Hello Kimmy

"Matthew's Day Off"

2012-01-30T17:13:00.000-05:00

This is a pretty cute tongue-in-cheek commercial paying homage to Ferris Bueller's Days Off. It was funny, but it made me feel old.

10 Fascinating Folks of 2011 Commentary-McGlover Style

2012-01-02T14:26:00.001-05:00

Megan McGlover KILLS me. I need to be better about watching every single video she posts on YouTube because she's always got something whacked out and interesting to say. She's just one of those people who can always make me laugh out loud no matter what she's spouting off about.
Love her or hate her, Megan is one of the best things about the internet.

Kohler Trumps Santa - A Young Boy's Christmas Wish Comes True

2011-12-31T12:35:00.001-05:00

Meet Dustin Kruse - a little boy who loves toilets! His mom sent a letter to Kohler explaining his passion and they invited him and his parents to tour their design center. The video above shows him happily moving from toilet to toilet, flushing to his hearts content and loving every single minute of it.

Dustin doesn't have any reasonable explanation about why he's fascinated with toilets, he just loves them. I can relate. I don't know exactly what it is about toilets that I find them so interesting, but I just do. No explanation necessary. I also appreciated that his mom didn't talk about Dustin being strange or weird. She genuinely seemed amused that toilets make him so happy.

I wonder what he'll think about this video when he grows up and looks back on his childhood obsession?

Hello Kitty Cup Cakes

2011-12-30T12:28:00.000-05:00

I know somewhere in the ADHA licensure that there must be a warning against giving sweets to your patients, but I'm sure glad my dental hygienist Andrea overlooked it. Yesterday she gave me four Hello Kitty cupcakes that she baked just for me!

My cleaning appointment was at 4pm and she came out into the waiting room to tell me she had a little something for me chilling in the backseat of her car. So we went outside to see and I resisted my impulse to lock arms with her and skip into the parking lot because I already knew what it was going to be!

They were simply gorgeous: four red velvet cupcakes with pink-tinted cream-cheese frosting topped with fondant-designed Hello Kitty faces. Just look at those delicate little black whiskers. Amazing. Andrea explained she used one of her special cake tools to get the whiskers placed just right which was an improvement over the last time she made these for her daughter (another Hello Kitty obsessed adult - see? I'm not the only one) because she had used a tube of gel-based frosting and didn't get the same effect.

The kitty is in the details.

So I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest patient of Boylston Dental Associates. Dr. Scanlon has done lots of good things for my choppers over the years, but he never baked me Hello Kitty cupcakes.

FreeSol - Fascinated ft. Justin Timberlake, Timbaland

2011-12-27T16:50:00.001-05:00

I'm becoming quite a fan of FreeSol and just wanted to share their latest video.

I could do without the snakes though.

Ice Ice Baby - MattyBRaps feat. Vanilla Ice

2011-12-27T16:38:00.001-05:00

First of all, that is REALLY Vanilla Ice in this MattyB video.

Secondly, how cool is it that Vanilla Ice hooked up with this YouTube sensation little kid to sing his big hit? It was nice to see Ice bust some of his old dance moves and I've got to give him props for being a good sport 'cause he's got to be so sick of this song by now. Me? Still loving it.

"Baby Its Cold Outside" - Zach & Donald Holiday Video

2011-12-26T13:14:00.001-05:00

Nothing like a little celebrity Bromance to end Christmas 2011 on a funny note. I love these guys AND they're singing one of my Top 3 Christmas songs.

Sesame Street: Measure, Yeah, Measure

2011-12-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

WHY Do Girls Have To Get All The Pink Toys?

2011-12-24T11:27:00.000-05:00

Destenee - Hello Kitty Christmas (Cute/Corny Christmas Song)

2011-12-24T11:01:00.000-05:00

The Black Keys - Lonely Boy

2011-12-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

I sit on the couch every Monday through Friday sipping my sweetened coffee and channel surfing before I get ready for work. I'll typically switch between Channel 7 and The Fox 25 Morning News to catch anything newsworthy and then move on to the music video stations like MTV, MTV2, VH-1 and Fuse.

But when I was flipping through the channels, I happened to see the above video and thought it was just some stupid MTV reality show where some snarky teens were sitting on a couch laughing at this black man wildly dancing in front of a motel door. I never even considered this was a music video.

But just a few minutes later, I came across this video on another channel and realized it was a music video by the group The Black Keys. I found myself watching the video and really liking this song.

The brilliance of this music video is it must have cost pennies to make and it's the perfect vehicle for such a catchy song. It made me want to listen to other songs by them. So give it a watch and let me know what you think.

Redneck Raindeer

2011-12-22T18:47:00.000-05:00

Redneck Raindeer:

Well I suppose it wouldn’t be truly redneck if “reindeer” was actually spelled correctly. Either way I’m sure all the little kids walking by your truck will be super excited to see Rudolph meet his maker in this type of reindeer game.

Florida

Dirt Off Your Shoulder-Royal Style

2011-12-21T20:59:00.000-05:00

Prince William dancing with Vanessa Boateng during a reception on December 21st. I love how his wife Kate looks on amused with that big smile on her face while her husband is mean-mugging it. As Kanye would say, "That shit cray!"

African Bull Frog vs. Smart Phone

2011-12-21T20:33:00.000-05:00

2011 Movies Watched on Netflix Instant Que

2011-12-17T12:07:00.000-05:00

Jamie Kennedy: Unwashed	Cool & The Crazy	Limitless
Prince of Persia	Nice Guy Johnny	Black Adder
Beauty and the Briefcase	Heartbreaker	Fawlty Towers
The It Crowd	The Loss of the Tear Drop Diamond	Forks Over Knives
30 Rock	For My Wife	Shaun the Sheep
Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40	Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead	Red State
Sesame Street 20 Years	Chaos Theory	The X-Files
Doc Martin	Craig Ferguson: Wee Bit O'Revolution	Rowan Atkinson: Live
Precious	Friday Night Lights	Eddie Izzard: Unrepeatable
Men Behaving Badly	Home Movies	All Good Things
Any Human Heart	Kevin Spencer	Demetri Martin
Dogs Decoded Nova	Life On Mars	The Walking Dead
Sherlock	Expired	Black Adder's Christmas Carol
Jekyll	Beyond Scared Straight	Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work	Lost In Austen	The Christmas Bunny
Obsessed	Neo Ned	Ugly Betty - Season 3
Parks & Recreation	Intervention
Hank & Mike	Kids In The Hall
Mitchell & Webb Look	The Wonder Years
Mall Cops	Me & Everyone We Know
Sherry Baby	Gamer
Food Inc	My Boys
Outsourced	Arrested Development
Spread	Life In A Day
Addicted	When Harry Tries to Marry
American Pickers	The Next 3 Days
How To Lose Your Lover	Take Me Home Tonight
Wendy & Lucy	The Yellow Handkerchief
My Future Boyfriend	Kiss Your Fat Goodbye

That's Entertainment!

2011-12-11T10:35:00.001-05:00

I went to That's Entertainment yesterday with my friend (and former co-worker) Christian under the guise of him looking to do a little Christmas shopping when really ANY trip to that wonderful comic book store is me trying to score relics of toys from my 70's childhood.

My past few trips haven't been that great, but I'm not usually disappointed because I know there's always a chance I'll walk away without buying anything except another plastic Hello Kitty weeble-like toy from the bubble gum machine near the entrance.

Upon walking down the first aisle, I found a plastic mug of Wild E. Coyote for $5 bucks which was an instant grab because the way the cup was made featured his long prominent brown snoot and I thought I could use it as a cup holder on my desk at work. (Turns out this plastic mug was part of a KFC 4-mug Looney Tunes collection from 1992.)

Thought that was pretty cool.

I wandered the aisles and eventually made my way over to Christian who was looking at some Bill Willingham Fables comics that were up against the back wall of comics. The cool thing about this part of the store is they regularly feature larger boxed toys up above the shelves. For example, they have this large poster-sized sheet of Wacky Packages die-cut stickers that haven't been cut down yet into the packaged trading cards. It sells for about $65 and I look at it every time I'm in the store thinking that it would be a cool thing to have framed and hanging on my wall.

And now the cool part!

I looked up and there were (3) Holly Hobbie dolls in their original boxes. I haven't seen any vintage Holly Hobbie stuff in such a long time. It's not like I was ever a big fan of this American Greetings character, but the doll was made by Knickerbocker and just seeing that word sort of brought back this memory of knowing the name from when I was a little girl. Knickerbocker. Why did that stick out to me?

I did a little online research and nailed it. Knickerbocker Preschool made a line of Snoopy articulated dolls and you could buy clothes to dress both Snoopy and his sister Belle in just like you would with a Barbie doll. I had one of those Snoopy dolls.

Back to the Holly Hobbie doll. So Christian was looking at the doll in the box and says, "Huh, I never even heard of Holly Hobbie." To which I replied, "Don't worry, that's a good thing." But then this older guy standing next to us, who was glancing through a comic book, looked over at Christian and agreed that it was a good thing.

Christian bought a few comic books and then it was my turn at the register. I looked up at the man behind the counter and simply said,' Let's not talk about this purchase..." and proceeded to hand him my vintage Holly Hobbie doll and Wild E. Coyote mug. I felt like a first class dork. He knew it and I knew it, but it didn't matter one bit. I figure there's got to be other potential shoppers at That's Entertainment that would buy a Holly Hobbie doll or they wouldn't have been even selling it. So here is a picture of my Holly Hobbie miniature rag-doll that is mint in the box and now ALL MINE. I paid $14 dollar for her and she's going to be put in my bookcase along with a bunch of other treasures including my Etch-A-Sketch, Fisher Price camera, Weebles and Little People.

Falsely Accused Once Again

2011-12-01T18:58:00.001-05:00

Angry Beagle

I am fit to be tied right now and after you read my rant, I'm sure you'll get the dripping irony of that statement.

I came home tonight and took Minnie out for her evening walk. Spencer and I affectionately refer to her walk as her 'round' because we do a nice tidy loop around our neighborhood which gives her a chance to stretch her legs, sniff out any new interesting smells and do her doggy business. (We actually have 3 levels of her round: short round, medium round and the long round. All that means is that we have 2 other established neighborhood routes that essentially widens the perimeter our walk with her so she doesn't get bored with the same old sniffs going from Miami Street to Carpenter Ave to Nome Street and back to Miami Street.)

As I began our walk down Miami Street tonight, I saw another dog Max in the distance looking our way. I always think Max has surpassed what would be the equivalent to a cat's purported nine lives because he's still alive and kicking despite never being on a leash and his propensity for hanging out in the middle of the road clueless about the dangers of distracted drivers in speeding cars.

Carpenter Ave was quiet as we made our way towards him. Upon seeing Max just a little ways away, Minnie happily began wagging her tail and tugging at her leash. Max stood there with his head hanging low and distrustful of us, never making eye contact and tolerating Minnie coming up to his face for a little nose bump and a sniff of his rear end. Like all other nights, their dance had begun.

She immediately grew tired of his disinterest in her, turned from him and resumed her walk towards the edge of the road to sniff out a hefty lump of moist leaves. After all, who knew what olfactory treasures awaited her snoot beneath the leaves? Max followed closely behind, periodically lifting his leg for a short squirt here or there, and we continued on our walk.

I caught a glimpse of headlights and heard an approaching car coming up the road at a pretty fast pace. Since I always carry one of those big yellow flashlights, I pointed it in Max's general vicinity to draw the driver's attention that there was a dog near the side of the road. I didn't want Max to get hit by the car. The driver noticed the light and began to slow down. However it was at this perfect moment that Max decided it would be a better idea to start walking into the middle of the street in front of the car. I called out to him to stop, but he kept on going so that he was standing right in the middle of the street blocking the car from moving forward without hitting him. He just stood there. I tried to mime movement with my flashlight in Max's direction to get him to move off his spot, but it wasn't doing any good and I gave up. I shrugged my shoulders and gave the driver a helpless 'Oh, well I tried...." look. But to my surprise, the passenger of the car rolled down the window and shouted directly at me, "You know, there's a leash law in this city!" just as the car began to push forward whether Max was going to move or not.

I instantly yelled back at her, "NOT MY DOG!" and raised my hand to demonstrate that my dog was, in fact, on a leash.

As the car sped up the street, she called out the window, "Sorry."

And that was the point when I got pissed.

I am so sick and tired of people in and around our neighborhood holding Spencer and I somehow accountable for all the irresponsible things that other faceless dog owners do (or don't do) with their dogs. Minnie is licensed, securely leashed on our walks and we fastidiously gather all of her poop. You will never see Spencer or I walking her without one of those stupid plastic bags. We're mindful to not let her roam too deep onto a neighbor's lawn while we're walking her and we always have her in our control 100% percent of the time. No exceptions.

But apparently none of this matters. I think people see us walking Minnie so much that they just assume that if a pile of shit lands on their lawn, it's from our dog. If a trash bag gets ripped open on Tuesday morning, it must be our dog. If a dog is standing stubbornly in the middle of a dark road at night blocking traffic, it must be our dog.

Let me tell you about a few past encounters with people I don't know:

The guy who owns Max actually shouted at us from his kitchen window one Sunday morning because he saw Minnie squatting to pee on the edge of his property. "Can you not have your dog pissing on my lawn?" But here's the funny thing about that gem of a neighbor. Apparently it's OK for his dog Max to wander the neighborhood happily taking huge dumps on other people's lawns and never being on a leash.

Minnie loves to do that doggy thing where she rolls over onto her back in the yard and delightfully squiggles away in every direction possible rubbing herself into mysterious smells on the ground. I actually had a neighbor come outside to scold me. "I don't want your dog there. My kids play on this lawn." I explained that Minnie wasn't peeing and what she was doing was harmless, but it didn't matter to him. "OK" I said and moved Minnie along while silently adding him to my growing list of assholes.

Just last week, Spencer was walking Minnie up one of the bigger hills in our neighborhood when he sensed a car was behind him so he quickly moved himself and Minnie tight to the side of the road so the car could pass by. But instead an old lady called out to him, from her car, that she didn't want the dog in any way trespassing on her easement. Spencer just said 'OK' and continued on towards home. But let's pause and think about this for a moment. This crazy old lady must have been in her house, saw Spencer walking past her driveway and decided to get into her car to drive around the corner just to warn him. Who does that?

These three examples are just the instances that stand out in my mind as I write this, but I know there have been more. I'd like to think that we get picked on by strangers because they consistently see us out walking Minnie and attribute any and all bad doggy behavior on us.

But tonight what I should have called out after the lady apologized was, "Yea? Well, the city has speed limits, too!"

And thanks to my trusty flashlight and healthy respect for city law, Max lives on untethered and free to crap on anybody's lawn-except, of course, his own.

What a Face!

2011-11-24T13:45:00.001-05:00

What a Face!, a photo by Joel Brochu on Flickr.

It took 221,184 nonpareils sprinkles to make this Beagle mosaic. This is truly a work of art.

Lovely Owl

2011-11-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

My Penchant for Crochet

2011-11-13T21:46:00.001-05:00

In Time movie review

2011-11-13T11:07:00.001-05:00

Spencer took me to see the new Justin Timberlake movie In Time last Tuesday.

I've been jonesing for this one for quite sometime because the whole look of the movie is like one long, gorgeous I'm Bringing Sexyback video shoot, but in movie form for 109 beautiful minutes. But unfortunately, it was a terrible movie.

Justin was perfectly fine in the movie, but he really didn't have much to work with as far as a script. The special effects budget was blown on that silly LED clock built into their forearms and Amanda Seyfried's acting was terrible. I wanted to yank that awful wig off her head through out the entire movie...and maybe pop out her big eye balls.

Spencer's review was succinct and to the point: It took a special kind of courage to watch the whole thing." I really couldn't have said it better myself.

Modern Dogs

2011-10-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

Today's Cartoon:

The Surprise of Their Lives!

2011-10-20T20:25:00.000-04:00

This would TOTALLY be ME if I could SING and could turn back time by 33 years.

Talk about a dream come true. I think back to my musical heroes when I see stuff

like this and it just makes me cry. That little girl simply cannot control herself.

Sunday Morning Foolishness

2011-10-16T19:10:00.000-04:00

Mega Goki is Mega Creepy

2011-09-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

WHO in their right mind would want a cockroach backpack?

I was so creeped out when I came across this today on the site Geek Stuff 4 U that I had to post it.

Attention All Moms: your kid is gonna want this and it's on sale for $63.24. But you better hurry up 'cause Halloween will be here before you know it.

This actually reminds me of the Doctor Who episode 'Turn Left' which finds an enormous chattering insect pinned to Donna's back throughout the episode. Yuck.

I'll be seeing this in my dreams tonight. For once, I'm not looking forward to my head hitting the pillow after a hard day at the office.

"I Can't Jerk Off to Justin Bieber!"

2011-09-06T21:05:00.003-04:00

I actually bought Esmee Denters CD because it was produced by Justin Timberlake and he appears on a few of her songs. THAT'S how desperate I am for new music from Justin Timberlake.

Brothers Got To Work It Out

2011-08-19T19:15:00.000-04:00

Bridge from Ting on Vimeo.

Scents and Insensibility

2011-07-26T16:40:00.002-04:00

I told a random guy at work today that he smelled good. Of course, I apologized beforehand telling him that I was about to say something that most would deem ‘inappropriate’ in a work environment, but I said it anyways.

The nice thing is he smiled and thanked me. Then he told me that one time it wasn’t the first time someone had randomly complimented him. One time he was on a beach and a woman walked up to him to tell him he had ‘nice toes’. Now THAT was way more inappropriate, don’t you think?

I have heard of guys having a foot fetish, but never from the opposite sex. Who knows? Maybe she just liked his feet. Regardless, I achieved my daily goal of talking to one complete stranger today at work and this is the thanks I get for trying to expand my conversational horizons.

Maybe next time I keep should keep my nose out of a stranger’s business!

Swamp Ass PSA starring Nathan Fillion

2011-07-15T12:48:00.000-04:00

Justin Timberlake Hosts the ESPYs

2011-07-10T11:52:00.001-04:00

Rap Hero

2011-07-09T21:59:00.001-04:00

So
So the really, really funny part of this video is the skinny dude who dresses up like Kanye West with diving goggles. These guys try to recreate one of Kanye's epic videos and it's clever as hell.

Tastes Like Chicken

2011-07-09T21:29:00.003-04:00

Pretty much every day I come across something funny to share with selected friends and co-workers.

I sent this picture on the left out this past Friday morning with the subject line: TGIF

My former co-worker and constant friend Jillian responded back: "Bet it tastes like chicken."
My current co-worker and also constant friend Michelle quickly replied back: "Spoken like a true non-mom! True mom's know babies taste like shit! HA!"

I love my co-workers and hopefully they constantly love me back.

Ood vs. iPhone

2011-07-08T11:24:00.001-04:00

I just had a funny thought at work as I was on my way to the bathroom. I was nearly plowed over in the hallway by this woman walking toward me while looking down at her iPhone. It became obvious pretty quickly that she wasn’t aware of her surroundings as she headed directly towards me and I had to make a quick shift to the right to avoid bumping into her. So this experience got me thinking…

The creature on the left is called an ‘Ood’ and it’s an alien from the current Doctor Who franchise. I’d like to draw your attention to that round thingy it is holding. I think it’s some sort of communication device that allows them to interact with other species, but I can’t help thinking it bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone.

It’s a physical part of their body and they carry it everywhere. As humans, I think we’re pretty much one step away from this ourselves. How many times a day do you encounter people walking around oblivious to every single thing happening around them except their bloody phone?

OK. I admit ,like a gazillion other people, I own an iPhone. I love my iPhone, but I’m not in love with my iPhone. Know what I mean? By nature, I’m an introvert and you’d probably expect me to say that I love the solitude that using a smart phone provides me on a daily basis, but I don’t at all. I still believe that being present and giving my 100% attention to someone or something is much more important than checking my Gmail or texting a buddy at any given time of day.

I’ve been to movies where people sit there in the dark illuminated by their iPhone screen because they just can’t seem to shut themselves off from the world for the 90 minutes it would take to watch a film. I’ve been to concerts where people stand up and try to capture every second of the musical experience by using the video on their Smartphone instead of just enjoying the show that they paid big bucks to see. Finally, I’ve been to meetings where half the folks in attendance are texting or checking their phone rather than paying attention to what is being discussed. I’m getting really sick of it.

You’re not going to get any argument from me about how amazing and convenient it is to use a Smartphone. I love my Apps and my ability to have access to pretty much everything in the digital format. Sometimes I just worry that these phones is just another way of allowing ourselves to be driven by distraction rather than being driven by the life that is actually happening around us.

With that being said, I’m off to play Angry Birds. (just kidding!)

Summertime

2011-07-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

We were heading back home this afternoon and this song came on. I thought it was sung by Dr.Hook. Spencer said no. Maybe Dr. John? Another no.

I checked it out later and it's from a 70's band called Mungo Jerry.

I really liked this song when I was little-probably because it was catchy and reminded me of a jug band. Wait. I'm remembering there might be Muppets involved...I'll have to check that out later. But after poking around on the 'Official' site of Mungo Jerry, I happened up on an awesome performance of the song with Billy Idol and Slash. I totally loved their version.

Now I'm off to iTunes to see if I can find the MP3.

So enjoy my trip down memory lane and have an awesome 4th of July.

Charlene II (I'm Over You) by Stephen Colbert & the Black Belles

2011-06-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

The Colbert Report
Tags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Time for me to add Colbert back into my DVR lineup.

Keenan Cahill Kills it with 50 Cent

2011-06-18T10:20:00.000-04:00

I needed something to make me laugh this morning so I replayed this video of Keenan Cahill.

How in the world did he get 50 Cent to make a guest appearance? Keenan's facial expressions are priceless. I think there should be a word for video-lip-synching kids spitting rhymes so dope.

Why Bother?

2011-06-05T07:40:00.001-04:00

Why Bother, a photo by p!speaks on Flickr.

Spencer and I are going to try a Tai Chi class this morning at Shrewsbury Health and Racquet Club.

I know we won't be doing any 'downward dog' moves, but I'm hoping the first class is slow, easy and relaxing. Just like this Beagle named Bruce.

Gumball Wars

2011-06-04T20:51:00.000-04:00

Gumball Wars from Scott Thierauf on Vimeo.

Who Says A Beagle Can't Catch A Ball?

2011-05-21T17:04:00.000-04:00

George Perry Eulogy by Bruce Perry

2011-05-21T16:55:00.000-04:00

My name is Bruce Perry and I am Georges largest nephew, and one of his Biggest Fans!

When I was asked to give this eulogy, I must admit, I was a bit reluctant as I’m not a very strong person when it comes to these situations…dealing with death or dieting, have never been my strong points.

In searching for the right words to describe George, I turned to my dad Francis (his only living sibling).

He talked about family life on the farm in Hardwick, as young boys growing up (George being the youngest of 8 boys with one younger sister), how smart George was at school, graduating with high honors from Hardwick Academy in 1948. Also how George always took extra attention to his appearance, being well groomed and neatly dressed.

During Georges high school years, he worked for a local soda bottler. After graduating high school George joined the military and served for the country he deeply loved.

Upon returning from serving in the military, George stayed my father Francis, and mother Eleanor in New York City while working at a furniture store. My dad told me of how Georges late nights of playing the harmonica, just about drove my mother crazy.

George then met and married the love of his life Jeanette, together they went on to have two adorable children, Spencer and Katie. He was very proud of his kids and their accomplishments. Accomplishments like Spencer bringing his wife Kim and Minnie (the Grand-Dog) into the family and Katie keeping them all in tow with her law degree. Family meant a lot to George, whether it was his wife and children, his siblings spread out across the States, or his nieces and nephews, George always cherished them and held them close in his heart.

I then turned to my cousin Sharon for her memories of George; she told me how George always made her feel special, how he lit the room up with his smile and how important family was to him. She recalled how close George and her father Lawrence were throughout the years. How they did not need to voice their thoughts, that they always knew what each were thinking by just looking into each other’s eyes.

The next person I spoke to was Buster. Buster was his classmate in school and I had asked him if he could share anything about George that I could pass along to everyone here today. Buster recalled how he was friends with George and he remembered him as one hell of a football player….obviously George being (at best) 120 pounds soaking wet, I felt that maybe I needed a second opinion on this….after checking with dad, I guess maybe Buster might have been hit with one too many footballs to his head in his Football career.

I have many fond memories of George over the years, from the times spent at weddings, birthdays, reunions, funerals and many phone conversations. When I would hear from George, he would always say “Hi Bruce it’s Uncle George, Just calling to check in”. He was always calling to check in, not because it was routine, but because of his love of his family. He had a heart of gold, and always put everyone else first before thinking of himself. I received a call two weeks ago from George, he was just checking in, but it was more than just that, he heard that my house was flooded and he was calling to make sure that we were okay, offering his support and asking if we needed anything and how he could help. George truly was one in a million.

One thing I will never forget, that makes me smile even to this day, was the look on my uncle Georges face when he opened the breakfast menu in a hotel in New York City. I’ve never seen Georges eyes get so big, his expression was priceless when he looked at me and said “Bruce, we cannot afford this coffee, Lets Go!” The $6 cup of coffee and $14 scrambled eggs, was just a bit too much for George to handle. While we walked out of the restaurant, He turned to me and said that we can find something cheaper off the street.

Every spring and fall, I would drive dad and Shirley while Katie would drive George and Jeanette to meet at Bellows Falls for a visit and have lunch. The common theme at these lunch dates were George and dad arguing over who’s turn it was to pick up the check, I remembered this all too well as I would watch them arguing while I was up paying our bill. ….true priceless moments, which was money well spent!

In closing I want to read this poem I came across and thought it would be fitting, although I rewrote it to fit my point……..it is now entitled “I’m proud to be in your dash George”

Dear George,

I'M PROUD TO BE IN YOUR DASH

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend

He referred to the dates on his tombstone from the beginning to the end

He noted that first came his date of birth and spoke the following date with tears

But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.

1930-2011

For that dash represents all the time that he spent alive on earth

And now only those who loved him know what that little line is worth

For it matters not, how much we own, the cars…the house…the cash

What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash

So think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left, that can still be rearranged;

If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real,

And always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more

And love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect, and more often wear a smile,

Remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.

So George as I read this eulogy with your life’s actions to rehash,

I'm so very proud to be with-in your dash.

Rest in Peace George... and Thank you for being you.....

This Takes Robot Dancing to a Higher Level

2011-05-21T11:59:00.000-04:00

Have you seen that Planet Fitness commercial with the body builder who flexes his pecs and says, "BAM!" He wouldn't want to meet this incredible street performer.

My Father-In-Law George M. Perry

2011-05-21T08:36:00.000-04:00

My wonderful Father-In-Law George passed away at his home on May 12th.

The picture on the left is of George and my husband Spencer taken at a Perry Family reunion up in Vermont. George kind of looks miserable, right? That was George...he put up with anything for those he loved-even having a cheesy plastic lei wrapped around his head for a funny picture with his son.

It's been a really tough week for us.

I spoke briefly at George's funeral and wanted to post my Eulogy in case any of you are interested in what I had to say about George. (I guess another reason for posting it on my blog is I don't want to let the file sit in 'My Documents' on my computer because doing so makes me feel the loss of George even more....)

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One of the many qualities that I admired most about my father-in-law was his no-nonsense way of telling you how he felt in the moment. There was never a question of being left uncertain about the way he was feeling...if he was angry or irritated with someone or something...trust me, we knew. If you'll forgive me for saying this in the house of the Lord, he came up with some beauties as far as cursing goes. You could learn a thing or two if you listened carefully enough.

But behind his well chosen words, he was a man of action. I'm sure I won't be the first to tell you he showed his love for his friends and family by what he did for us every single day:

He used to drive over to our house each Sunday morning to drop off a newspaper for me and every so often he'd surprise me with my favorite donuts. He taught me how to use a lawn mower after my own father died suddenly. Really...he was just always there...strong as an Ox.

Most importantly, he raised a loving son and gave me a sister-in-law who is like the daughter I never had.

I want to formally thank you all for coming together today to celebrate George's life. It's going to be a very hard day for all of us because we don't want to say good-bye.

Bucket List in Effect

2011-04-10T11:52:00.002-04:00

This is a good reason for me to hop on a plane and visit Iowa. For reeellllzzzzz.

Pole Dancing For Jesus Is The New Christian Workout | The Frisky

2011-04-03T11:07:00.000-04:00

Pole Dancing For Jesus Is The New Christian Workout | The Frisky

This is the latest exercise craze that Megan McGlover was ranting about in my earlier post.

Pole Dancing For Jesus

2011-04-03T10:51:00.000-04:00

Megan McGlover from ATL is the type of woman who can make me smile when I'm feeling down or having an unhappy moment. She loves me long and she loves me strong and that's all I've got to say about that.

Enjoy!

Taste the Rainbow, Lick the Rainbow

2011-04-03T09:40:00.002-04:00

Hova - Thank You For Being A Friend

2011-03-12T16:55:00.000-05:00

Packing For Our Trip

2011-03-12T15:35:00.000-05:00

First of all, why didn't I buy myself this adorable Hello Kitty suitcase for our trip to Las Vegas?

I waited until the last minute to prepare for our trip. It's Saturday and the only major thing I've been able to accomplish is getting our 2010 income taxes done and entering all my Coke reward caps.

My purse has been emptied out onto the kitchen table and I know that I need to sort through everything and decide exactly what to carry in my vacation purse. But I'm finding that to be a bit more challenging than expected.

If you were to walk into my kitchen right now, you'd see the following on the table:

Bose Quiet Comfort Headphones
Amazon Kindle with charger
Cell phone with charger
Las Vegas guide
Several Post-It notes with unintelligible scribbles
Digital camera with charger
Flip video with charger
Neck Pillow and eye mask

I think I've got too many things with power supplies.

So I'm not sure what I'm going to end up taking, but I sort of feel like a judge on American Idol when they're down to choosing the Final 13. Do I take the Kindle or the paperback? The camera or the Flip?

Really it's not that bad. I had wanted to do a little clothes shopping today while Spencer was working, but I decided to just bring some Capri pants and light shirts because the weather is supposed to be in the mid-70's. Anything is better than what it was like this morning walking Minnie. I still had my winter coat, gloves and tassle hat on to keep me warm.

The Worcester Airport Limo is picking us up at 5:30am tomorrow morning. Plus it's Daylight Savings Time which means it will feel like 4:30am instead. Then there's going to be that killer time-zone difference once we hit Las Vegas. It ought to interesting.

Seriously, I cannot wait to get away. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have all this stuff weighing me down. Technology is great, but sometimes too much of a good thing is simply too much.

Stay Tuned for my Day 1 Adventure in Sin City.

Sadie

2011-03-12T09:19:00.000-05:00

Just returned from taking Minnie on her morning Saturday walk and we met a new friend. She's a 1-year old tr-colored Beagle named Sadie who was adopted from The Worcester Animal Rescue League last week. She was so cute that I tried to do a little investigative reporting to see if I could find her picture on their website since she was freshly adopted, but I didn't have any luck. Trust me when I tell you she is flipping adorable.

This neighbor of mine explained that Sadie was about a year old and not trained yet. He admitted that he's more of a cat person, but his daughter really wanted the dog so that's why they got Sadie. Interestingly enough, he shared that his wife is very, very afraid of dogs but she's fine with Beagles because she had one while growing up.

I asked him why he was out walking Sadie instead of his daughter? Like any loving dad, he sort of just huffed at me and said, "Yea, she's still sleeping in bed."

I'm really looking forward to seeing Sadie during our walks going forward. She's a very spunky, friendly Beagle and I can't wait to get to know her better.

Blake Lewis Beatboxing from 'The King's Speech'

2011-03-02T19:30:00.000-05:00

Rahzel's Rap Minute Channel
Tags: Atom.com | Funny Videos | Tournament | Upload

Former American Idol Blake Lewis displaying his mad skillz. I love this guy. He's my absolute favorite from these past ten seasons.

Cheers!

SLEEPING BEAUTIES!

2011-02-21T13:18:00.001-05:00

SLEEPING BEAUTIES!, originally uploaded by MABYSGOTAY.

This made me smile today.

All I Need Is The Tour

2011-02-12T08:09:00.000-05:00

I cannot stop listening to Duran Duran's latest CD 'All You Need Is Now'...I've played it over and over again on my iPod while at work and I've cranked it endlessly in the car on the ride home. It is one of their best albums ever.

It seems to me that every song could be linked back to one of their classics from the Planet Earth and Rio albums. Nick's keyboards playing homage to the simple haunting sound of 'The Chauffeur' on the song 'The Man Who Stole A Leopard'. And one of my favorites-'Leave A Light On' is reminiscent of their classic song 'Save A Prayer'

I joked that their last CD was the Holy Trinity for me: Duran Duran + Timbaland + Justin Timberlake = it simply couldn't get any better for me as a long-time fan. But they have surprised me once again by collaborating with producer Mark Ronson who somehow seamlessly coaxes the boys back in the direction of what made them one of the hottest bands of the 80's.

Just listen to Simon's vocals on the performance above of the single 'All You Need Is Now'...the high notes he hits at the end of the song are surprisingly precise and stunning when you consider the band is playing live and his vocals aren't being enhanced to perfection by a producer in the studio.

I'm never comfortable writing a review about something that I like because I know there are tons of people out there who can do it so much better than me. But trust me when I tell you that this is one of their best.

So when is the Tour?

I've Got Me The Winter Blues

2011-02-06T10:27:00.000-05:00

Like everyone else, I'm entirely sick of Winter.

I'm tired of dressing in layers. I'm tired of not having any control over my day when the weatherman tells everyone to expect more snow. Sometimes their predictions hit the snow fall totals pretty accurately and other times it feels like I should just buy me a copy of the Old Farmer's Almanac to see what's in store for us.

The threat of the roof collapsing over my head is what's really bothersome right now. It could all just be the hype, but I tried getting a quote to have the snow removed from our roof. The man said between $600-$700 and I decided I'd rather take my chances with Mother Nature. So far no leaks or creaks on Miami Street and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the snow is going to melt off the roof without incident or drama.

I was thinking the other day that I miss hearing the birds chirping outside when I leave for work in the morning. Being able to see the occasional beautiful red cardinal outside snacking at the bird feeder just doesn't do it for me anymore. I'm done with the cuteness of scampering squirrels, frozen dog poo and tracking sand into our kitchen. Enough already.

I'm supposed to go tubing at Ward Hill in Shrewsbury this upcoming Thursday afternoon as part of a group post-holiday work celebration. I was looking forward to it before because I have never gone tubing, but now it just feels like I'm consorting with the enemy. I don't want to have fun slipping and sliding in the snow. Snow is evil and meant to be despised. I don't want to feel the rush of wind against my ears as I go plummeting down a slick hill only to climb back up and do it again.

But like everyone else living in New England, I've got to get through this and take comfort in knowing that every day passed is a day closer to Spring. But what troubles me is that all this snow is like the manifestation of a savings bank. Sooner than later the snow is going to melt and my basement will be in danger of becoming a wading pool.

I guess how you survive Winter is all just a matter of perspective. For now I'll take solace in knowing that someday soon all this snow will be gone. But what really troubles me is where it's going to go.

Darth Vader vs. 2012 Volkswagen

2011-02-05T11:01:00.000-05:00

My New Favorite Weather Woman in the ATL!

2011-01-29T09:26:00.000-05:00

I need people like this lady in my life 24/7. She is one of the funniest people I've come across in a long time and that's high praise indeed if you know me.

A Smurf Smurfing a Dream

2011-01-17T21:15:00.001-05:00

A Smurf Smurfing a Dream, originally uploaded by NJ Toy Geek.

Is it wrong that sleeping is one of the favorite parts of my day?
I'm fortunate that I get to sleep like every single day.

Some of my fondest teen memories were coming home after school and napping in my parent's water bed. The mattress was heated and there were so many baffles built into the liner that it felt like I was floating on air.

I remember they also had this really expensive velvet patchwork quilt that they had bought when they got the water bed. I think at the time that patchwork quilt cost them about $200. It doesn't really seem that expensive now, but when you consider this was the early 80's it really was quite a luxury.

Another fond memory I had was sometimes at night I would crawl into bed with my mom to keep her company when my dad was away on a trip. ( I'd sleep on my dad's side of the bed which somehow made me miss him less and helped my mom get a better night's sleep because she wasn't in the bed all by herself.)

Often my mom would leave the radio on during the night to help her get to sleep. To this day, I can never hear that Led Zeppelin song 'Stairway to Heaven' and not think about that one night I laid next to her for what seemed like a solid 30 minutes while that song just went on and on and on.

In taking this little trip down memory lane, I am left wondering where I would go to buy a water bed? Do they even make them anymore?

Snowtorious B.I.G.

2011-01-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

Mother Nature gave me my birthday gift early this year - SNOW! In fact, she really went all out with my present 'cause she wrapped up the snow in all this beautiful wind that deceptively makes the snow seem all soft and fluffy when clearly it's not.

Luckily for us, a blessed teen showed up on our doorstep this afternoon looking to shovel out the walk and the driveway. Now that's the kind of present I'm talking about and it doesn't even phase me one bit that I had to pay for it. I powered him up with glass bottles of Coke and thanked him profusely in flipping great wads of my cash.

The view out our window this afternoon was pretty non-existent until I saw this dad pulling his toddler behind him in this really cute sled. The little boy was bundled up in overprotective layers-so much so that I could only see his eyes-and all the padding this little kid was wearing made it seem like if the wind picked him up, well, he'd bounce all the way home. It would have been a Hallmark moment, but then the dad reached into his pocket for his smokes and proceeded to light up before gathering up the sled's rope and moving on. I just don't see how you can smoke in a blizzard, but that's just my non-smoker judgmental opinion rearing it's ugly head.

Eventually the snow stopped falling and we decided to take Minnie out for a walk through the neighborhood to see if we could be witness to any fallen power lines, abandoned vehicles or general mayhem taking place around us. It was pretty uneventful. But the wind was whipping so badly that we couldn't see anything so we relied on our Beagle Minnie to tug on her leash and lead us safely home. Seriously, she could be a sled dog if it wasn't for her ample midsection.

I'd like to give a special shout-out to DIRECTV for withstanding the inclement weather conditions which allowed me to watch that new Oprah show 'Master Class' so I could learn a little bit more about the great Jay-Z and to the makers of Kellogg's for yet another delicious bowl of Fruit Loops with Marshmallows enjoyed while watching Hova on Oprah's new network. I couldn't have gotten through this pre-Birthday without both of you.

And now, last but not least, Mother Nature for giving me a gift that will keep on giving all season long. (I hope she kept the receipt!)

Happy 30th Anniversary Duran Duran

2011-01-09T16:10:00.000-05:00

Has it really been 30 years? Above is their latest video for their song 'All You Need Is Now' and might I just say how much I still love this band? I started loving them all the way back in 1982 so I've been a forever fan for 29 years.

Happy Anniversary Duran Duran. I still love you as much as I did when I was twelve years old.

Hedgehog - Possibly the Cutest Hog Ever.

2011-01-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

A Laugh Is A Smile That Bursts

2011-01-08T19:41:00.002-05:00

Utterly Horrifying - Toddlers & Tiaras

2011-01-06T19:50:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to seeing this show and indeed it is the most disturbing thing airing on television. I know that's a pretty confident statement coming from someone who has never watched an episode of Jersey Shore, but I was horrified last night watching this beauty pageant show.

When I saw this poor little girl dressed up to look like Madonna while her mother had her dancing to 80's themed music, the very awkward feeling that washed over me can only be likened to that uncomfortable feeling of watching a movie with my parents when someone was having sex on the screen. Awkward.

These poor little girls. They're made-up to look like adult women and strut their non-existent 'stuff' in front of audiences that must be littered with pedophiles. (Remember that scene in Little Miss Sunshine with the creepy guys?) How can mothers do this to their children?

What is to become of their childhood? Isn't it enough that they'll have to deal with their self-perceived shortcomings the rest of their adult lives as they compare themselves to airbrushed stick insect models? Will they know that their personal worth isn't defined by the size of their latest Coach bag?

These pageant moms need to stop dressing their daughters up like Bratz dolls and start teaching them that beauty comes in many forms and certainly not always on the outside.

Muppets do MONSTER by Kanye West

2011-01-04T21:33:00.000-05:00

The Kindle vs. A Guilty Pleasure

2011-01-04T19:28:00.000-05:00

I have lots and lots of guilty pleasures. For the most part, I tuck my guilty pleasures away because they really are meant just for me and no one else. That's what makes them a guilty pleasure.

One of Kim's Guilty Pleasures

Let's take the movie Grease 2 as an example:

I would be simply mortified if anyone knew that I cry my eyes out everytime I see the scene towards the end of movie were Michael (aka Cool Rider) is presumed dead after he's chased by the T-Birds through a construction zone. Poor Stephanie--she'll never know that Michael really was the sexy and mysterious Cool Rider all along.

Wait. Scratch that. What was I thinking? It's Danny and Sandy. Definitely Danny and Sandy.

I got to thinking about guilty pleasures after a morning coffee conversation with my coworkers Michelle and Marybeth. I think we began discussing the Amazon Kindle because Michelle's husband ending up downloading a historical book for 50% less on their Nook vs. the actual book for sale in Barnes & Noble.

Marybeth's Favorite Book!

Marybeth piped up saying how much she loves her Amazon Kindle and I mentioned that I had recently gotten the 3G Kindle as a gift from Spencer although the only thing I've really done with it so far was download free trashy supernatural romance novels and a Scrabble game. I can't recall Marybeth's exact remark, but she told us how just a few days ago she got to reread one of her most favorite books Ribsy by Beverly Cleary while waiting for her car to be repaired at the dealership.

Now isn't that the cutest thing? Here before me sat a professional, young married woman confessing her love for a children's book and making absolutely no apologies for reading it on her Kindle when most people would be reading the latest James Patterson book or that insanely popular Girl with the Dragoon Tattoo series.

I think the beauty of the Amazon Kindle or any e-reader, for that matter, is you can read whatever you want and you don't have to be concerned with people nosing in on what you're reading. I really hate that. "Whatcha reading?" someone will ask. "Oh, I read that..." You don't have to be like one of those women reading their Danielle Steel books wrapped up in a quilted book cover while waiting for their hair to dry under the heat lamp at the beauty salon. If so desired, you could quite easily download and read Mein Kamph by Hitler and then move on to Twilight by Stephanie Meyer without anyone ever knowing.

I respect all guilty pleasures. They've got to be pretty special people, places or things that make you swim against the tide and carve out that little spot of happiness in your life that you can call all your own. So I've got that cheesy Grease 2 movie that I bet Michelle Pfeiffer would love to remove from her IMDB profile and Marybeth has got her story about the dog who gets lost in a huge shopping mall parking lot.

So I ask you: what's your guilty pleasure? Tell me, it's OK, I swear I won't tell a soul. It'll be just between us.

Farewell Pomegranates...It's been POM-Wonderful

2011-01-01T14:25:00.000-05:00

I thought it would be appropriate to officially document the end of my Pomegranate season. Boy, it's been one hell of a juicy ride.

I'm afraid to even consider how much money I've spent this year on my Pomegranate habit, but it has to be at least $200 bucks or more. The average price I paid at the supermarket this year was $2.50/each or approx. $20 per visit just on this fruit alone. My best deal was found just a few weeks ago up in North Conway, New Hampshire when we visited a Hannaford Supermarket during a minor snow storm paying a mere $1.99/each for soft-ball size Pomegranates.

My co-worker Carrie sent me this infographic a while back from that awesome site GraphJam and I think I told her at the time that I was going to print this one out, nicely frame it and hang it in my kitchen. (Note to self: DO THIS!)

I suspect my digestive system is in tip-top shape and really I've only ruined a couple dish towels and t-shirts with the juice splatters. My thanks go out to all my friends and family who have supported my unnatural habit by purchasing me pomegranates or pomegranate-related merchandise since mid-October.

I begin 2011 with ten stained, but well-worked fingers and many pleasant memories of seeds gone by.

Spogs...Who Knew????

2011-01-01T13:58:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year to ME! I have, just moments ago, hit the proverbial jackpot and/or discovered my Holy Grail: I finally found those little liquorice-flavored jelly buttons that are part of the Bassett's Liquorice Allsorts.

My good friend and former co-worker Jillian has family in England. She visits them a couple times a year, but one of the best things about her trips is she gets to bring back Cadbury chocolate.

What you may not know about Jillian is she has a Celiac food allergy which prevents her from eating Gluten. Britain is much more progressive than the United States in labeling the ingredients on their food packaging so she's become quite the connoisseur on what she can and cannot eat. If you know Jillian then you know she can eat lots and lots of Cadbury chocolate, but only if it's made in the U.K. In fact, she buys so much Cadbury chocolate when she visits England that she's actually paid a penalty of $50 at the airport for having exceeded the baggage weight limit and once threw her back out lifting a piece of luggage out of a cab coming back from England.

Jillian first brought me back Liquorice Allsorts from England that tasted amazing because they were extra chewy and very fresh. (Ever snack on Good 'N Plenty's that have gone stale? If so, you'll understand why freshness is very important when it comes to eating liquorice.) Another time she brought me back a Cadbury Curly Wurly which is the British version of the now defunct Marathon Bar which was available in the United States in the late 70's.

One time she brought me back Walker's Nonsuch Licorice Toffee and I ate the whole bag in one sitting because I had never tasted something so infused with rich flavor and creamy texture. So these ended up being my two favorite treats that she always brought back for me when she visited her family in England.

Back in October I sent myself an email with links to a few online retailers that sold the toffee because I was loving it so much that I didn't want to have to wait until Jillian's next trip to England. (She had recently accepted a new job and I didn't think she would be traveling anytime soon which meant I was on my own to fend for my British sweets.)

As I've been on Christmas break this past week, I've had lots of time to catch up on emails wasting away in my in-box. It was only this morning that I decided to do a little web surfing for a state-side supplier of Walker's Liquorice Toffee after reading that reminder email I sent myself three months ago.

Scrolling through a list of Liquorice candy, I suddenly and quite unsuspectingly came across a listing for SPOGS on this site called Sweetstall.com. I nearly missed it. I was sweeping down their list of available liquorice and was almost to the very end of the page when I spotted the candy I've been looking for years. Instantly my mouth watered seeing those little blue and pink jelly buttons and yeah, you could say my heart skipped a beat. The description was as follows: Spogs, an aniseed flavored jelly sweet with a coating of tiny balls of aniseed flavored candy. Spogs can be confused with Jelly Buttons, but Spogs are a better quality. These sweets are the ones found in the Liquorice Allsorts mix.

Talk about an OMG moment! I instantly added several packages to my shopping cart and proceeded to check out, but there was a problem: I couldn't figure out how much the shipping was going to cost to send my goodies to the United States. Sadly the site didn't have a conversion applet from U.S. dollars to G.B.P (pounds) and I would have had to enter my credit card so I could find out the estimated shipping charges. This made me uneasy because of a past experience buying a Little Britain birthday card for Spencer which cost me an enormous amount of money to ship and I simply couldn't make that same mistake twice.

I began looking for an online retailer in the United States. I searched for quite a while and could only find one retailer that sold Spogs, but they were out of stock. But I couldn't give up and was determined to buy those Spogs.

In the end, I found several international sellers on EBAY. (I really should have checked there first and I'm not sure why I didn't because you can find practically anything on EBAY. That's what makes it such an amazing site.) I found a seller named Recycled Radios located in The United Kingdom who was selling three packages for 1.10 GBP which is approx. $1.72 each. All totaled, my purchase cost me $17.75 including shipping from the U.K.

Obviously the shipping was the most expensive part of the purchase, but this is my test run for SPOGS. If they are exactly as promised and taste as amazing as they do in the Allsorts collection then 2011 is already off to a great start.

Happy New Year everyone.

Attack of the Killer Trader Joe's Tomato

2010-12-28T21:08:00.000-05:00

Spencer and I took a quick trip to the Trader Joe's in Shrewsbury, MA tonight and I just had to write about the woman in front of me in line.

It's worth saying that I've never been a fan of Trader Joe's. It's not the store, it's simply the type of people who shop there. My general observation has been these people eat Granola, have food allergies, don't wear socks, embrace the cuteness of cow bells clanking at the registers and somehow balloons are occasionally involved with these people's kids.

However, I've completely warmed to this particular Trader Joe's location because they took over a now defunct pool supply store which has allowed them to nearly double their retail space. More space in the aisle means Kim doesn't have to kill anyone. Those sandal -wearing neo-hippies can make love to their nuts and berries while leaving me to peruse the insanely cheap flower bouquets and the fresh produce.

So tonight we went there to buy six bags of broccoli that are packaged for steaming in the microwave and I scored 4 more Pomegranates for $1.99 each. I chose the register where the cashier was sporting his tropical Hawaiian shirt along with a salt and pepper beard. Unfortunately he was in the middle of ringing up a woman who quickly turned into one of those super annoying customers that I always seem to have the pleasure of standing behind in every check-out line!

Apparently she bought some plum tomatoes the other day for $2.16 and they were simply awful.

Cashier rings the cow bell and presumably the front end manager promptly appears to credit the lady $2.16 no questions asked. (Mind you, she didn't have the offensive tomatoes with her nor did she have a receipt for the prior purchase!)

This is what burns me up. After she's pleasantly credited the $2.16, she just has to remark to the cashier, "Well, I know I won't be buying my tomatoes from Trader Joe's anymore!"

As Seth and Amy from SNL would say, "Really? Really!"

Was it entirely necessary to make that remark after she was completely taken care of by Trader Joe's? Wasn't it enough that they gave her money back without any hassle at all? Did she have to say that she would be taking her tomato business elsewhere?

I've purchased hundreds of dollars in Pomegranates over these past few years. I've had my fair share of rotten ones, but I've never once returned fruit to a grocery store because it's just not something I would ever consider doing. I know some would say I'm entitled to a refund. However my philosophy is buyer beware when you're buying fruits and vegetables. There's a reason why I see people knocking on watermelons and sniffing cantaloupes in the local supermarket...picking fresh fruit is a skill that is developed over time. You're bound to choose poorly sometimes-it's just the way of the world.

Tonight I left Trader Joe's with a healthy respect for their excellent customer service. I guess Trader Joe's customers are probably like any other customers out there in the land of retail: there's always going to be one rotten tomato.

Rainbow lamb

2010-11-25T21:57:00.001-05:00

Rainbow lamb, originally uploaded by Tims Photo's.

Someone really took pride in presenting their lamb at The Sacramento County Fair.

Tundra Comics for Turkey Day

2010-11-25T11:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T10:59:00.000-05:00

My bestie Marty just texted me a picture of the Hello Kitty balloon seen at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I'm not a parade sort of gal, but seeing this in person from the ground certainly would have been worth it. But since I have such awesome friends, I didn't need to be there because when she saw that big old kitty she instantly thought of me.

It seems the common thing to do during this holiday is to become reflective about things in your life you are most grateful for.

In no particular order, here is my list of people, places and things that make me want to high-five total strangers just to show them how happy I am today:

Amazon Prime: The $79 bucks that I paid for this 2-day delivery service is going to save me from all the frustration of holiday shopping in the upcoming weeks.
Music: This past week has seen some incredible new releases from some of my favorite artists and right now I can't wait to get in my car and drive with the volume turned up to level 16.
Bose: I just accepted a new position within the company as a Retail Analyst. I've begun to meet new people and learn lots of new things about Retail that has me energized and excited to get out of bed every day, not to mention how thrilled I am to have a brand new laptop and shorter commute to work.
Spencer: All mushy stuff aside, I am thankful to have spent these past 24 years of my life with him.
Cold Nights: Our beagle Minnie is more than happy to snuggle up to us in the bed every night now that the temps have dropped and somehow feeling her weight against the back of my legs or hearing her gentle snoring adds a sense of peace to the night.
Friends: My co-worker and friend Patty recently invited me to join her and her family for Hanukkah dinner on December 5th. I know I'll probably be looked upon as a strange invite at the dinner table by some of her family, but the fact that she's welcoming me into her inner sanctum means more to me than I can say.
Pomegranates: I look forward to ending each day sitting in front of the TV watching a favorite show and picking those damn little juicy seeds out of their skin and happily eating each seed while I stain the tips of my fingers yellow and try not to make too much of a mess.
That's Entertainment: Spencer and I take a trip to this comic book store every Sunday morning. He buys old video games and I buy a couple of Smurfs each week. I love walking through the aisles because it allows me to be exposed to this whole other world of collecting that I've never experienced before. While I see adults talk excitedly about comic books, I get lost in my own world searching for old toys and appreciating the thrill of the hunt. Currently I've got my eye on this Fisher Price xylophone in it's original box, but I talk myself out of buying it every time we go there. I know I'm going to buy it, but just knowing that it remains on the shelf, unsold, week after week will only make it more special to me when I finally give in.

So that's my short list of things right now. I hope you take the time to come up with your own list and reflect on what makes you grateful this Thanksgiving.

Kathy Griffin @ The Hanover Theater

2010-11-20T19:40:00.002-05:00

Karen and I went to see the comedian Kathy Griffin tonight at the Hanover. Karen turned 40 this past September and since we both love Kathy Griffin, I thought treating her to (nearly) front row center seats would be a great gift.

Kathy walked out to the roar of the crowd and just did a fantastic job owning the entire place. She dished on celebrities, talked about how she dedicated a chapter of her book about a bad stand-up performance in Worcester and closed the show by reading a purported drunk 2am email from her mother Maggie sharing her Last Wishes.

I hate crowds so naturally I stayed behind while everybody filed out. I passed the time by taking some photos of the ornate chandeliers and got a pretty good picture of Karen talking on her cell phone, but here's the best part: as we were beginning to leave this middle-aged woman walked up to the stage and asked the stage hand if she could have the red plastic cup that Kathy used to drink her water from during the performance. The look on the guys face was precious and I wish I could have captured the moment. He must have been thinking, "Really? You want the plastic cup? OK... here take it. Less trash for me to clean up."

Speaking of trash...I was feeling kind of bad seeing all the senior citizen ushers walking through the aisles after the show collecting the empty glass beer bottles and cups left by the audience. It made me sad.

Way to keep it classy Worcester.

Santa's Little Helper

2010-11-14T18:52:00.000-05:00

Our groomer Furry Essentials was offering professional holiday photographs through Brenda Gale Photography. We signed up and Minnie had her big photo shoot this morning around 10am.

Brenda took some really cute photos of Minnie. I'll be sure to post the link soon so you can see all of the photographs.

This particular one was my favorite: Minnie looking at the camera with her get-me-the-hell-outta-here look while Spencer was cooing something adorable in her floppy ear.

We love this dog so damn much!

Baby Owl Practices Pouncing on Imaginary Prey - CUTE!

2010-11-06T21:17:00.002-04:00

Ricky Gervais...Brought To You By The Letter N

2010-11-06T10:41:00.002-04:00

Friends With Benefits -Thank You Justin TImberlake...Again!

2010-11-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

As much as I'm frustrated that Justin isn't rushing into making another CD, he is delivering on the goods with upcoming movies. And by 'goods' I mean the above super-hot flirty red trailer recently released online to create some buzz prior to its release date on July 22, 2011.

I've already added it to my DayPlanner with a exclamation point where the point is in the shape of a heart...cause I Heart Justin Timberlake....

In the Jungle, the mighty jungle...

2010-10-15T21:50:00.000-04:00

I feel like this song today. The woman screeching in the background reminds me of Star Trek...I have no idea why.

A History of Rap: Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake & The Roots

2010-10-09T23:15:00.000-04:00

A History of Rap: Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake & The Roots

It's embarrassing how many times I've watched this performance. This makes life worth living.

2010 B.O.N.E.S Beagle Bash

2010-09-26T00:04:00.000-04:00

Beagle Bash 2010

Minnie, Katie and I had a nice afternoon being around all the other Beagle enthusiasts at the B.O.N.E.S Beagle Bash held in Auburn, MA.

Katie and I went last year, but didn't take Minnie with us because I didn't know how she would react to so many dogs - especially her own kind -and I had wanted to check it out myself before bringing her. I shouldn't have had any concerns because she went with us this year and I think she wasn't impressed with the whole event.

We got to see a short presentation from a K-9 unit using her Beagle to sniff out suspicious smells in luggage. That was pretty interesting.

We also got to see a Hop Along Cassidy 3-legged Beagle all decked out in his cowboy outfit. The theme this year was something about cowboys, but I didn't see too many people dressing up their dogs. Thank God. I threw a red bandanna around Minnie, but that's about it. Minnie isn't into costumes. She's more into food.

Minnie was exhausted by the time we left and she came home to only nap the rest of the afternoon away.

Honda vs. Toyota

2010-09-11T14:24:00.001-04:00

This was the scene of my big excitement today. I was going to the groomer to pick up Minnie from her bubble bath and came across this hot mess.

The Toyota was brandy new and the guy driving it was a Papa Gino's pizza delivery guy just trying to get someone one of their pizza's for lunch.

The man driving the Honda SUV apparently jumped out of his truck immediately after impact, but after finding out the guy that hit him was working for Papa Gino's that's when he started to feel all tingly and needed medical assistance.

The irony of this incident is where it happened - right in front of an EMT training center. So by the time I gathered Minnie and we were heading for the car, the EMT class was getting out and let's just say they were interested in a little hands-on training.

Not To Be Confused with a Brillo Pad

2010-09-11T09:43:00.002-04:00

see more Daily Squee

Coochie Coochi Coo

2010-09-11T09:42:00.000-04:00

Be Nice Monster

2010-09-06T19:43:00.000-04:00

Spencer bought this garden sculpture from Design Toscano for his mom's backyard. (It came in two pieces and hooked easily to the tree)

Apparently this BigFoot is so life-like that a little visitor named Olivia quickly ran inside the house after seeing the monster hiding behind the tree in my mother-in-law's backyard. She even tried to lock the kitchen door because she was afraid the monster was going to get her. How cute is that?

Her brother was wondering why there weren't any foxes in the woods behind the house? Spencer remedied the situation by promptly buying a nice resin fox from Design Toscano.

Can't wait to see their reaction the next time they visit The Perry's.

Black Flag Home Invading Scorpions

2010-09-06T19:27:00.000-04:00

Spencer happened to see this can of Black Flag sitting on a shelf in the pesticide section at the new Super Wal-Mart in Worcester.

(Note the single can featuring a big and scary scorpion. )

This must be a misplaced can because I've never heard of scorpions being indigenous to Massachusetts.

My First Solo Mission

2010-08-31T18:32:00.000-04:00

Sadly I went shopping today, all by myself, during lunch because one of my friends (and most favorite co-worker) is no longer working with me. She's moved on to EMC in Hopkinton, MA.

I had intended to visit Staples in Westborough to wander the aisles since I haven’t been there in months and haven’t checked out their Back-To-School merchandising. But instead I was pulled towards Home Goods to check out their Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations.

Aside from the aisles and aisles of decorative seasonal décor, I came across some really interesting things that I was tempted to purchase, but restrained myself. They had a wooden standing magazine stand that would be just perfect to place in my hallway for $50.00. (I’m still undecided and might swing by on my way home from work to buy it!)

I found a bright yellow smiley face canister with a latch on the side. I had to buy it, but I have no idea what I’m going to do with it. My guess is it’s being added to my smiley face collection which will eventually be displayed in my curio case.

In their pet section I found a marked-down doggy frame and seriously considered buying your dog Anke a rawhide birthday card, but I put it back because it wasn’t personalized enough. (God forbid I buy my friend's dog a card and it doesn’t have my personal touch of humor and sentiment.)

I also dug around in their clearance section and found some Beagle embroidered hand towels that I bought for the newly painted bathroom.

I remember this feather wreath I thought I would buy as an Easter decoration a while back, but Jillian thought it was too tacky and thus perfect for me. Well, months later Home Goods has had one in pale green that would have looked perfect hanging on my bathroom wall for a mere $14, but I didn’t buy it because we tend to use a lot of baby powder post shower and I wasn’t sure if the powder particles would float around and attach themselves to the wreath.

I lurked around in their children’s décor section and found two blue throw pillows each saying ‘Jacob’ and ‘Edward’…. I left them alone, but took a picture of them on my cell phone for posterity to show all my Twilight buddies!

As I was checking out, I grabbed a box of Mini Liquorice Allsorts by McKeever Danlee for $1.99 as my impulse buy. (The back of the box said they were a product of South Africa and may contain Gluten. ) I cracked open the box upon returning to the office and they were delicious. I’ve never had mini Allsorts. Weird.

My First Pomegranate Sighting of the Season!

2010-08-31T18:31:00.002-04:00

Spotted at Stop & Shop in Hudson, MA 8/31/10

Wildlife Preserves

2010-07-11T20:37:00.001-04:00

Wildlife Preserves - Picture Is Unrelated - WTF Pictures and Videos

Sometimes I come across stuff online and I'm desperate to share it with other like-minded individuals. Sadly I don't think a lot of people get my sense of humor. This is a perfect example of something that makes me want to smile so wide my skin cracks from the pressure of my happiness. I simply love my weird shit.

Finally - A Bit of Levity

2010-06-30T21:09:00.000-04:00

I've got my IMAX ticket to see Eclipse Thursday at 4:30pm in Natick. This has been a long week of work and Edward is my reward!

Les Grossman (Tom Cruise) & Robert Pattinson 2010 MTV Movie Awards Video

2010-06-05T10:14:00.000-04:00

Super Creep

2010-05-27T13:17:00.000-04:00

Our Beagle Minnie does one hell of a job creeping up on you and I've come to expect her stealth way of getting her point across.

I walk down our hallway on the way to the bedroom to change clothes. Minnie is nestled all snug and comfortable in her doggy bed rolling her big sad eyes up at me as she sees me approach and bang a right into the bedroom. I open the closet doors and turn around.

Bam! There she is lying like a flat pancake smack in the middle of the entrance to our bedroom. She's flopped herself down 50% perfectly inside the bedroom and 50% outside the hallway. She's trying to tell me something.

I know what she wants. She wants to be taken for a walk around the neighborhood which we affectionately call 'the round'. I turn my back on her to grab something out of my closet and no sooner do I turn around to find her flopping on the floor about a 1/3 closer to me. She's trying to get my attention. I imagine she believes she is being subtle and I won't notice that just a fraction of a second ago she was 75% away from me in the hallway/bedroom area. I know what she's up to, but I've decided to make her work for her walk.

I don't make eye contact with her. I pull out a top and begin to change knowing that at any moment she will have decided upon two actions: (1) move just a little bit closer to really bring home her point or (2) jump up on my thigh to do her magnificent long arching back stretch which clearly indicates she's worn me down and will be taken on a walk.

Most of the time I don't mind her creeping up on me. It's kind of cute most days. Spencer and I hardly ever stumble over her or step on her tail when she moves unexpectedly closer to one of us to get our attention. She does one hell of a job getting her point across that she needs something and isn't afraid to put herself in the way of an occasional misstep. She's just a dog who knows what she really, really wants.

Today is really no different except this time I had every intention of taking her for a walk. It's nearly 1:30pm and I'm on vacation today. I'm still walking around in my nightgown with a full belly of coffee and a loose plan on how I'm going to plan the rest of my free time.

Thanks to Minnie's steady creeping up on me, I know the first thing I have to do is take her on the walk. She's worked marginally to get my attention this time and in a way I'm bummed out that she decided to pass on the thigh jump and stretch routine. Today she's opted to position herself into a nest of warm pillows on my side of the bed and stare at me as I write this blog as if to say, "C'mon. You can write about me all you want later today, but take care of me first."

Who am I not to oblige?

How To Sit Down

2010-05-23T11:19:00.000-04:00

Perfection (Box)

2010-05-01T23:53:00.001-04:00

DSC_0045, originally uploaded by iamchief.

I was right. All those little pieces popped up if you ran out of time.

Perfection

2010-05-01T23:51:00.001-04:00

DSC_0047, originally uploaded by iamchief.

I haven't seen this game for years. I had forgotten what it looked like. All I remember was that stupid timer ticking and then if you didn't get all the shapes put in place, the buzzer would ring (I think) and all the little different shaped pieces would pop out.

This game freaked me out. They should have called it Pressure. This is the closest thing to child abuse that my parents bought me for Christmas.

Muppets wedding cupcakes

2010-04-24T15:58:00.000-04:00

Muppets wedding cupcakes: "I first saw these Muppets cupcakes on Flickr so I didn't realize they were from a Muppets wedding (!!) until I visited the Facebook page of the UK's Cupcake Occasions, based in Caydon, Nr Ipswich, . Wow! Wedding cupcakes are really a time when you can express yourself and make your event memorable, and Cupcake Occasions have totally done that here; click here for a wonderful photo of the bride reacting to her cupcake tower.

Cupcake Occasions
07910 962745
amanda at rawlins.com

Google Voice Strikes Out Again

2010-04-17T10:04:00.001-04:00

My co-worker and very good friend Patty left me a voice mail yesterday because her husband had taken ill and she was at the hospital. This is my Google Voice translation of the voice mail she left me:

Hey Kimma, It's Gary 130 on. Hi Kim and I was gonna call you on work phone, but ha. I'm at thehospital right now, so there's A. M at that I was going on. Let you know marketing on the phone 3today. What's going on. It's probably in the on this morning, the mobile hospital in has been admittedto just care will be here this morning. Yeah I think he has we have. Well, it looks like doublepneumonia and blood infection. Excellent. Yeah evening so hi. I'll catch up with you. Bye.

the funniest commercial

2010-04-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Stand By Easter

2010-04-04T19:07:00.002-04:00

Beagle Works Hard For The...Treat.

2010-04-04T11:29:00.000-04:00

Minnie's Teeth

2010-02-28T11:22:00.001-05:00

Teeth, originally uploaded by indietoy.

Our Beagle Minnie had oral surgery on 12/28/09. We were expecting her to have 3 teeth removed, her remaining teeth scraped and cleaned and a benign lump removed from her backside.
Instead she had 14 teeth removed after a thorough review of her x-rays and mouth.

Most people ask me if she has any teeth left? I didn't know that dogs had 42 teeth and that there are 8 teeth that do most of the work in their mouth. Fortunately for Minnie, she only had to have one of those big performers removed.

Our vet Dr. Friend worked on Minnie for over four hours and did a fantastic job. I was on edge the whole time Minnie was in surgery because she has a heart mumur and I really didn't know just how bad her teeth had become in the six years that we've had her.

Let me step back a little bit:

A few years ago we were told that she was developing Gingervitis and a dental cleaning was recommended. But because of the heart murmur, she had to have additional blood work done and an Echocardiogram performed to make sure she would be OK using anethesia. Spencer and I decided at the time that it wasn't worth taking a chance that she wouldn't pull through the operation just to have her teeth cleaned. At the time, we thought this was a sound decision. I kept thinking, 'How would I feel if she died on the table just to get her teeth cleaned?"

Flash forward to November of this past year. During Minnie's yearly exam the Vet noticed that there had been much progression in the decay of her teeth. Some teeth were simply missing, her gums were infected and there was a distinct possibility that the infection could get into her blood stream and travel to her heart if left unchecked.

In the end, we made the right decision and I regret that I didn't heed the vet's advice years earlier. I didn't know how much pain she had been in with such a rotting mouth. She had bad breath and was just our happy and lazy Beagle. But after the surgery and the time it took her gums to heal, she is still the same disposition but she looks so much happier. She runs in short bursts now. She's more alert and engaged in every movement around her.

Spencer has begun brushing her teeth every morning with flavored chicken toothpaste and she looks forward to having her teeth brushed because he's made it fun for her. We have a calendar hanging up and each day a big old "X" get maked to track our progress.

If you have a dog and dental cleaning is a suggested preventative measure to maintaining her health then you should do it if you can afford the care. If I had Minnie's teeth cleaned years ago, maybe she wouldn't have lost so many teeth and suffered in silence for so long.

Font Design Humor

2010-02-28T10:52:00.000-05:00

Meatheads Do Exist

2010-02-28T10:37:00.000-05:00

see more WTF Pictures and WTF videos by Picture Is Unrelated

Carryout Video by Timbaland & Timberlake

2010-02-20T14:51:00.000-05:00

New Timberlake & Timbaland!

This is the best song on Shock Value II and I'm a bit disappointed in the video. Considering the suggestive theme of the song, I would have liked them to have done more than dance around with models. But there is Justin making a bow tie look sexy and a chick having a pair of Dr Dre Beats headphones placed on her at the end of the video. I'll take what I can get.