That handsome, completely bald beret wearing man up there is none other than Jamie Hyneman, co-host of Discovery's Myth Busters.  If for some reason you have not yet seen this show, I suggest you do so immediately.  I have learned to only eat and/or drink during commercials.  Especially when this show is on.  But we aren't talking about the show are we?  No.  We are discussing Mr. Hyneman.

This one isn't as loud or obnoxious as his co-host, but he has his moments.  Something like demented genius I would think.  When he caracks a joke he'll never laugh, but its amazingly funny.  He's always been my favorite.  While looking around for information, I found some things that intrigued me greatly.  Like this,"His career has been equally diverse: Jamie earned a degree in Russian languages and literature and ran a sailing/diving charter business in the Caribbean for several years before he moved over to the visual-effects industry."  I read that & melted.  Literally melted.  He's cute in a nerdy kind of way & he's highly intelligent.  What more could a girl ask for?

A woman in Florida was trampled at a Super Wal-Mart on Black Friday.  She was in the crush of people trying to get to the $29 DVD players.  She was knocked unconcious & had a seizure after she had been walked all over.  When they finally got to her, she was laying on top of her precious DVD player.  I'm sure someone tried to steal it out from under her.  The woman is in the hospital.  Don't worry, a gracious Wal-Mart offical called to check on her.  They then offered to put a DVD player on hold for her so she could buy it later.  A woman gets all but killed in their store & they offer to HOLD the damn thing.  If it were my compnay, she would have been getting the DVD player delivered by half-naked men, a few thousand in gift cards & a nice "I'm not gonna sue you" paper.  After she signed it, the half-naked men would lick her if she so desired.  You can read about it here.

I had a million & two things that I needed to do today.  Instead, I found my way to an oyster bar, got sidetracked & got not a single one of those things done.  Mmmmmm oysters.  Mmmmmm house pan roast (with shrimp, crab & lobster of course).

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to happen in the new year.  This year has sucked monkey balls & I don't see it taking a great upswing in the next few weeks.  So I'll think about next year & not dwell on this one.  It'll save what little sanity I have left.

The one major thing I want to happen is me going back to school.  Since a career as an internet model is out of the quetion (unless someone is in the market for an Alice the Goon double) I need to get back & finish my degree.  Had a little set back the last couple semesters so my financial aid is completely screwed at the moment.  I just need to find the money to pay for a semester & books, pass everything & then I'll get my financial aid back.

Although I ordered a money tree off the internet, I'm not going to leave my future in the branches of this mysterious woody perennial plant.  So that means I must find a plausible means of employment.  I must once again enter the world of working for "The Man."  The thought makes me want to hurl.  But we must all make sacrifices.  Now I will have to sacrifice my dignity & find some place that would normally deem me as over qualified to work for minimum wage.

Of course I have to look at the big picture.  Eight humiliating months will get me back in school & leave me with a little bit in the bank account (that doesn't yet exist) for emergencies.  As much as I would like it to that great handbag that's on sale down at Macy's, that doesn't constitute an emergency.  Shoe sales will of course be a case by case basis.  I'm fairly sure that passing up a great shoe sale is illegal in most states & Canadian provinces.  I'll have to get a definite answer on the Canadian stuff from Miss G.

All of this has to be done without the other half knowing about it.  He seems to think that I'm not quite smart enough for college & has told me in just about those words on several occasions.  Its not really any of his business anyway.  He's never given me a dime for school in the first place.  I don't think he's necessarily trying to be mean, he just happens to have the verbal finesse of a drunk redneck at a fish fry.  Apparently he thinks that I have tried enough & I might as well give it up & save myself some grief.  Yeah..... well...... he can lick me.

My major problem was dealing with my anxiety over Shane.  When he would get really sick & go into the hospital, I would think of nothing but that.  It may sound silly, but I am an over emotional person.  Learning to deal with stress has taught me a lot, but I never figured out how to deal with the possibility of getting a phone call announcing the death of a family member.  I would literally shut down when he went into the hospital.  I didn't eat or sleep & I couldn't concentrate on anything.  Well, that horrible phone call came.  I think now I can get on with my life.  It may not make much sense if you've never dealt with something like that.  I don't think I ever even understood until I read Hamlet, word for word.  Once I was done & even though I know the basis of the story, I had retained absolutely nothing.

Like I said, its time to get on with life.  With everything.  I learned a lot from Shane's illness.  Some things I hope most of you never have to learn.  But being that life itsn't always fair, they are good things to know.  Things that aren't in any book or taught in any school.  I think I am a better person for it.  And no, I'm not blowing my own horn.  Just stating something I see in myself now that wasn't there before.  Some of you will understand that & others will not.

Now I must plan for the future.  My other half has cerebral palsy.  Its a minor case & he is able to walk with crutches.  Being that he's almost 40, we both have noticed signs of deterioration.  Its to be expected, but it also means that within a matter of years he may not be able to drive, let alone work.  Therein lies the big picture.  It'll be my turn to support him financially as he has supported me most of the 8 years we have been together.  I don't have a problem with that.  I mean, who has a problem with making the rules?  I certainly don't.  *smirk*

Now that I have rambled on for entirely too long, its time to get this place Christmasy.  If you happen by & it looks really crappy, you know why.  No bitching.  I'll hurt you.  Now shut up & eat your figgy pudding.

Word of the Day
erudition - "er-&-'di-sh&n - noun
extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books : profound, recondite, or bookish learning

I just got finished putting up all the stuff I did listings for last night.  I love eBay when I'm shopping, but listing things is another story.  Pure evil I tell ya.

It doesn't help that the things I list are for the other half.  He can't do his own listings.  He can barely turn the stupid computer on much less anything else.  Unless it has to do with porn.  He can find that pretty easily.  Amazing I tell ya.  He was in awe when I told him this computer had a DVD drive.  Anyhow, these listings.... I want to shove them up his ass sideways by the time I'm done with them.  He picks at every little thing.  Nevermind the fact that it takes me several hours to scan everything then crop it plus making the listings out & uploading the pictures.  Apparently he thinks it all does itself.  He keeps the attitude up & he's going to be doing himself for a while.  Yes, I'm THAT mean.

In soup news....  The soup I was going to make yesterday didn't get made until today.  I realized when I pulled everything out that I didn't have any dill & there was no way I was going to a grocery store on Thanksgiving morning.  I'd rather be locked in a room full of pissed off racoons than do that.  No thank you.  So I made it a bit ago.  I like for it to sit in the fridge over night.  I'll run for dill in the morning.  You're thrilled I know.

While I was putting everything together, I took pictures.  Yeah, yeah I need help.  Tell me something I don't know.  So, when I get them uploaded off my crappy camera you can make borscht with me.  That's how much I like making the stuff.  Of course, I like eating it even more.  I call mom up when I'm getting it ready just so she can call me names.  Torture is fun!

Let's start off with the weekly show announcement.

This is what I have been wasting my time with.  Completely mindless stuff.  Just haven't really felt like doing anything.

KTOAB absolutely made my entire Christmas season.  Go read & you'll see why.  KTOAB, I wish you only the best of luck in everything.  If all people (or even half the people) were as thoughtful as you this world would be a much better place.

I am really trying to learn this CSS crap.  Having wanted to redo my site for quite some time, I figured I would get with the program & out of the mid-90's.  I'm ready to pull my friggin' hair out.

Looking around I see all these nice sites done with CSS.  I just don't get it.  I've been screwing sround with it for a few hours & nothing.  Not a damn thing has come of it.  I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.  Probably right about the time the next new thing comes out.  This is one of those days that it sucks to me me.

Word of the Day
fuddle - 'f&-d^&l - verb
1.  to make drunk : intoxicate
2.  to make confused : muddle

Yes, I know its early dammit, but I had to share this.  I've seen it before, but I still laugh every time someone sends it to me.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving.  I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised.  Since Ms. Stewart won't becoming, I've made a few small changes:

Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries.  After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and fall foliage I had planned to make.  Instead, I've gotten the kids involved in the decorating by having them track in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard.  The mud was their idea.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork.  Since this IS thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers that I promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper.  The artist assures me it is a turkey.  We will be dining fashionably late.  The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims, and the turkey hotline.  Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming.  If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method.  When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like.  In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table.  In a separate room.  Next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers.  This will not be happening at our dinner.  For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony.  I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances,
enter the kitchen to laugh at me.  Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress.  I have an electric knife.  The turkey is unarmed.  It stands to reason that I will eventually win.  When I do, we will eat.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind my young diners that "passing the rolls" is not a football play.  Nor is it a request to bean your brother in the head with warm tasty bread.  Oh, and one reminder for the adults: For the duration of the meal, and especially while in the presence of young diners, we will refer to the giblet gravy by its lesser-known name: Cheese Sauce.  If a young diner questions you regarding the origins or type of Cheese Sauce, plead ignorance.

Before I forget, there is one last change.  Instead of offering a choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints.  You will still have a choice: take it or leave it.

I'm still here.  I swear.  Apparently when I got sick not long ago, several other nasties saw their opportunity to take root.  With the wind blowing like it has been & my already compromised immune system, I've managed to get myself a nice little ear infection.  Blah.  Its only suppose to come in threes.  Lately, I think all my bad/icky crap has been coming in tens with a union mandated 8 hour break in between sets.

So, when I've felt up to it, I've been cleaning up around the joint.  I know.  I'm surprised myself.  Within the last couple of days I cleaned the bedroom, cleaned the bedroom carpet, moved some crates of crap in there & did laundry.  I've also been trying to get my Christmas stuff together.  Deciding what to make for who.  I know what I am making 3 people.  That only leaves a few.  Everyone else is just getting a card.  I'll make those also.  I'm addicted to Elmer's glue.

Let's keep 'em happy so they'll fatten up.  That way we have bigger, fatter turkeys when we off 'em.  That's the gist of this story.  OK, so maybe they want them to lead a quality life.  But in the end, they are still dinner.

Please note that all blinkies will be removed shortly & placed on a page within my site.  Deal with it.