Puttin' On The Ritz & All That Other Jazz

A few updates since I've not been blogging very much this week.

Unless you're blind or new here, I don't think I need to point out the obvious. Pretty fancy-schmancy, huh? There are still a few little updates that need to be made and April also made a button for me that needs to be added, but so far I'm super diggin' my new look and name.

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I've been super busy with my sister's bridal shower. It's coming up on November 28, and my mom and I are trying to get everything together. It's going to be a very schnazzy affair, if I do say so myself. Our theme is the movie "Chocolat". We're having it at a Country-French inspired chalet at a local winery. We're using aqua and burgundy colors for all the decorations and accessories. We're also using (and this is my favorite part) a kangaroo silhouette as part of the decorations. And, of course, we're having lots of chocolate. The menu includes chocolate vegetable dip, chocolate soup, and chocolate and brie paninis. We're also having a chocolate buffet for all the guests to chow down on.

Our only concern is the winery. Apparently, they do enough business on wine sales alone, so they don't see the need to cater to their customers that rent their facility. Twice now we had to go the winery to ask questions because they refuse to answer their phone or return phone calls. The straw, though, that is thisclose to breaking the camel's back is that they told us that our rental time of 11:000 to 2:00 includes set-up and clean-up which when we booked the room wasn't the case. Now we're being told they are having a musician start at 2:00 and he has to set up beforehand in the same room.

Yeah, we'll see about that.

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Lil Mootz got his H1N1 shot today. I am so relieved he finally got it. My SIL had the swine flu this past week. We were all so worried that Lil Mootz was going to get it too, but, except for a runny nose, he's healthy. I just hope it stays that way.

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Have you ever seen the movie "The Blue and the Gray"?

If you'd like to see a comedy about the Civil War then I highly recommend it.

I don't think it was meant to be a comedy, but after watching it last night I'm pretty sure some dude decided to use his Christmas money to make this film. Bad acting, bad storyline, bad script, bad props. It is all so bad it is hil-f***in-larious!

Stonewall: Wow, this movie is so bad, but it is so funny!

Me: I know. I'm so glad they made a comedy about the Civil War. I was just saying to myself the other night, "You know what's funny? The Civil War."

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And because I can't get this song out of my head after hearing it this morning (hence the post title):

I Hate The Mice

We have mice. And not any of the Mickey Mouse variety.

No. We have little, furry, digusting, disease-carrying, turd-dropping, food stealing, I-want-to-kill-them-all mice.

We had them last winter, remember? Our little Sarge was a big help in that area.

Roosters used to be my least favorite animal. Now it is mice.

The Queen of Laptops Has Arrived!

My new computer has arrived!

*angels singing*

Isn't she beautiful? *sighs of love*

Her name is Sheeba. As in "The Queen of Toshiba".

To add to the excitement, she has arrived with her entourage of Adobe programs! Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator...the list goes on! Bestill my creative heart.

Everyone have a great weekend! I know I certainly will with my new toy!

Don't Whiz On The Electric Fence!

One of the necessary evils in life is the public bathroom. As much as one would all like to avoid them most of us use one AT LEAST once a week, most likely more depending on how we spend our days.

As I've previously mentioned this past week I was vacationing in Disney World. When you're in Disney there are about 1.2 million things you can do to fill your day and none of those things include sitting in your room. This means you will be visiting many public bathrooms during your time in Disney.

For the most part, I don't mind using public restrooms. Like I said, a necessary evil, so I try not to think about the germs and I just go to my happy place when I must use one.

I do have a complaint though that I really must get off my chest. I'm choosing to share this with all of you in the hopes that perhaps my little blog voice with reach at least one of you who is guilty of this terrible offense and the angels will sing, the clouds will part, and you will finally see the error of your ways.

If you are a hoverer -

You know, a woman who doesn't sit on the toilet seat, but precariously floats above the seat.

If you are a hoverer -

Just for the record though, the odds of catching any sort of disease from the toilet seat is pretty slim to none. Really. You have a better chance of toppling over and slamming your head into the stall door rendering yourself unconscious with your pants around your ankles and granny panties flashing for all the world to see as you become, "That chick who totally took a spill in the ladies bathroom!" on blogs around the world.

Anyway...

If you are a hoverer, for the love of all things clean and dry,

WIPE UP YOUR PEE THAT DRIBBLED ONTO THE TOILET SEAT!!

Let me ask this -

If you are so grossed out that you don't want to sit on a dry toilet seat, what in samhell makes you think I want to touch a seat that has your urine on it?! Worse yet, what would possess you to believe that I want to clean it up for you?!

If you are old enough to be using a bathroom by yourself, you are old enough to be responsible for your body fluids. Clean up your whiz that you left on the toilet seat.

Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Off To Work We Go!

That's right, everybody! I'm back from vacation! And back to work.

*clap clap clap*

I'm sure you're all just as excited as I am :) (Well, except the back to work part...)

Our vacation to Florida was so relaxing and so much fun. We spent the first week in Sarasota. My mom, my sister, and Lil Mootz joined us in the 80 degree weather on the first Tuesday. We spent a few days swimming with Lil Mootz in the pool, tanning our Pennsylvania see through skin, and enjoying tasty Florida seafood. On Halloween my mom, my sister, and Lil Mootz flew back to PA, while Stonewall and I headed down to Orlando for a week at Disney World with Stonewall's sister and her husband. We had a blast being kids together at the happiest place on earth.

I took a ton of pictures and videos to share with you all. However, my computer is being a gigantic butthole and is crapping out on me. This makes editing and sharing pictures (among many other things) a huge hassle.

Don't worry though, I'm already on it. I have a new computer on order and it should be here on Friday along with some software I've mentioned before that I really, really, really want! That's right - the Adobe Design Premium! I am super thrilled and you should be too because when I finally get to share all my photos and videos with you they will look even more amazing than what everything looked in person.

To help hold you over until that wonderful time, I put together a short 15-photo slide show with some of the most memorable moments of our vacation.

Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Lil Mootz On His Swing Set and Other Stuff

I have some Friday randomness for everyone.

First and foremost (because it is the most exciting!), Stonewall and I are leaving for Florida tomorrow! Two full weeks of warm weather, no work just play, and Mickey Mouse. We are spending the first week in Sarasota and the second week at Walt Disney World. Our first vacation together in over a year! I'll update as often as I can if for no other reason than to make everyone pea green with envy because we're lounging by the pool :)

Second...remember that giveaway I was having a week ago? Yeah, well, I didn't. It just dawned on me this morning that I never picked a winner. After an intense judging process of pulling a name out of a hat the winner is......

*drum roll, please*

Lin from Linny's Vault!! Congrats, Lin! I'll email you for your information.

And finally...

In case I don't get a chance to write another post anytime soon I thought I'd leave you with some adorable photos of Lil Mootz.

The other day I came home from work and as I was about to walk through the front door I heard the most beautiful laugh coming from the backyard. I walked around the house to see the happiest little baby boy giggling like crazy as his daddy pushed him on the swing.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

What Would Brian Boitano Do?

The hubs: And so the question is: What would Brian Boitano do?

Me: Who is Brian Boitano?

Stonewall: A male figure skater.

Me: How is it you know the name of a male figure skater and I don't?

Stonewall: I think we can just skip this conversation and move right on to the sex, so I can prove my sexuality.

Me: Mmmm-hm.

My Nashiness Magazine Disorder

The husband thinks I have some John Nash tendencies. In fact, he told me last night it's just getting down right weird and OCD.

Do you remember the scene in A Beautiful Mind where there are magazine pages plastered all over the wall?

Okay, well, it's not that bad.

Whenever I'm looking through a magazine and I see something I want to buy or look up on the Internet or an idea that I would like to use in our house, I tear the page out. Granted, about 2/3 of the pages never get a second glance and end up in random piles around our house. HOWEVER, the rest are used as I intended to use them.

So Stonewall is freaked out by my piles of torn out magazine pages laying around our house. I'll admit, they are everywhere. The kitchen, living room, dining room, bathroom, our bedroom. I think the only room that doesn't have a pile is Lil Mootz's room.

I've tried to tell him that there is a purpose behind my madness. That the purpose does NOT include trying to figure out patterns or when some foreign country is going to attack us. Rather, the purpose is to get my money's worth from these magazines.

A normal magazine costs anywhere from $3.99 to $6.99 these days. I could buy a paperback with that money or a really nice shirt on sale. I don't just read magazines because I'm bored. I read them so I can get ideas. I can't even remember what I wore yesterday, so how am I supposed to remember where that really cool kitchen gadget was from in Real Simple or all those under $100 nifty repairs for your home in This Old House or how Parent says I'm supposed to keep Lil Mootz from throwing temper tantrums when he's a toddler?

I suppose I could just keep the magazine. Actually, that is what I used to do. I used to dog-ear the pages and keep the magazine. Have you ever seen two years worth of magazines and then tried going through them because you know you marked a page that had a really pretty dress that you knew would be just perfect for a wedding some day?

Not fun.

So I started ripping out the pages that I wanted and then tossing the rest of the magazine. Actually, I think it's a pretty brilliant idea.

I think John Nash would agree.

Freedom Of The Press?

Is anyone else concerned that the White House, the term for the top officials in our government, are "waging a war" on a news media outlet, Fox News?

Does it bother anyone else that they are asking other media outlets to, basically, black ball Fox News?

Let's go back a few years to, let's say, the late 1700s. Who here knows our country's history? What happened in the late 1700s?

The Bill of Right happened.

And what are the Bill of Rights? (Obama advisers, any takers here?)

The first ten Amendments of the United States Constitution.

And what does the first amendment say? (Rahm Emanuel, surely you know this one?)

"Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."

Now I realize that no laws have been created that prohibit Fox News from running the stories they wish to run.

However, publicly announcing that Fox News is "not a news organization" (as reported here) and calling on other news networks to not treat Fox as if it were one, is walking that line between simply disagreeing with Fox News and wanting (and attempting) to shut them up for good.

I do believe I shall sleep better at night knowing that the President of the United States and his top advisers find our first amendment inconvenient.

(army)Wife - 1, Stonewall - 0

I play dirty. I'm a wife, so I have to or else the husband would think he rules the roost.

Take the other night, for instance. Stonewall wanted to hang out with our brother-in-law after we had dinner with him and Danielle (Stonewall's sister). I wasn't too thrilled with idea since it was already late. Stonewall promised he would be home by 11:00, so I said okay.

I get home, put Lil Mootz to bed, update the blog, and wait for Stonewall to role in.

At 11:00, my phone rings and its Stonewall letting me know he won't be home by 11:00. I was none to happy with this. I told Stonewall I was upset with him because he said he would be home by now. At this point he tries to apologize and make up with me by (trying) to be funny, but I'm mad at him, so he gets nowhere.

After we hang up, I go to bed...naked.

When Stonewall crawls into bed an hour later he tries to cuddle up with me. When he realizes I'm naked he tries to...well, you know. I tell him to knock it off and move onto his side of the bed. After another attempt at the dirty Stonewall finally realizes I'm serious and curls up on his side.

The next morning Stonewall says, "Babe, did you go to bed naked on purpose last night?"

And I say (with as much sarcasm as possible), "No, I accidentally forgot to put on PJs last night. Of course, I went to bed naked on purpose!"

He says, "I tried to get it on with you last night!"

Me, "Yeah, well, naked wife was for 11:00 Stonewall."