Landscaping the Yard In Punta Gorda

Below are some pictures of the work being done on our yard in Florida.  It was a mess.  The sprinklers were broken, the grass was a weedy mess, and their were huge hole where previous owners had removed (sold) the palm trees.  We're getting a new sprinkler system, trees, and sod.  We're going to have the house painted and then flower beds with concrete boarders installed.  I'll show before and after pictures when it is all done.  

Getting In Line for Stanley

It was 4 years ago this month that we lost our dog, Chloe.  We have talked about getting another dog, but haven't done much about getting one.  Today, Shane was surfing on some local animal shelter Web sites and found Stanley, pictured above.  We've discussed that we would like to get either a pug or a French bulldog.  Stanley looked like the perfect choice.

We jumped right in the car and drove to the Arlington, VA, animal shelter.  We got there and asked about Stanley and we were immediately warned that there were already applications for him ahead of us.  We met Stanley anyway and got to play with him a bit in their outside area.  He was adorable, of course, but wasn't that interested in us.  He was a stray and they estimate he is about 2 years old.  I would have taken him home immediately, but that wasn't in the cards.

We did fill out an application, but there are FOUR other applications ahead of us.  So, it isn't likely we'll get Stanley.  Luckily, Stan is going to be getting a home, though, we just wish it was with us.  Anyway, we'll keep looking.

Streaking With Blue Sponge

I was bad about my running when I was down in Florida over the Memorial Day holiday.  In the week, I only ran twice.  So, when I got back, i vowed that I would do better.  Starting on Sunday, June 6, I decided to run every day.  And that is what I have been doing.  I've run every day for 14 days now, including today--I ran over 5 miles in the DC heat.  I'm on a 2 week streak.  How long will this streak last?  BTW, I run with my clothes on.

Auto-Tune the News #12

A Scene from "Memphis" -- Best Musical?

From what I've seen of this show, I just don't see how it became the Tony winner for Best Musical. It just doesn't look that good. None of the nominated original musicals sparked my interest. I'm much more interested in some of the revivals. The Addams Family must have been pretty bad, as it was the only one of the five original musicals staged not nominated.   I think it is shocking that only five original musicals were staged. There were 11 revivals.  Sorry about the video starting automatically when you open the page.  I don't know how that happened.  If the above video doesn't work at all, try this link.

Blue Sponge TV Top 6 for the Week

Although lots of series have ended for the summer, there is still some stuff to watch on the tube (mostly on cable). Here's what is set on my DVR this week.

1. The 64th Annual Tony Awards --This has always been the most entertaining award show to me. I've saved copies of past shows on DVD. I have to admit with the shows nominated this year and the people set to be on the show, I'm just not that excited about the ceremony this year, but maybe I'll be surprised. (Sunday on CBS)

2. True Blood -- This series finally returns for a third season of vampires and craziness. I love this show! (Sunday on HBO)

3. Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List -- Kathy returns for another season and the series premiere features Liza giving Kathy acting lessons. It can't get much gayer than that. (Tuesday on Bravo)

4. Hot in Cleveland -- This new series stars Valerie Bertinelli, Wendi Malick and Jane Leeves, as three ladies who move to Cleveland where they are considered "hot"... Huh? Betty White is their wise-cracking landlady. It is suppose to be part Golden Girls and part Sex in the City. I've seen mixed reviews, but I'll give it a try. I love Betty. (Wednesday on TV Land).

5. Work of Art -- It is Project Runway, but with art. (Wednesday on Bravo)

6. Top Chef -- It is another season of the Project Runway clone, but with chefs, and this season it is in DC! (Wednesday on Bravo)

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #244

Did you ever hear of knocking before entering a room?

I just want my kitty back.

Dad is going to love his homemade wallet!

Look up on Wiki and find out where's his doodie winkle.

Miss Jones, do you know how to perform mouth-to-mouth?

Rubbing his belly just puts him to sleep? I don't get any wishes?

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #244. I wrote a few captions. Are any of them contest-worthy (i.e. not funny enough to win)? Let me know if you come up with any captions too.

Backyard Renovation in DC

Our backyard of our row house in DC is teeny tiny and up until recently not in very good shape as you can see by the photo above. Further damage was done when our neighbor decided to chop down his huge pine tree, some of which landed on our fence, along with the other neighbor's cable TV wire. So we had the fence replaced, along with the deck, and the bricks relaid (which were so wavy and uneven from the tree roots that you could barely walk on them).

Below are photos of the result. One side of the fence is our other neighbor's (the dark fence in the second photo below) and we think they are going to have their fence replaced too. It is currently being held up by a rope tied to our crepe myrtle. You will also notice the cactus is blooming like crazy and we added a small flowerbed.

Update: One of the blooms open wide at night.

Rumor of Revival of Carrie the Musical

There are rumors that they are going to do a Broadway revival of Carrie the Musical. The original broadway musical, based on the Stephen King novel, was one of the biggest flops ever on the Great White Way. Even the poster for the show (above) was bad. Judging by the clip (bottom of this posting) showing a review of the original show, it is easy to see why this show was such a disaster. The dancing in the prom sequences looked laughable (sorry Debbie Allen).

However, I have heard some of the music from this show and I like what I've heard. The first clip below is the audio of a studio recording from the show by Betty Buckley called When There's No One. I LOVE that song. It is haunting and beautiful. The next two clips are scenes from the original show with Buckley as crazy Momma and Linzi Hateley as Carrie. I think it deserves another chance. They could try to fix its problems and Patti Lupone would kill in the role of Carrie's mother.

Drill Baby Drill, Mama Needs a New Hummer

Saw this posted on Joe. My. God.

New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #243

It's the Consumer Product Safety Commission about a phone recall.

The above cartoon is the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #243. Let me know if you come up with any captions too.

5 On the Fifth-The Office

This is an idea from State of the Nation UK -- taking five photos on the fifth of the month and share them with the world. I, once again, chose to ignore their "theme," which was looking up or something, and decided to show photos of where I spend about a third of my life--not my bedroom, but my windowless office. Don't be jealous of its lavishness. BTW, I'm supposed to be getting a new flat-screen TV so I can keep up with my stories.

Big Bird Video from Blind Pass Beach

This is the bird that visited me on the beach on

Tuesday. It isn't THE Big Bird from Sesame Street,

but it is a pretty big bird. Sorry for the crappy video

quality, but I took this with my crappy camera.

More Photos from Blind Pass Beach

Here are some photos I took while at the beach on Tuesday. It is near Englewood, FL, just south of Sarasota, on the Gulf Coast. There is no oil damage here yet, but I fear it is sure to come and ruin this great beach.

My big bird friend.

Roped off turtle eggs

Not many people at the beach.  My umbrella is to the left.

Relaxing.

Big Bird On Blind Pass Beach

I spent the afternoon at Blind Pass Beach, near Englewood, FL, and it is quickly becoming my favorite beach. It is not crowded, the water is clear and warm, and there is all sorts of live entertainment. I am sitting in the same place I saw the sea turtle the other day. I haven't seen any turtles today, but this 3 foot tall bird stood about 15 feet from me and stared at me for about 30 minutes. I have to admit that I've always been a little afraid of birds (thanks Alfred Hitchcock), and this bird had a long, sharp-looking beak, but he didn't attack thankfully. I took this with my phone, but i also took some better shots with my digital camera, which I will post soon.

This is my last beach day this trip...waaaaah! I have to go home tomorrow. I am dreading coming back here and seeing blackened, oil-soaked beaches.

Running With Blue Sponge Tee-Shirt Winner-Bob!

We have a winner! In a giveaway to one of the Followers of this blog, the big winner is Bob of the I Should Be Laughing blog, which is listed in the sidebar of this blog under blogs I follow. I would link it, but I'm posting this from my iPhone and I have no idea how to do that on my phone. I'm currently in Florida without access to my computer. Hope you enjoy the shirt Bob! Congrats!

Actual Florida Sunset--Not Photoshopped

This isn't from a picture postcard. I took this with my iPhone as I
was cooling down from my run in Punta Gorda, FL. This is why we have
a house here. It is even more amazing in person.

Running On the Bridge to Punta Gorda

This was taken as I was running on the bridge between Punta Gorda and
Port Charlotte, FL. Shane had to go home today, but I'm staying a few
more days. I spent most of the day at Turtle Beach on Siesta Key near
Sarasota. It was a perfect beach day--warm, but with constant cool
breeze. I stopped on my way home for a run. It was an awesome day.

Blue Gobo for Broadway Moments--A Sponge-Worthy Website

There is no better reason for the invention of the Internet than the Website Blue Gobo.  I don't know of a better resource for video clips of classic scenes from Broadway theater.  For a theater lover, it is like finding gold.

These clips are taken from talk shows, awards shows, the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade, and where ever else Broadway performers promoted their shows, and often this is all that is left of the original production.  Why Congress has not passed a law requiring all Broadway shows to be immortalized on video is beyond me.

Suffice to say, I love this site and find a new treasure on every visit.  Clips are searchable by decade and title, and the home page features highlights of recent clips.  Take some time and explore.

For instance, click here to view a clip from the 1991 production of The Secret Garden and see if you recognize a very young John Cameron Mitchell, who would later go on to become Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Father and Son by Cats Stevens/Yusef Islam

This is one of my favorites songs ever. I thought it was interesting to see the original version (above) by Cat Stevens and Yusef Islam's version (below). I know they are the same person, but a few years has passed since Yusef was Cat. His voice is better in the original version, but the video is a bit cheesy. Enjoy!