share
It's time to show you what I've been reading lately! News, astrology, style, and, as always, fluffy stuffs. Enjoy!
Battle for the GOP's SoulLately, I've turned into an old man with my interest in politics - largely because I have too much free time. That said, I'm not usually able to read long articles about political parties without rolling my eyes or getting bored, and this was a huge exception. The author's insights about the problems facing the Republican party as a whole were, from my point of view, both interesting and insightful. The beginning of the article is rooted in the bygone local elections from Tuesday, but as you move past that, he evaluates the health and future of the GOP. I found this particularly interesting:
According to one recent survey from Public Policy Polling, 35 percent of GOP base voters think the party is too liberal even as 46 percent of independent voters label it too conservative. ...found major gulfs between Republican voters and conservative independents in their perception of President Obama, with the latter group especially turned off by the “socialist” accusations popular with the GOP base.
Sarah Palin's Lost SpeechesI share with you, without comment, the victory and concession speeches prepared for Sarah Palin with the intention of being read on election night.
Obama FoodoramaThe blog's focus on the food - both that consumed and the policy discussed - in the White House is absolutely sincere if slightly overzealous, at least to me. Still, it is interesting to focus on something that is political without being quite so contentious. Plus, I like food and cooking and pretty pictures, all of which are present here. The posts about the White House Halloween are particularly charming.
Mrs. O is a charming look at Michelle Obama's sartorial choices, and since my taste is in the same realm as hers, I like it. It doesn't matter that she's older than my mom: I totally want to raid her closet, if for the cardigans alone.
I've linked to Mystic Medusa before as well, but as my astrology obsession rears it's head again, so does my enthusiasm for her site. Since the Sun is in Scorpio, she has a few pertinent posts for the Scorpios in our midst (like Bradshaw, whose birthday is tomorrow!) including
Hi-Lo Astro: Haute Scorpio, Low Scorpio. Searching the D.I.Y. Astro tag is also good for eating up an hour or two of your time as you analyze your astrological chart.
Dealbreaker offers up a healthy dose of the snark, which we know I love. Typically, some of the stuff is far funnier than other stuff, but just browsing their archive is good for a laugh or two.
*Original photo credit can be found at my Tumblr. Lyrics in the photo are by Duffy.Labels: links
Faces
"A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction."
Oscar Wilde
Labels: quotation
False Eyelashes*
Admittedly, I have nothing terribly exciting to write about today. I had written a post about my undying love for winter and Christmas, but I think that you're aware of that by now. And, if you aren't, just go back to the archives and see what I've written before. We'll save the Christmas love for December and the winter love for when it actually appears, rather than celebrating it preemptively.
Then I thought I might tell you about the excitement that's coming this week - tons of fun is cooking - but then I thought that it might be more fun to tell you about how much fun I had rather than how much fun I will have. So, the exploits of my weekend celebrating Bradshaw's birth will be forthcoming.
I considered sharing my to do list with you, then realized that it was largely populated with things like "do the massive pile of dishes" and "vacuum the living room" and "sort the laundry." These things are not interesting to me, so why on earth would I expect you to find them anything but snoozy?
Since I clearly have nothing of substance to tell you about, you are going to get an update of my weekend in bullet points while Puck digs in the couch cushions looking for the feather toy that is no longer stashed there.
- Friday was productive. I did dishes, made a "Lemon Lemon Loaf," did the dishes from that, made the cupcakes for what I have dubbed the "Trick and Treat Cupcakes," and then left those dishes in the sink. Did I mention that I no longer have a dishwasher and therefore must do the dishes by hand? And also that I detest doing dishes? Well, now you know. I also watched the DVR'ed episode of Gossip Girl from Monday and found myself quite amused. Admittedly, it's another show that I prefer watching on DVD; it's somehow better when you can watch several episodes in just a few hours rather than over several weeks.
- Saturday was spent assembling the "Trick and Treat Cupcakes," the idea and recipe for which came from the ever-lovely Spiff. In the center of each cupcake was the hidden surprise of....Pop Rocks! Comments about my love of lemon prompted me to use white cupcakes instead of lemon, but I did maintain the lemon frosting. I have a rule about cupcakes particularly and desserts in general: Keep three, pass off the rest. So, the cupcakes were taken to my parents' restaurant, where everyone was surprised and strangely amazed by the effervescent filling. (Actual stupid comment: "I would have thought that they would melt if you baked them." This would be less stupid if it came from a real child, but it came from a 23-year-old moron.) I rounded out the evening with a marathon phone call with Bradshaw.
- Sunday was lazy day, spent primarily with scrambled eggs with Asiago cheese and the book I just started reading, The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing. I watched the new Storm Chasers and reruns of House. And did not do my dishes.
My current plan for today involves housework, phone calls, writing, and planning. I am going to take this week to enjoy autumn - which I'm hating far less this year than in those previous - and be content. Next week, I'll start decorating for Christmas. All that's left is to figure out where to put the tree....
*Nope, the title of this post has absolutely nothing to do with the content. Labels: holidays, updates
