Furry Happy Monsters -- Happy New Year!

"Come on Monsters, you don't have to cry. We can be happy!"

We had a great New Year's Eve at Archerr's Boyfriend dinner party. The food was amazing, as usual, with gumbo, black eyed peas, pork loin, dirty rice and lots of wine. We did a champagne toast at midnight. See the video at Archerr's website here.

New Year Resolutions--Another Futile Attempt at Self-Improvement

I've only had so so luck with New Year Resolutions. Who doesn't fall short of all their goals? I know I do, but I think I go further with goals, so I make goals. Here's what I came up with for 2010. With a new year comes new hope.

1. Decide whether to say "Two Thousand Ten" or Twenty Ten." I'm sort of leaning toward Twenty Ten.

2. Read 30 Books. This should be a cinch with my Kindle.

3. Run to Florida -- This is not a actual run to FL, but I want to run a total of the distance to Punta Gorda, FL, from DC (about 1,000 miles). That is an average of 2.75 miles per day or 19.25 miles a week. I need to develop a map that tracks my progress.

4. Weigh less than 165 lbs. This is a perpetual goal for me, but I still hover around 180. It could be worse, I guess. I used to be over 200.

5. Run two marathons. I am planning to run The Delaware Marathon in May and another marathon in the fall. I am also running the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April, and perhaps the George Washington Parkway 10 miler, also in April.

6. Get more than 100 Followers on my blog. I currently have 10. Please consider following me. To that end, I'll try to think of something interesting to post.

7. Save money. Suzi Orman speaks and I listen. With the pending purchase of our Florida house, I need to build my emergency fund back up. I have a specific goal in mind, but enuff said.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy Birthday Mary!

Mary Tyler Moore turns 73 today. The above is the theme to the first season of the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Today is also the birthday of Ted Danson (62), Jon Voight (71), Patricia Clarkson (50), Paula Poundstone (50), Jude Law (37), and Marianne Faithful (63). Who needs Entertainment Tonight when you have Running With Blue Sponge?

Merry Snuggie Christmas!

I just had to try on my mom's Snuggie. Though it makes me look a bit frumpy, it is very comfy. I must have one!

Never Ending Christmas

Christmas is over, right? Not quite. Since we were going to Florida for actual Christmas, Shane and I went to my mom's to celebrate Christmas with her and my sister and her family the weekend before Christmas. It was also the weekend of the blizzard in DC. I had Friday off, so I took the train up Thursday night (a week before Christmas Eve) and Shane drove up Friday night. The storm came later Friday night and all day Saturday. We managed to drive ourselves and my mom over to my sister's house (about 5 miles away). We had a nice snowy evening, exchanged gifts, ate pizza and desserts, and, thanks to our trusty SUV, we managed to get back to my mom's house Saturday night. We got about 20 inches of snow at my mom's so I shoveled her out and we drove back to DC and shoveled our own house out, including our roof. My back was killing me.

Thursday night (Christmas Eve) Shane and I had to work half a day and then drove to Baltimore to fly to his mom's house in Florida. It was a nice break from the cold and snow of DC. It was nice and quiet until about 11:30 Christmas Eve night. We were getting ready for bed and I thought it was a little stuffy in our room, so I thought I would crack the window. I did not know the alarm was set, so when it started blaring (louder than any siren I've ever heard) I didn't know what to do. Both Shane and I were undressed and Shane's parents were already in bed. By the time I got my pants on, Shane's stepfather was already deactivating the siren. The alarm company called and because they weren't sure what the password was, they called the police. So much for Silent Night. Luckily, they convinced the alarm company to not send the police and we all finally got to bed. Actually, Shane and I went back to bed and didn't hear anything about the police drama until the next day.

It was a very nice Christmas after that. Shane got to spend Christmas with his family for the first time in years, and his grandmother, who just moved to Florida from Maine after a long illness. His Nana is starting to feel better and that was the best present we got.

We came back from Florida yesterday and, since I have off from work all this week (I love use or lose), after going to the gym this morning, I drove back up to my mom's. I am driving her back to DC tomorrow to celebrate our final Christmas with my friend Elaine (with whom my Mom exchanges gifts). The photo above is my mom in her brand new Snuggie as she examines the book light that came with it.

Reply from Sen. Susan Collins Regarding Maine Marriage Vote

Above is the letter (double click to enlarge) I received in response to my letter to Sen. Susan Collins regarding her silence on the recent vote in Maine to uphold same-sex marriage. That vote resulted in Mainers taking away the rights of a segment of the population to marry each other. Haters won the day and Sen. Collins justified it by stating she supports the right of Mainers to voice their opinion on state law via ballot measures, and that she respects the recent decision to overturn the same-sex marriage law.

I never thought Ms. Collins was a bright person and this seals my opinion of her (or whatever staffer wrote this tripe). To accept that a bigoted majority is allowed to take away a minority's civil rights is plainly wrong. As has been argued numerous times, if southern states were permitted to vote on interracial marriage in the 1960s (or even today) it is unlikely many of those states would ever permit such unions. I am certain that same-sex marriage will be a non-issue some day, much like interracial marriage is today (in most of the country). Sadly, haters win again for now.

Sugarland and the B-52s Do Love Shack

Christmas Shoes--Worst Christmas Song Ever--The 12 Days of Christmas

I heard this song on the radio while driving one night and it made me throw up. It is the hokiest song I've ever heard. Maybe I'm just cynical, bit I think it is bad. Leave it to the Mormans to ruin Jesus' birthday.

One of the Best Christmas Songs -- The 12 Days of Christmas

This is from Yo-Yo Ma's holiday CD Songs of Peace and Joy. It features the angel-voiced Alison Krauss singing "The Wexford Carol." Beautiful! Merry Christmas!

The Waltons' Homecoming--The 12 Days of Christmas

This is one of our favorite Christmas shows that we watch each year on Christmas Eve. This predates the TV series and the cast is a bit different. Patricia Neal is amazing as Olivia Walton. It might be that she reminds me of my grandmother, but I love her. Richard Thomas still plays John Boy -- in fact all the kids are the same as the series cast, but only Ellen Corby, who plays the grandmother, did the series of the family adults.

Shane and I use many of the lines from this show in much of our everyday conversation. For example, if one of us suggests we should buy something, the other person usually says, "That's the first thing I'm going to do once this Depression is over!" (Olivia was referring to a getting a phone.) "Favorite line: What were you doing in your room John Boy with the door locked?" I realize this is a long show, but it is worth it.

Grace Jones Sings The Little Drummer Boy -- The 12 Days of Christmas

This is yet another clip from Pee Wee Herman's spectacular Christmas special (available at www.peewee.com). This one features Grace Jones singing The Little Drummer Boy. Get back in the box Grace!

Charlie Brown -- The 12 Days of Christmas

A classic children's holiday that tackles holiday depression... I remember watching it every year as a kid. "Of all the Charlie Browns in the world, your the Charlie Browniest."

Grinch Documentary -- The 12 Days of Christmas

This is a very interesting 1994 documentary from TNT that shows how the Christmas classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, was made. Hosted by the late Phil Hartman and featuring Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, and the folks responsible for making the show. Part 1 is above and Part 2 is below. Very cool!

Returning to the Snow in DC

Shane works on our steps.


We were at my Mom's celebrating Christmas over the weekend. She lives in Rising Sun, MD, near the Pennsylvania line in the northeast corner of the state. We made the trek down I-95 this morning to see what the snow situation was at our house. It was deep. We were able to dig out a parking space and dig out the front steps and sidewalk. We then had to dig the drifting snow off the roof (we are afraid too much weight up there will cause a catastrophe) and dig snow off our back deck (also afraid of a possible collapse). After helping my Mom dig out yesterday and this morning and then coming home and digging for a large part of the day, my back is killing me. They said we got 16 inches in DC, but I think it all drifted over to our house!

SNL's Debbie Downer -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Santa gets depressed after surprising Debbie Downer in this sketch from Saturday Nightl Live.

Vomita Lives!!!

You may remember Vomita from an earlier post in June. My sister was looking for a home for this cat with a hard-luck story. My sister didn't find anyone willing to take Vomita, so she still has her. The cats name now is Emesis, which is a medical term for throwing up. The cat had a tendency to throw up a great deal in her youth. She doesn't throw up anymore and everyone refers to her as "Emmy."

Poor Emmy isn't right in the head--a bit downsy I think. She can't stop herself from climbing up on counters and tables. She knocks things over and gets into food. It is a constant battle to keep her out of things she shouldn't be doing. She loves to climb the Christmas tree. She is a very high maintenance. If we're having a family dinner, Emmy has to stay in the basement or she would be walking on people's plates and on the food. Emmy is lucky she was found someone willing to put up with her craziness.

Saturday Evening Snow Accumulation

This was taken at dusk and you can see the foot and half of snow higher on the fence (compare to the photo below taken this morning). I did some shoveling, so some of the snow on the left side of the fence is from piling of shoveled snow. It was certainly a snowy day. We are going back to DC to shovel our house out tomorrow.

The Snow Storm Begins

Bing's Dream Comes True -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Although Christmas is 6 days away, Washington DC and the metro area is getting walloped with a HUGE snowstorm today. Accumulation of 2 feet is expected. Shane and I are about 2 hours north of DC, at my mother's house to celebrate an early Christmas. We are flying down to Florida on Christmas Eve to spend the actual holiday with Shane's family. We hope to be able to drive home to DC on Sunday, but we'll have to wait and see if that is possible.

The song is by Bing Crosby and from the holiday classic Holiday Inn. Enjoy!

SNL Finds Lost Ending of It's a Wonderful Life -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Dana Carvey does an amazing Jimmy Stewart in this Lost Ending "found" to It's a Wonderful Life from Saturday Night Live. "He's not even a cripple!"

Should the Government Use Baby Jesus for the 2010 Census?

I don't think so. Do you? How many people who see this are going to think because there was a census in a bible story, that it is something that is very sacred and we should go along with it? I don't have anything against the census, and I plan to participate in being counted, but using the bible as propaganda is not a good idea. It isn't that I think it is disrespectful to religion. That is the least of my concerns. I just think it is tacky. Next thing you know, Health and Human Services will have a foot washing campaign featuring Jesus spraying anti-fungal medicine on the 12 disciples.

DC Mayor Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Scenes from Elf -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Cha Cha Heels -- The 12 Days of Christmas

This is a scene from the John Waters film, Female Trouble, starring Divine as Dawn Davenport who just wanted some cha cha heels for Christmas.

Update on the Florida House

We are still in the process of buying a second house in Florida. There has been yet more complications. As I blogged about earlier, we had to notify the neighbors about a getting a waiver from the city because our survey showed the house was built over land the city requires for utility use. The normal procedure is that the they send out notice, the city makes an exception, and it is no big deal other than the delay of getting it all done.

The variance notice was suppose to expire this Friday and then it just had to be recorded by the city, which could take up to 2 week, but there was hope it could be done sooner so we could close by the end of the year. We had plans to drive down starting on New Year's Eve and spend the first week of the new year at our new house.

We just heard that the orthopedic surgeon that owns the house next to the house we're trying to buy has made an objection. Some neighborhoods have the Welcome Wagon -- this neighbor wants our house to be bulldozed. Because the fine doctor thinks our shabby house is an eyesore compared to his mansion and is detrimental to his house's value, he is asking the city to require that the house be torn down. That seems reasonable, doesn't it?

The result is that the city council now has to vote on granting the variance, and the earliest it can be scheduled is February 17. We were suppose to have this house before Thanksgiving. Of course, we're worried that something else could go wrong and the bank will not want to extend our contract and the whole deal will fall through. We assume the city will eventually grant the variance, but it has frankly become a huge pain in the ass. We just have to keep our eye on the prize and remember that this will all be worth it when we finally get this house... Won't it?

Same-Sex Marriage in DC a Done Deal?

The DC Express newspaper, the free paper version of the Washington Post, seems to think that same-sex marriage in DC is a done deal.  Mayor Adrian Fenty is expected to sign the bill, passed the second time yesterday by the DC Council.  However, the bill must then survive a 30-day review period.  To block the bill, the House, Senate and President would all have to sign off on a disapproval resolution in the 30 days. The paper says advocates of the bill do not think this is likely to happen in a Democrat-controlled Government.  The only other way this could fall through is if there is a Maine-style voter referendum, which so far has been denied as a violation of the DC civil rights law.  Same-sex marriages could begin in the spring.  I wonder if anyone will ask for my hand in marriage!

Delicious Schweddy Balls -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Another classic Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Alec Baldwin promoting his delicious Schweddy Balls on National Public Radio's Delicious Dish. Good Times!

Feliz Navidad by Charo -- The 12 Days of Christmas

If this doesn't make you happy, you are clinically depressed. Who doesn't love Charo? This is also from Pee Wee Herman's Christmas Special (the whole show is available for free at www.peewee.com). Feliz Blah Blah Blah!

The Del Rubio Triplets Sing Winter Wonderland -- The 12 Days of Christmas

Today is the first entry for my 12 Days of Christmas. Each day, until December 25th, a new posting will celebrate the season. Today is the amazing Del Rubio Triplets as they performed Winter Wonderland on the Pee Wee Playhouse Christmas Special for 1988. I have this special on video, but you can watch the whole show for free on Pee Wee Herman's website at www.peewee.com. There may be a few more clips from this special here before the 12 days are up! I love that show!

Guess Where I Was -- 10 Years Ago

I was going through some old photos today and found this one of me in Laos. Technically, I was in Laos, i guess, since they were flying the flag of Laos, but it was really an island in the Mekong River. Shane and I were touring the Golden Triangle area of Thailand in 1999 and we took a boat ride that took us to this island so we could say we were in Laos.