Kat Wood

Not Really Surprised by This

2005-06-30T18:12:00.000-05:00

You scored as Paganism. Your beliefs are most closely aligned with those of paganism, Wicca, or a similar earth-based religion. You may also follow a Native American religion.

Paganism

71%

Christianity

58%

agnosticism

58%

Buddhism

50%

Islam

46%

Satanism

38%

Judaism

29%

Hinduism

25%

atheism

Which religion is the right one for you? (new version)
created with QuizFarm.com

(Snagged from Whitters.

Happy Birthday!!

2005-06-22T17:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday

to the world's best boyfriend!

I love you, honey.

Memo

2005-06-20T18:26:00.000-05:00

To: Trashy Girl in Bathroom

From: Kaffy

Subject: Your stink ass perfume

*********************************************************

If your perfume, which is very stinky to begin with, leaves a bad taste in the back of my throat five minutes after leaving you in the bathroom touching up your already layered on make-up, you have on too damn much perfume. You also have on too damn much make-up.

And, that teal blue thong I can see over the waistband of your denim miniskirt? Tack-ee. Please, girl, it doesn't even match your zebra printed tank and headband. Zebra printed headband??

You're a pretty girl, and you're mucking that up by trying too damn hard. Stop it.

What an Asshole

2005-06-20T16:25:00.000-05:00

FOXSports.com - F1- F1 boss likens Danica to 'domestic appliance': "She did a good job, didn't she? Super. Didn't think she'd be able to make it like that,' Ecclestone told a gathering of reporters about Patrick's Indy 500 finish.

'You know, I've got one of these wonderful ideas that women should be all dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances,' Ecclestone added. "

Busy Busy Weekend

2005-06-17T17:44:00.000-05:00

I'm such a social butterfly this weekend. Last night, Winston and I met two of his friends for a taping of Wait, wait...don't tell me!. I love that show so much and it was great to see it live. Peter Sagal looks nothing like his voice. After the show, we headed down to Chinatown for supper. We decided to get the dinner for four. There were four of us, after all. Dear god. That was more like dinner for 6 or 8. We all got lunch out of it, too.

Tomorrow for lunch, I'm meeting Broad, Amy, and Snidgey and then we're headed out for some shopping. Girlie fun! I'm loooking forward to that.

Then tomorrow night, Winston, Broad, Amy, Snidgey and I (and maybe Wad--c'mon! you know you wanna!) are headed here. I looked at tickets online and they're only $15. Rock! But, the freakin' service charges are another $8.50. I don't think so. So, I called them today to see if there were plenty o'tickets left. If so, great, we can buy them at the door. If not, I work only 8-ish blocks from there and I'll head down there and buy some today. I called and was put into voice mail hold for 20 minutes. What. Ev. So, I hung up and trotted my butt down there. Only to find out their system is down and I can't buy tickets. Not enough eye rolling in the world. As it turns out, there are plenty of tickets left and we can buy them at the door, but c'mon, people! Pick up your damn phone. There were four of you in the box office, the system was down and you weren't doing anything when I was there. You coulda picked up the phone and answered my freakin' questions!!

The girls got their hair done last night, and I'm headed out tonight to get mine done. Need a wee trim, I do. And, I'll get to see EWK. Yay!

Sunday is Winston's day. We're headed to a ham radio fest. I know nothing about it, but I'm looking forward to spending the day with a wonderful man. It's supposed to be beautiful here that day, so it'll be nice to be out in the sunshine.

Happy Birthday, Daddy

2005-06-15T17:11:00.000-05:00

Work has been eating my ass from the bottom up, so I'm sorry it's taken me awhile to write about my visit to the parents. That and it's taking me some time to process what's really happening. Today is my dad's 68th birthday, so it seems fitting that I finally write about this today.

Background: June 17, 2004, my dad had a stroke. A pretty bad stroke. Then in November, he had another one. After that second one, we thought he was going to die. He made a miraculous recovery, though, and actually ended up better after that stroke than he was before it. Fastforward to now: after months of therapy, he's at home, but he continues therapy 3x/week as an outpatient.

Physically, he's stronger, but he'll never be able to use his left arm/hand again. He's in a wheelchair and right now the therapists are working on getting him to walk short distances with a leg brace. If he could do that, it would be fantastic. Right now, my mom has to help him with transitions between his wheelchair and chair/bed/car/shower/toilet. He can't manage much of anything alone. My mom has to dress him, cut his food, help him go to the bathroom, and fetch any and every little thing he needs. It would be a huge help if he could just stand up and walk a few steps to the supper table. Or a few steps to the bed. Without my mom having to do all the transfers all the time.

Mentally, he's.... There are times he's perfectly normal. His long-term memory is perfect. Anything pre-stroke, he's good on. After the strokes? Not so much. His short-term memory sucks. He has no sense of time/date. He imagines things. I'm not going to go into detail on this stuff, just suffice to say, his mental state is such that he can't be left alone.

My dad loves telling jokes. Still does. The stroke hasn't affected that. But, because his left side is completely numb, he can't smile anymore. And, strangely, he doesn't laugh anymore. My mom says that's what she misses the most about him, his laugh and smile.

Right now, he's working his ass off in therapy because he wants to walk again. As long as he makes "some progress," Medicare continues to pay for the therapy. I dread the day the therapists say they've done all they can. Because that's the day my dad will give up and it will only be a matter of time before he's gone. My mom and I talked about that when I was down there, and we both think that. My mom's exact words, "He won't last long living like he is now." I think she's right.

My dad is/was a strong, active, independent man. He retired almost 10 years ago, but he's always kept busy. He played golf every single day (my parents live close enough to a golf course that they just take their golf carts to the course). He fished (they live on a lake and have a pontoon boat). He worked in the yard and garden. He built adirondack furniture. He and my mom spend January-March in south Texas (they said Memphis got too cold in the winter, whatever!) in their RV playing golf, line dancing, day-tripping into Mexico, etc. with all the other retirees down there. Other times of the year, they would take off in their RV just to see stuff.

Being completely dependent on my mom is horrible for him. And, it's horrible for my mom. She's continually doing for him. She has a wee bit of help, but not much. A friend takes my dad to therapy on Mondays so she can go grocery shopping. Wednesday mornings/afternoons, she has a nurse come in so that she can go play bridge. My sisters (Sis1, Sis2, and Sis3) all live within a 1 hour drive of the parents. Sis2 visits at least once per week and brings casseroles and stuff so my mom doesn't have to cook all the time. She also helps with some housework. Sis3 and her husband visit a couple of times per month and take care of all the yard work, boat maintenance, etc. Bro and I both live too far away to be of any help (he's in Houston). That leaves Sis1 who is a lazy ass. She is single, works full-time, school part-time. But, she can't be arsed to visit much more often than I do. When she does, she sits on her ass and doesn't do anything.

Case in point: for the family get-together last week, she called and asked Mom if she could bring anything. My dad loves this fruit salad with little marshmallows in it, so Sis1 offered to bring that. I warned Mom that she would show up with the cans and the salad not mixed up (note: this salad is nothing more than canned fruit, marshmallows, and mayo...not hard or time-consuming). Why do I know this? She did the exact same thing at Christmas at Sis3's house. So, Sis1 shows up, and surprise, surprise! Cans in a grocery bag, "Sorry, I didn't have time to make the salad up." Mom glares at her and says, "You know where the bowls are. Get to work." Then after lunch, while Sis2, Sis3, SIL and I were cleaning the kitchen (Bro was wrangling children), where was Sis1? God if I know. Nowhere to be found, that's for sure. Because if she was around, she may have to *gasp* work.

I shared some pictures from last week with Da Broad. I'm not going to post them here because they make me sad. My dad looks 20 years older. He looks like a frail, old man and not the man I know as my Daddy. My mom looks older, too. She's lost weight which isn't good. She was tiny to begin with. She's just worn out and tired.

I feel guilty for not being there and being able to help out my mom. There's not a damn thing I can do for my dad, but I could help my mom. I also feel guilty because part of me thinks it would have been better for my mom if he had died after that second stroke. Well, easier, maybe. Not better. I feel helpless that I can't change things and make them better. I'm already grieving for the Daddy I've lost while I'm just marking time until he's really gone.

KCAL 9: Faces Of Meth Addiction

2005-06-15T15:18:00.000-05:00

KCAL 9: Faces Of Meth Addiction

Ho. Ly. Crap. If these pictures don't scare you away from meth, nothin' will.

HOME!

2005-06-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

I clicked my heels three times and I'm home. I'm exhausted (got up at 4:45...in the MORNING! Did you know there was a 4:45 in the morning??) and my brain is gooey. It was a good trip. I had a nice time with my family. It was also difficult. I'll get into that more later.

For now, I'm eating chocolate chip bread from Brett's and it's yummy.

Family Time

2005-06-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

I'm taking off in a few hours to head down to M-town to see the family. My mom doesn't know I'm coming, so it'll be a fun surprise. My LilSis is picking me up from the airport tonight and we'll head out to Mom's tomorrow morning. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. I'm especially looking forward to seeing my new nephew. He was born in February and I haven't seen him yet. I've seen pictures, of course, but not him. Which leads me to my question. In the pictures, he's a goofy lookin' kid. No getting around it. I can't tell if it's just the angle of the pictures, but if he's that goofy lookin' in person? I'm gonna have to use my mad acting skillz to coo about how cute he is. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna love the kid no matter what. He's my nephew!

So, here's a picture of him that's not bad. He looks pretty cute here:

But, in this one? Goofy kid.

Again, he's my nephew, I'm gonna love him. I love goofy looking dogs and shoes, so loving a goofy lookin' baby won't be hard at all. I just don't want to hurt my brother and SIL's feelings about the cuteness of their kid. Again, it could just be the pictures. I'll let you know after I meet him.

Toys!

2005-06-02T17:44:00.000-05:00

There were a few toys I had as a kid that I loved playing with. I loved my Barbies, stuffed animals, and bike (with banana seat and big ass handle bars). I also had an Easy Bake Oven and Light Bright. But, someone recently brought to mind a toy I had completely forgotten about: the hippity hop.

Mine was red and we used to fly down the sidewalk on that sucker. I could bounce like Tigger, I tell ya'. Thinking about the hippity hop made me remember my jacks.

We used to play during recess and on the sidewalks by our house. And, it was easily transported inside on rainy days. I was pretty good at Jacks.

Remember clackers?

I don't think they even sell those anymore. They pulled them off the market after some kids broke fingers playing with it. Whatever. Pussies. Take the hit and keep going, I say.

We used to play hopscotch and four square, too. There were hopscotch boards? thingys drawn all over the sidewalks in my neighborhood. At school, we played dodge ball and red rover. I remember when I was in second grade, I had decided to be all girly one day. I wore a dress and my mary janes to school. My class decided to play red rover at recess, and when I got called over, I took off running. But, my slick mary janes did not like the blacktop. My feet slid right out from under me and I fell face first onto the blacktop. My upper lip got all swollen like I'd been beaten with a bat. Didn't look so girly after that.

I miss recess. Why can't my whole office close down for 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the afternoon and let us go out and play dodge ball? There are a couple people here I'd love to bean with a ball. Really hard. It would help me with some aggressive feelings and I could get back to work. Maybe I should put that idea in the suggestion box.

Hittin' The Road

2005-06-01T17:58:00.000-05:00

I'm going out of town on Friday for 5 days and I'm at that point where I know I have Stuff I Need To Do before I go, but damned if I can remember it all. Here's what I can remember:

1. Call cat sitters and arrange for them to take care of Mickey. [done this morning]
2. Laundry.
3. Clean litter box.
4. Take out trash.
5. Pack.

Is that all? I can't imagine that's all. Maybe it is and I'm making this more difficult than it should be. I think part of it is that usually when I visit my parents, I drive, so I have to do all the things to take care of the car and get books on tape for the trip. But this time I'm flying. No car issues. No books on tape. This time I can take a real book and read! How exciting is that??

I am a bit disappointed that I won't have Mickey with me, but the service I use is very good. They leave little report cards every day letting me know how Mickey was and what they did. He's a very social cat, so he likes to play with the people who come by and they love it. So, they end up spending a lot of time playing with him. How could you not love this face?

Also, I'm going to miss Winston. He can't come with me this time. At least, I can talk on the phone with him. No such luck with Mickey.

For Your Amusement

2005-06-01T14:52:00.000-05:00

I don't know if the following story about this voice mail is true, but it's hysterical nonetheless.

An operations manager for Jack in the Box out in Dallas was late for a meeting and called his boss to tell him he was running late. As he was leaving the voice mail message, he witnessed an accident and went on to provide "play by play" of the incident. This is the actual voice mail message. It was forwarded so many times within Jack in the Box, it crashed their voice mail server.

No Doubt About It

2005-05-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Your boyfriend is Giles.

Who is your Buffy boyfriend?
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The Empire Strikes Bush

2005-05-31T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Empire Strikes Bush

For those who haven't seen Revenge of the Sith and don't want to be spoiled, don't read this...

Okay...saw the movie on Saturday night. It's good. Not great, mind you, but good. Pretty boys, light saber fights. Hayden Christensen can't act his way out of a paper bag, but he's pretty to look at. Ewan McGregor (also pretty to look at) was decent. I was disappointed in Samuel L. Jackson and Natalie Portman but I can't totally blame them. Their dialogue was crap. The movie does bring us up to speed with Episode 4, so all in all, a good movie.

What makes it even better, though, is exactly what this Washington Post article examines. This movie is a harsh critique of the Bush administration. Darth Vader is George W. Bush. Who said this, "If you're not with me, you're my enemy?" If you think Bush, you're close. It's actually a line from Vader. Bush said, "You are either with us or against us." Personally, I like Obi-Wan's response, "Only a Sith thinks in absolutes." Bush is a SITH!

I was talking to Winston about this and I think this is a political strength for the Republicans. No, not their evilness. They are very good at giving absolute, sound bite answers during campaigns. In fact, I think Kerry's inability to do this is what eventually lost him the election. The thing I admire about Kerry is that he doesn't think in absolutes. He sees the shades of grey that exist. He would thoughtfully answer questions addressing shades of grey. Unfortunately, these answers are not good sound bites. And, he can sometimes come across as wishy-washy. Why did he say X before and now he's saying Y? For example, when he first voted for additional funding for the war and then the second time he didn't, he was called wishy washy and unable to make up his mind. In truth, the circumstances changed and his reponse to the new circumstances was different. He didn't change his mind--he reacted to a new set of variables.

Winston suggested that the Democrats need to understand the difference between campaigning and governing. In a campaign, you need to sound strong, resolute, and unwaivering. But, when faced with the realities of governing, you need to be flexible and able to adjust to changing parameters. The Democrats, Kerry specifically, campaigned the way they would govern to their detriment. The Republicans also campaigned the way they govern, much to our detriment.

Yep.

2005-05-31T12:07:00.000-05:00

You Are The Outlaw
"Sure, I'll do it. My way."
Just because you do not conform to the same laws and rules as everyone else does not mean that you are a bad guy. You travel your own path, separate from those around you, with your own reasons for doing what you do. Because of this and your own nature, it goes without saying that you are generally misunderstood. That does not matter much, though, as people love you for being who you are. You are pretty well set in your ways and have no real intention of changing. This can come across as a flicker of arrogance if your not careful. You do what is right for you, and God help anyone who stands in your way.

Which Classic Story Role Do You Play?
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Mrs. O'Leary's Lost her Cow

2005-05-27T12:05:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, B called me up and asked me how my Irish accent was. I can't do Cockney worth a shit, but I actually have a pretty good Irish one, and I told him so. He said good and that he and R had discussed who needed to show up at the reenactment on Sunday. Mrs. O'Leary. Yep, that Mrs. O'Leary of the Chicago fire fame. Now, the reenactment was taking place in 1883 and the fire was 1871, so we just wanted to play and foreshadow the firey events to come. I dressed in my work dress and apron (and my work dress looked better than a lot of women's town dresses, thankyewverymuch), carried a latern, and walked around the settlement asking if people had seen my cow, Daisy. It was hysterical. Most people got it and the moment they did, you could just see their eyes light up.

Me as Mrs. Kate O'Leary. Notice the latern.

I approached a middle aged couple and asked if they had seen my cow. The woman laughed and apologized and said no, she hadn't. Her husband, on the other hand, started rubbing his belly and said that he hadn't seen a cow, but he had had a really great steak down the way. I, of course, was incensed, "Oh, no! Daisy's not for eatin', she's for milkin'! Stop it with yerself!"

Another woman, when I told her if she could send Daisy down to the O'Leary farm if she saw her, just giggled and said, "The O'Leary's, huh?? Well, I will do that. And, I also hear it's going to be a hot night in Chicago tonight." I told her, "No such thing. It's supposed to be right lovely this evenin'."

Later, G and T came up to me and told me they had found Daisy. We took off and found a woman in a cow print jacket and cow hat shilling some sort of cow chip bingo game. I'm guessing she doesn't get to many reenactments because here's the conversation that we had. I approached her, looked her up and down and turned to T.

Kaffy: No, that's no my Daisy. My Daisy's white with brown markin's and this one's got black markin's. Also, my Daisy's got four legs and this one's only got the two. [then I turned to the lady dressed as a cow] You haven't seen another cow around here, have you? I'm missing my Daisy and have been lookin' for her all day.

Cow Lady: [looking very confused] No, I haven't seen a cow, sorry.

Kaffy: Name's O'Leary. Kate O'Leary. Are you sure you haven't seen my Daisy?

Cow Lady: No, sorry. [then she took off the cow hat and looked at me seriously] You know I'm not really a cow.

Kaffy: Ah, sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph! What's happened to this cow? First, she's only got two legs and now she's taking off her head!
[Cow Lady then put her hat back on] Oh dear me, that's better. Well, thank you kindly, wee cow. If you see my Daisy, send her home, won't you?

T & I then walked away giggling. That lady was dead serious when she assured me that she wasn't a cow. Funniest thing evah!

During the day, I learned how to embroider. L made little sewing bags with a needle, beeswax, and an embroidery hoop in it for everyone. Then she drew our initials on it and taught us how to embroider them. Here's me working on mine with Winston looking on.

And, here's the "K" done.

Oh! I forgot to tell you about the Ladies' Activities they had on Saturday. Since the men are typically off playing soldier at these things, they try to have crafts for the ladies. On Saturday, I went to two of the classes. In the first one, I made a hand sewn leather book. In the second, I made solid perfume out of beeswax and vaseline and essential oils. Mine is vanilla and lavender and smell quite yummy. We also stamped and colored little sachets to put our perfume in. I'm so crafty.

All in all, it was a fun weekend. I'm looking forward to the next one!

Spa Day

2005-05-27T11:17:00.000-05:00

Today is a half day at work, and I'm going to spend the afternoon at the spa. Yes, you read correctly. I'm going to pamper myself and relax and enjoy my afternoon of complete indulgence. I'm getting a manicure, pedicure, facial, and massage. I hope to be a mass of oozing relaxation by the time they're done. Winston gave me a gift certificate for my birthday and I'm finally getting around to using it. I cannot wait.

Creators.com - Molly Ivins

2005-05-26T12:28:00.000-05:00

Creators.com - Molly Ivins - May 24, 2005

I have loved columnist Molly Ivins for years. She's the kind of Texas woman I adore: strong, witty, brash, liberal. In this article, she quotes Senfronia Thompson, a Texas state representative from Houston, who is "speaking against the Legislature's recent folly of putting a superfluous anti-gay marriage measure into the state constitution."

Just a few highlights:

I have been a member of this august body for three decades, and today is one of the all-time low points. We are going in the wrong direction, in the direction of hate and fear and discrimination. Members, we all know what this is about; this is the politics of divisiveness at it's worst, a wedge issue that is meant to divide.

Members, this bill is about hate and fear and discrimination. . . . When I was a small girl, white folks used to talk about 'protecting the institution of marriage' as well. What they meant was if people of my color tried to marry people of Mr. Chisum's color, you'd often find the people of my color hanging from a tree. . . . Fifty years ago, white folks thought interracial marriages were 'a threat to the institution of marriage.'

Members, I'm a Christian and a proud Christian. I read the good book and do my best to live by it. I have never read the verse where it says, 'Gay people can't marry.' I have never read the verse where it says, 'Thou shalt discriminate against those not like me.' I have never read the verse where it says, 'Let's base our public policy on hate and fear and discrimination.' Christianity to me is love and hope and faith and forgiveness -- not hate and discrimination.

I have listened to the arguments. I have listened to all of the crap. . . . I want you to know that this amendment [is] blowing smoke to fuel the hell-fire flames of bigotry.

I think I'm in love with Rep. Thompson. Unfortunately, the amendment passed.

Fun with Dental Hygiene

2005-05-25T14:58:00.000-05:00

After going to the dentist in January and having to go through under gum, deep cleaning, I have been very good about flossing. But, I have a small mouth (no comments from the peanut gallery!) and I have a hard time reaching my back teeth. Enter the Reach Access. I got a free sample and tried it out. That thing rocks! Don't have to wind the floss around my fingers and watch as the tips turn purple because I've wound too tightly. I don't have to battle my tongue and contort into weird positions trying to reach the back teeth. In fact, you don't even have to put your fingers in your mouth. I'm very excited about my new find. And, yes, I realize how pathetic I am about my flossing woes. I have a sad life.

Referrals

2005-05-24T17:11:00.000-05:00

Dear me. I just checked the keywords that people are using to get to my blog recently.

Homage to my hair: Yeah, okay. I'll cop to that. I talk about hair a lot.

black lowlights: Yep, more hair talk. At least this time, it was about Broad.

fage yogurt: Stuff of the Gods. Much like pimento cheese.

mexican surfer female kat: Okay. Don't even know how that one happened.

the biggest vagina in the world with no APs on it: I'm askeered. Hold me.

And now, for my favorite...

I bake you a pie and you call me a bitch! You're the bitch! YOU ARE

You know, if someone did bake you a pie, I think you are a bitch if you call her a bitch.

The Ball

2005-05-24T16:58:00.000-05:00

The event closed to the public around 4:00pm on Saturday. We gathered at the Kaufmann's tent and had a potluck supper. I did find out something distressing about Winston. He doesn't like pimento cheese. Who doesn't like homemade pimento cheese?? It is stuff of the gods. But he doesn't like it. Says it's too pimento-y. Whatever that means.

After supper, we readied ourselves for the ball. We went as the Honorable Andrew Lyons and his wife (the British ambassador), Lord & Lady Palmerston (the Prime Minister--that's me and Winston), and others in the court of Queen Victoria. Last year at this event, we had the Prince and Princess of Wales and even a British guard, but they couldn't make it this year, so we had to scale down. We were going to attend just as ourselves, but the organizers wanted the royal entourage there so we could do formal announcements and whatnot with the President and his wife.

The picture's a bit dark because it's, duh, night. But, here are the ladies in our ballgowns. Aren't we pretty??

After we got to the ball (aka the cafeteria of the local high school), we lined up outside for the grand march. Because we were the royal entourage, we went in directly behind the Lincolns.

Here's Winston and me all prettified.

And, here's Winston chatting up the President.

Winston and I got to waltz together. He's a great dancer and makes my insides all squishy when he dances with me.

We stayed for about 1 1/2 hours then headed on back to our tent to change (release me from the corset! I had been in that puppy for 12 hours). After getting back into 21st C. clothing, we went over to L's tent and chatted with her for awhile. Then back to our tent where we fixed our sleeping bags, crawled under the covers and slept as well as we could on the hard ground. Poor Winston was on a rock most of the night.

Civil Warrin'

2005-05-23T23:48:00.000-05:00

The reenactment went smoothly this weekend despite my reservations. I have a lot of stories, so I'll feed you some bits at a time.

First, a bit of background. The group I'm involved with is the Great Lakes Reenactors' Guild which we started about 3 years ago. B and L (who are cousins) have been reenacting for years. B got me involved after we did a show together. They both design costumes and sew and B has sewn every 19th century dress I own. B and R own a sutlery, Kaufmann's Emporium, and they have quite a side business.

The event started on Saturday. Winston and I were up at the crack of dawn to load the car, get to the event, set up, and change all before 10 am. B, R and L got there on Friday and set up our tents, so we at least didn't have to do that. We got all set up and dressed and blah blah blah and met the rest of our group outside the house we were stationed at to have a lawn party. The two girls I had complained about previously? Took our chairs. What ev. I know I was feeling particularly snippy about them and that just didn't help.

First, we went over to B&R's tent to see them. L had made a waistcoat for Winston. Isn't he hot? I mean, seriously.

That's L in the black dress behind Winston. And way in the back, inside the tent, are R and B.

We spent the day walking around and doing crafts. I crocheted some and Winston made a kite.

Aren't we cute?? That dress I'm wearing? B had made it as a commission for someone else. WHO DIDN'T LIKE IT. Is she insane or what? At least I profited from her insanity and I got it at a steal. It's gorgeous. And 100% silk, thankyewverymuch.

We had a pretty good day overall. I got a bit sunburned, but not too bad.

Up next, the ball...

My Life In Pictures

2005-05-23T22:52:00.000-05:00

Snagged from Psycho Girl.

Here is where I grew up:

Well, that's the place I lived from age 11 to 18. Very formative years.

This is where I live now:

Note: I do not live in that particular house. Boy, do I wish!

This is my name:

It's also my body. Yeaaaahhhh....

This was my grandmother's name:

This was my other grandmother's name:

This is my favorite food:

[Edit: looking at this, I realize it looks like donut holes. It's really truffles.]

This is my favorite drink:

This is my favorite smell:

These are my favorite shoes:

Quoted directly from Psycho babe:

Visit: images.google.com

Search: the place you grew up, the place you live now, your name, your Grandmother's name, your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite song, your favorite smell and your favorite shoes.

Then, post the first (or your favorite) results for each.

Don't be an asshole: be sure to save images and upload them to your own server.

Yikes

2005-05-20T16:49:00.000-05:00

FemDefence.

I realize this is an art installation, but part of me wishes it were real. In the midst of getting raped, hearing the guy shout with pain as his dick is punctured? Not bad. Realistically, it'd probably piss him off so much that he'd kill you dead, but in my fantasy land? It don't suck.

Don't Get Me Angry

2005-05-20T13:22:00.000-05:00

I'm headed off to a Civil War Re-enactment this weekend. I get to get all tarted up in pretty Victorian clothes and hang out with friends and play and have a good time. But (and there's always a "but," isn't there?), I am pissed at two of the girls attending. And, I do mean "girls." They're young (mid-20's), flighty drama queens. They're two of the people who are pissed at me because of the email I sent out this week. Let me tell you exactly what was said in the email:

Storage: We will have B's A-frame tent set up on the side of the house for storing items. Kaufmann's is off-limits for storage. Note: do NOT bring your entire house to the event (G & T I'm looking at you!). We need to store stuff for 6 people, and the tent isn't big. Also, the tent is being used by 2 people on Saturday night for camping, so you cannot leave stuff overnight.

So, the two girls pissed at me are G and T because I made a side joke about them notoriously not packing light. Again, they did not tell me that they were mad. They told B who told me. That pisses me off. If you're mad at me, why don't you tell me?

Being the adult in this situation, I emailed them back:

B tells me you are upset with my, obviously failed, attempt at humor in yesterday's email. I'm sorry it upset you. It certainly wasn't intended to. If I ever do anything to upset you, please let me know. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Short, to the point. I was pissed, so I didn't trust myself to say much more. They responded back. I wish I still had their emails, but I deleted them. But, here was their basic arguement: 1) we had to bring more stuff than other people, 2) we shared our stuff with others, and 3) it's our stuff to bring and it wasn't encroaching on others.

Here's where I stand now. I want to set them straight because numbers 1 and 3 are patently false and number 2? Everyone was sharing stuff with everyone else. But, they are flighty, overly sensitive, drama queens. Now that they have "cleared the air," they've forgotten about it. I, on the other hand, am slow to anger, but once you've pissed me off? You're fucked. If I did what I really wanted to do, it would resort in 2 little girls in puddles of tears. But, I don't want to make the weekend miserable for everyone. As it stands, I am the only one who is still pissed. I am the only one who has any lingering bad feelings. If I tore them new assholes (which I so want to do), it would make me feel better, but the little girls would feel horrible, and they are the sorts who would make everyone around them feel horrible, too.

Broad suggests that I let them get all their shit spread out, which they will most certainly do, and then calmly point out that their shit is, in fact, encroaching on everyone else. I think that's a good suggestion, but I still want to be a bitch to them. I want to hurt them and make them cry. (What can I say? I'm a Scorpio.) I am going to try and avoid them as much as possible, but our space is very small. I won't be able to avoid them anywhere near as much as I like.

I just needed to get that out. Hopefully, just by writing it out, I will have gotten the bad feelings out. But I doubt it. Again, slow to anger, but once I am angry? I hold a grudge until Jesus comes back.

I seem to be in the right place.

2005-05-20T12:17:00.000-05:00

American Cities That Best Fit You:

55% Chicago

55% New York City

55% Washington, DC

50% Austin

50% Philadelphia

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Snagged from her.

Ponderings

2005-05-19T16:45:00.000-05:00

I just popped a baby carrot in my mouth when I realized that I had to pee. So, off I go to the restroom which is only about 20 feet from me. I sit down and start doing my business while I'm still chewing the aforementioned baby carrot. Does anyone else think it just seems wrong to be taking care of both ends of the digestive tract at the same time?? Just me then?

Ummm..You've got something showing there...

2005-05-18T13:51:00.000-05:00

Please go look at this picture . It's priceless.

Chicago Tribune | Governor fights back

2005-05-18T13:50:00.000-05:00

Chicago Tribune | Governor fights back: "'And this is the kind of thing that I think, frankly, separates the men from the boys in leadership. Do you have the testicular virility to make a decision like that, knowing what's coming your way and then stick to it, which is what I did, and knowing all of this that we're dealing with now is what we have to deal with? I say I do.'"

I love my Governor. I don't know why, but this cracks me up to no end and doesn't offend me in the least. Even though I would have said, "Do you have the ovaries to make a decision like that..."

Some People are Too Damn Sensitive

2005-05-17T13:57:00.000-05:00

I fucking don't understand people. I just don't. I've got 3 people mad at me for an email I sent out yesterday that was an informational email. We're (a reenactment group I belong to) doing a Civil War reenactment this weekend, and I'm the organizer for this event. I sent out a reminder email yesterday with lists of things to remember to do/bring. Short, sweet, to the point. And, now? Three overly sensitive people are mad at me because of it. I am completely flummoxed. Better yet, did any of them tell me they were mad? Of course not. They told someone else so he could tell me. If you're pissed at me, tell me. If you can't, maybe you need to see if your pissed attitude is warranted. Bet it's not. I don't even fucking want to go anymore.

Lilacs and Pajama Days

2005-05-12T17:22:00.000-05:00

When I was a little girl, we had a lilac bush in our back yard much like this one:

I don't think you can tell from the picture, but lilac bushes are kind of hollow on the inside. In fact, there's just enough room for a folding lawn chair and a cardboard box. And, yes, I know this for a fact. I had just such a set up in our bush. I'm the middle of 5 kids in my family and in a family that large, there's just no such thing as a place to be alone. I shared a room with a sister most of my life. Even the bathroom wasn't safe because if you spent too much time in there, someone would just barge in. So, I found our lilac bush and appropriated it. I never told anyone about my hideout when I was a little girl. I especially didn't tell my siblings. It was my place to go when I wanted to be alone, read, play with my Barbies, whatever.

This time of year when lilacs are in bloom, the smell takes me back to the bush in our backyard and the sense of calm I would get by spending time there. Lilacs are my favorite flower because of that smell.

To this day, I still need some alone time to read, ~~play with my Barbies~~ play on my computer, whatever. Being single, I get more of that time than I need, really. But, I still appreciate it since I didn't get too much of it until, well, I was about 31 and got my first apartment on my own. I regularly hole up in my apartment for "pajama weekends" where I stay in my jammies all nasty and grungy, let the machine (yes, "machine!" I'm a luddite, what can I say?) get all calls, and hide away from the world for a couple of days.

Prompted by one of her posts, Broad and I were talking about singleness and alone time not too long ago. She is very protective of her space and sharing it does not come easily. I am very protective of my space, and sharing it is easier for me, but I am very particular about who I share it with. It was during that conversation that I realized I had someone I actually like sharing my pajama weekends with. That's new. And scary.

Yay, Kraft!

2005-05-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

Kraft has signed on as a sponsor of the 2006 Gay Games. Go, them!! Unfortunately, The American Family Association has sent an email blast to their minions asking them to contact Kraft and "Tell Kraft to drop their corporate sponsorship of the 2006 Gay Games in Chicago." So, if you support Kraft's decision, contact them and let them know!

You can send them a note online or call them at 1-800-323-0768.

Best Laid Plans and All That

2005-05-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

My brother (who lives in Houston) planned a trip to visit my parents (in Memphis) for the week of June 5. My mom called me and asked me to try and go down then, too, so that she could have all her babies in one place on June 7th. I don't have a lot of vacation time to use this year, so I checked my schedule. I figured out I could fly down for a few days, call my sister to make sure she can get me from the airport, it's all good. My sister & I decide to keep my coming a secret and surprise Mom. It'll be fun!

I just got an email from my sister. Brother has changed his plans and is coming the week of June 26th. Crap. I emailed to see if he can change it back.

I can probably change my flight, but it'll cost me either $100 total or $100 each way, haven't quite figured that out yet. It sucks. If it's $100 each way, there's no way I can afford it. The tickets were already $300.

New Shoes!

2005-05-10T12:49:00.000-05:00

I ordered these shoes from Zappos yesterday. They were delivered this morning. Their shipping RAWKS! And, the shoes? Too too cute and so very comfy.

Some People Just Annoy Me

2005-05-10T11:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Lackey,

There is absolutely no reason for you to tell me that you're calling for Mr. So-and-So, a member of senior management for your company. I don't care who you're calling for. I know you think it makes you sound all important to be doing grunt work for Mr.Senior Management, but it doesn't. It just makes you sound like you do grunt work. And, I'm going to be as nice to you as I would to Mr. So-and-So. Well, not really. Because now that you've told me you're calling for "senior management," I think you're a big dork, and I'm going to treat you as such. Well, not really, I'd get fired. But, I'm gonna think you're a big dork and I'm gonna write you a stupid letter on my blog for all the world to see how big a dork you are. Get some ovaries, woman, and call for yourself. You don't need "senior management" behind you to make a fucking phone call.

Thank you for your interest in our company, and if I may be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to call me.

Best regards,

Kaffy

Explosive Monday

2005-05-09T17:33:00.000-05:00

7:00: Alarm clock goes off.

7:11: Realize alarm is going off. Hit snooze.

7:20: Hit snooze.

7:29: Hit snooze.

7:38: Hit snooze.

7:47: Fuck it. Turn the damn thing off.

8:15: Damn. Get yerself outta bed, you lazy git.

8:15-8:30: Play with cat.

8:30-9:15: Shower, etc.

9:15: Turn on kitchen light. All lightbulbs explode. Okay, the only remaining working lighbulb explodes. Pull out ladder. Grab lightbulbs. Replace. Awww...light! Shit. I need to clean the kitchen.

9:25: Pull out stuff to make sammich for lunch. Drop mustard and watch as cap breaks into tiny pieces and mustard explodes all over the kitchen floor. Grab cat as he walks through mustard leaving little mustardy paw prints. Clean cat. Clean floor.

9:35: Make lunch.

10:00: Finally, arrive at work. Thank God traffic was light.

I'm Baack!

2005-05-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

Since I took my hiatus and I haven't blogged in quite a while, I thought I'd catch you all up on what's been going on:

*As you know, school for the semester is over! Yay! My final exam grade was posted for my Medieval Women's Lit class: 97, baby! So, I got an A in that class.

*I also got an A in my Secondary Methods class. Okay, I actually got a 101% in that class. Let me explain...no, is too much, let me sum up: My teacher doesn't read our stuff. He just skims. I sat in his office on Wednesday night as he graded my 12 page paper, and 40 page final project. He skimmed the paper, oohed over the charts and gave me a 100. He skimmed the project, made a couple of comments, and gave me a 100. What. Ev. I'm not going to complain about the A, but I could have done crap work and still gotten an A.

*I'm taking the summer off. Not by choice, but there are no classes offered at a time when I can take them. I am happy about that and not. It sets me back at least 2 terms, but I can sho' enough use the time off.

*Work is work. I had a month from hell in April due to all the projects, etc., but I made it through and it's back to normal busy now.

*We had a Cinco de Mayo happy hour after work yesterday. Winston even came downtown and joined us. It was fun but the restaurant was hella busy and crowded. Winston and I left and met some of his friends for supper. That was fun. They're nice people and told us all about their honeymoon. In COSTA RICA! How cool is that??

That's all I got. How sad is that? I barely blogged for a whole month and that's all I got! Well, now you know why I took the hiatus. I was too busy with work and school. Blech.

This weekend, I'm getting my hair done. SO happy about that as I have the Roots O'Doom. Did I mention the busy? Yeah, I even skipped my hair appt., so it's been a scary long time since I've had the roots touched up. Yikes. After hair, I hope EWK, Broad, Winston and I will all do lunch. That should be fun.

Quite True, Actually

2005-05-06T13:10:00.000-05:00

You scored as Cultural Creative. Cultural Creatives are probably the newest group to enter this realm. You are a modern thinker who tends to shy away from organized religion but still feels as if there is something greater than ourselves. You are very spiritual, even if you are not religious. Life has a meaning outside of the rational.

Cultural Creative

94%

Postmodernist

75%

Romanticist

50%

Idealist

44%

Existentialist

38%

Modernist

25%

Fundamentalist

19%

Materialist

13%

What is Your World View?
created with QuizFarm.com

So Not Surprised by This

2005-05-05T15:19:00.000-05:00

Your Taste in Music:

80's Rock: High Influence

Classic Rock: High Influence

Country: High Influence

80's Pop: Medium Influence

80's R&B: Medium Influence

90's Pop: Medium Influence

80's Alternative: Low Influence

90's Hip Hop: Low Influence

Hair Bands: Low Influence

How's Your Taste in Music?

Snagged from her.

Wahoo!!

2005-05-04T23:13:00.000-05:00

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

11 handwritten pages and one hand cramp later, my last final has been took. I am done! Well, I am done for the semester. I still have at least 3 semesters left till I'm done, but I do have the summer off. Which is happy making and not happy making all at the same time. I will have more free time to have a social life and spend more time with Winston, but it does set me back some. Oh, well.

I ended up with over 100% in one class. The other? I'm a borderline A/B. I think it will depend on the final, but I did rock on it. At least I think I did. I'll let y'all know.

In other, random news, Broad has heard through the grapevine that, apparently, I threatened to kick her sister's ass last summer. I am much more edgy and street than I ever suspected. Look at me, I'm a bad ass. You all better watch yourselves around me.

I'm a Big Lush

2005-04-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

Bacardi 151
Congratulations! You're 132 proof, with specific scores in beer (60) , wine (133), and liquor (86).

All right. No more messing around. Your knowledge of alcohol is so high that you have drinking and getting plastered down to a science. Sure, you could get wasted drinking beer, but who needs all those trips to the bathroom? You head straight for the bar and pick up that which is most efficient.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 60% on proof

You scored higher than 77% on beer index

You scored higher than 97% on wine index

You scored higher than 84% on liquor index

Link: The Alcohol Knowledge Test written by hoppersplit on Ok Cupid

Snagged from Da Broad and Amy. (I know I'm on haitus, but I had to share what a lush I am. Funny thing is, I rarely drink.)

Haitus

2005-04-12T10:27:00.000-05:00

I cannot even begin to convey the amount of stress I'm under right now. Work and school have both decided to rear their ugly heads at the exact same time. I honestly just want to crawl in a dark hole, curl up in the fetal position and cry for a few days. If I don't get a break soon, I will crack. No question about it.

So, this will be my last entry for a few weeks. Until school is out and I've had time to sleep. Later, gators.

Random Bullets

2005-04-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

* Tootsie Roll now has miniature tootsie roll pops. Our receptionist has some in her candy jar at the front desk, and I commented on how cute they were. Her response? "Yeah, they're like Tootsie Roll fetuses."

* I went to a Lebanese restaurant for lunch and they had their front windows open because it's so beautiful out today. A homeless guy stood on the sidewalk looking in at diners and blowing cigarette smoke on them for a good five minutes or more.

* When I told a friend that I went to said Lebanese restaurant, I had a tongue slip and called it a Lesbian restaurant. I laughed until I cried.

* It's getting to be that time in the semester when I have so much due I want to sit and cry. Sometimes, I can compensate by getting schoolwork done at work work. Not so right now. I'm swamped at work (I was here till 8:30 last night) and don't have time for school stuff at work. Arg.

* I got to two step and waltz with Winston on Saturday. That man can dance and he's damn sexy while doing it.

* My butt hurts. No, not like that. Get yer minds outta the gutter. It's my tailbone. Or rather, I think it's the nerves around my tailbone. I've been hurty for several months now. I think I should make an appointment to see the doctor.

* I now have a gold toof. It's way in the back and not too ghetto, but it was a really bad cavity (actually, it was an old filling that had cracked and gotten a cavity under it) and the dentist told me that gold would last a hella lot longer than anything else and if I had to get another filling replaced, it would be root canal time. So, Kaffy's a gold toof possessor.

My Coworkers Rock

2005-04-01T14:20:00.000-06:00

Not only do they do sweet things for me, they have wicked senses of humor. The company I work for is involved in the corporate sponsorship industry and we get a daily update on sports sponsorships from another company. One of our reporters forwards the daily email to the rest of us who need to see it.

Today, he added his own story to the email.

Vatican Offers Sponsorship Rights For Pope's Casket

The Vatican's College of Cardinals is offering exclusive sponsorship rights to the Pope's upcoming funeral, including brand logo placement on the deceased pontiff's casket, according to sources quoted by Italian news agency Italia, sPA. The news agency said that the College has been preparing for the Holy Father's demise since he fell ill more than two weeks ago, and has had what it characterizes as "preliminary discussions" with several well-known European brands and several U.S. corporations. Cardinal College spokesman Giuseppe Mezzofanti did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Italia also reports that sources close to the College say the directive to find alternative revenue streams comes directly from the Holy See in Rome, which has long been rumored to be facing financial difficulties. Although the Church's accounting for years has been a closely guarded secret, other reports in the Italian press have said that additional branding opportunities, such as agreement with an automaker to brand the Pontiff's bulletproof Popemobile, may also become available. This would not be the first time the Catholic Church has dabbled in marketing. Last year, several news agencies reported that St. Petri Church in Hamburg, Germany, was funding repairs to its organ through the sale of church-sanctioned religious ring tones that could be downloaded to buyer's cell phones.

I about pee'd!

Goodness

2005-03-31T22:38:00.000-06:00

After my Rantycakes, I needed to let you all know that goodness does exist within humankind. And, within my coworkers.

I got to work this morning to find 2 things on my desk:

1. My favorite mug. There's this one mug at work that has the perfect handle and I love using it. But, it's a community mug, and someone else (someone who gets to work before me) has discovered the joys of my mug. Our receptionist empties the dishwasher first thing every morning and she has started leaving the clean mug on my desk because she knows how much I love it.

2. 3 dark chocolate Kit Kats with a note saying, "I know you like dark chocolate. -B." First, I didn't even know they made dark chocolate Kit Kats (they're pretty tasty, FYI), but she remembered and left me candy.

Most days, working at my company is pretty good and the reason is people like that.

Ranty McRantycakes

2005-03-31T14:22:00.000-06:00

Hysterical, yet maddening, 911 call.

Small clip:

"You're supposed to protect me."

"From what? A wrong cheeseburger?"

So, this insane woman calls 911 because Burger King gave her the wrong burger and they won't give her the one she wants. Instead of getting out of her car and going in the restaurant to solve her problem, she calls 911 and wants the police to come and take care of it.

This type of behavior is indicative of some of our social ills. She's an adult who has no problem solving skills and is incredibly egocentric. So, when confronted with a tiny problem, instead of solving it like an adult, she has to escalate it to the level of a critical emergency and call for police assistance. And, of course, the police should come because she's been wronged. Horribly wronged. It is, after all, her. And she's not getting it Her Way.

And, she's doing all this with her children in her car. Guess what her preciouses are now learning?

People need to get their heads out of their asses and realize that this world is not all about them. Open their eyes to the fact that there are other people out there with concerns and problems. Not I-got-the-wrong-burger problems, either. Real, honest to God, problems. And, for the nitpicky, third world problems that we who are fortunate get, we need to learn coping skills and handle it like adults.

Evil and Hateful

2005-03-30T14:45:00.000-06:00

It's just wrong for a professor to have a midterm the first day back from Spring break. It's evil and hateful for that professor to also have 10 lesson plans due that day.

diving back under paperwork

Well, makes you look like an ass is what he does, Ed

2005-03-29T12:49:00.000-06:00

You are Ferris Bueller (from Ferris Bueller's Day
Off)! You're a smooth talker and a
resourceful, quick thinker, and you play by
your own rules. Fortunately, you use such
things for fun and not to hurt anyone else.
God only knows what would happen if you crossed
paths with Lisa from Weird Science.

Which John Hughes Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Hell, yeah!

Snagged from her. (And, if she's reading this, your blog is displaying funny for me. The posts don't show up until after all you side bar stuff.)

California Dreamin'

2005-03-28T13:00:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm not in California, but I have been dreaming a lot lately. Dreams that would make any 1960's tripper very proud. Most of the dreams have been disturbing, but the most recent one was wonderful. I dreamed I was Aeryn Sun from Farscape. I wasn't me playing Aeryn, I was Aeryn. And, it was pretty cool. For those of you who don't watch Farscape, she's a kick-ass warrior chick with a great voice, beautiful hair, and a body you can bounce quarters off of. In the dream, I was getting ready to go out and fight the Bad Guy. I was getting into my prowler (small spaceship) when Crichton (aka yummy goodness) stopped me. He didn't say a word. He just gabbed me by the hair on the back of my head and kissed me well and proper (much like a certain someone has done in real life). Of course, being Aeryn, while he kissed me, I was feeling my thigh to make sure I had my gun in its holster. Then I went off and shot up the Bad Guy.

Not a deep dream, sure, but I liked it!

Bored at Work

2005-03-22T18:01:00.000-06:00

Your Seduction Style: The Natural

You don't really try to seduce people... it just seems to happen.
Fun loving and free spirited, you bring out the inner child in people.
You are spontaneous, sincere, and unpretentious - a hard combo to find!
People drop their guard around you, and find themselves falling fast.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Snagged from Snidgey.

I'm Still Full

2005-03-22T10:50:00.000-06:00

I went here last night with some friends from here. I had gumbo, a shrimp po' boy and chicory creme brulee. I am still full. It was really tasty, tho. The shrimp wasn't overly breaded and fried. You tasted more shrimp than anything else. I had never had the coffee creme brulee before. It was okay. I wouldn't use that many Points on it again. I wanted to try it because I love coffee and creme brulee is my favorite dessert. The cool creamy goodness under the crispy caramel top that you have to crack open with your spoon. Oh, yeah, baby. But the two flavors together? Not so much.

Awful Way to Start the Week

2005-03-21T17:05:00.000-06:00

I woke up this morning from a horrible dream. I dreamed my dad died. Which, after what has happened, sucked. My dad is doing much better now. He's home and going to therapy 3 days per week. He's still in a wheelchair. At this point, it looks like he may be in one forever. His mental state is significantly better, but he still has short-term memory problems and logic problems.

In my dream, I got a call from my sister at around 11:30 am. For some reason, I was home, so it must have been a weekend day. My dad had another stroke the night before and died around 2:30 am. I had all the normal emotions about that, but I was also really pissed at my sister for not calling me sooner. I woke up right after I hung up the phone which I'm glad about. I could feel my dream me getting ready for those kinds of sobs that just hurt all over.

This is not a good way to start a week.

Latte Art

2005-03-18T15:04:00.000-06:00

This is freakin' cool and appeals to the coffee lover in me.

Thursdays Suck

2005-03-18T14:29:00.000-06:00

I was a bit put out with my class last night. First of all, I have to leave work early to get to it, and I was really busy yesterday afternoon. I could have used extra time at work. So, I drive 45 minutes and get to school. Turns out my prof. is out of town and we have a substitute. A substitute? For a college class? So, sub prof. walks in. Turns out we don't really have a sub. We have been lucky enough to have been chosen for a random assessment for the university. Translation: we got to spend the entire class period taking a standardized test for the uni. They want to see how well their students are learning in the general education classes.

Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I didn't take any of my gen. eds at that university. I took them in undergrad almost 20 years ago. (Holy shit! Undergrad was 20 years ago!) That's okay, she says. They want to compare my uni with other uni's to see how they measure up. What. Ev. I'm put out by that. Not murdering mad, but put out.

So, after taking the test, I head home and decide that I need a shamrock shake for St. Paddy's Day. (Yes, I said "need." Wanna make something of it??) I stop by the McD's closest to home and they're out. OUT OF SHAMROCK SHAKES! Fine. Decide I shouldn't really have one anyway.

I go home to make a corned beef and cabbage strudel that I found the recipe for on WW (see recipe below). But, my phyllo dough is old and moldy. I made the filling and ate that and it was really very good, but I bet it would rock in the phyllo dough. Will need to make it again.

All in all, last night was sucky. Not horrible bad, just annoying.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Strudel
POINTS: 5

4 cup cabbage, all varieties, shredded
1 medium garlic clove(s), peeled and minced
1/2 cup canned chicken broth
2 cup frozen potatoes o'brien, thawed (potato, onion and red pepper)
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
1 piece bay leaf
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/2 pound corned beef brisket, cooked and diced
4 sheet whole-wheat phyllo dough
1/2 cup mustard

Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add cabbage, garlic and broth. Sauté until cabbage is limp, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes.

Stir in potatoes O’Brien, salt, pepper, thyme, caraway seed and bay leaf. Cook until potatoes are hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and corned beef. Remove bay leaf. Remove from heat and cool mixture while preparing phyllo dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place one sheet phyllo dough, long-side facing you, on paper. Spray with cooking spray. Add second sheet of dough. Spray with cooking spray. Repeat twice more.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spoon corned beef filling across width of dough, starting 4 inches from bottom of dough. Mound filling into a 4-inch wide strip. Lift up bottom 4 inches of dough to cover filling. Using parchment paper as a guide, gently roll up phyllo dough. Place seam-side down on paper-lined cookie sheet. Ends of dough don't have to be tucked in. Spray strudel with cooking spray.

Bake until phyllo is browned, 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Cut into 4 slices and serve each with 2 tablespoons mustard.

*Weight Watchers Recipe

CNN.com - 'Buffy' creator doing 'Wonder Woman' - Mar 17, 2005

2005-03-17T09:58:00.000-06:00

CNN.com - 'Buffy' creator doing 'Wonder Woman' - Mar 17, 2005

Oh, hell yeah!

I loves me some Joss Whedon and can't wait to see wait he'll do with Wonder Woman.

Life from the Scales

2005-03-15T13:28:00.000-06:00

I have been a very bad Weight Watcher. Since the beginning of January. This semester, my class schedule is such that I had to stop going to WW meetings. As a result,I stopped doing WW at all. This weekend, I wore a shirt that used to fit right, but I had to wear it open. Still looked cute, but that was a big indicator that I had gained some weight. I don't own a scale, so I don't know how much.

So, yesterday, I began anew. Went back to Flex Plan, started weighing/measuring/counting points/journaling. It's a good plan and it's easy to follow, but it does take time and planning. I went to the grocery store and stocked up on good, low point food. Lots of fruit and veggies. Got the stuff to make 2 recipes I found on WW: a very yummy pork chop (pork chops, curry, sweet potatoes and pears...quite tasty) and a corned beef strudel thing for St. Paddy's.

I'm going to do WW Online for now and see how it goes. Once the semester is over, I may go back to meetings, but I don't know.

So, wish me renewed motivation, renewed committment, etc. And, I will get back into that shirt in a few weeks.

Pictures!

2005-03-14T21:35:00.001-06:00

To see evidence of our fun night out, go here. Wheeeeee!!!!!!!

Fantastic Five Strike

2005-03-14T15:09:00.000-06:00

Winston and I had a wonderful time this weekend with the "Fantastic 5" (dubbed by Broad): Da Broad, Amy, Wad, and our special out of town guest, Snidget!! I know that you are all jealous of just that, but let me fill you in on some of the details. Also, I will be making Yahoo! Photo Album tonight and will post a linky to it so you can see some of the details, as well.

Saturday morning, I picked up Snidge from Broad's house. Broad had a story to cover, and we had a hair appointment. Now, I'm not from NW Indiana, and I don't know the area very well. I ended up turning the wrong way on a street and due to construction, it took us 15 minutes just to get back from where we started. Stopped at Starbucks for the necessary caffeine.

Snidge is adorable and her accent made me miss my family. Also, I found myself slipping into it a wee bit (especially after 2 tequila shots). She's got a dry, sarcastic wit combined with charm that's nigh near irresistable. Oh, and perfect hair. Hate her now.

Went to EWK's to get our hair done. My roots were trailer parkish and needed some serious help. For some reason, my hair is growing really fast these days and the crown is getting darker. Blech.

EWK is the bestest. He does our hair while singing show tunes. And, he has a wicked computer network in his house, so I have a great shot of Broad and Snidge blogging while there.

About the time my hair was done, Broad showed up. Once EWK finished me, Snidge and I made a run to Schoop's for some burgers. And, we almost got beat up by a very scary woman who thought we were making fun of her. But, seriously, we hadn't said a word about her until AFTER she called me a bitch. What. Ev.

After hair, Broad and Snidge ran back to Broad's and I went to Winston's to change and grab him. We met at Pepe's (faux Mexican place) and I got to finally meet Amy and Wad! Amy somehow manages to be both cute and beautiful at the same time. Also, she's got a contagious laugh and fun Happy Meal toys on her purse. Meeting Wad was "eh." So kidding! But, I told him I'd write that, so I had to. Actually, Wad is funny and kind and generous and will absolutely hate me for outing him in such a manner.

The six of us ordered supper and laughed and talked. Amy added shots of tequila to her margaritas, crazy woman. After supper, we headed over to the bar, McCool's, to see Broad's band. Which took the stage LAST. Frankly, we were a bit bored with the other bands and Broad was flitting off doing her "I know everyone in NWI" dance. So, we amused ourselves by taking pictures. (Again, I promise I will post them tonight!!)

Around midnight, we left the bar. Winston and I were dragging so we headed home. The others, however, told us they were going to a strip club. Turns out they just went to a diner. Damn. I wanted those stories.

We had a great time. Snidge, I hope you can come up again for a longer time. Broad, Amy, and Wad, we need to get together again since we all live here!

Fun with Anatomy

2005-03-11T13:15:00.000-06:00

The Interactive Body is a fun site to try your hand at placing organs, muscles, etc. in the right places. Go ahead and waste some time on a Friday afternoon!

LJWorld.com : Sex motive behind wife's slaying, prosecutors say

2005-03-10T14:34:00.000-06:00

LJWorld.com : Sex motive behind wife's slaying, prosecutors say: "'It's very clear that ... divorce was not an option, that it was frowned upon by the Lord, he believed,' Assistant Dist. Atty. Brandon Jones said. 'This was the easier way out for him, rather than divorce.' "

I have absolutely no words for this.

Prop Me Up

2005-03-10T14:19:00.000-06:00

Just put some shades on me and prop me up in the corner. I am completely wiped out. Every year, my company has a big conference and it was the past 4 days (Sun-Wed). I worked 40 hours in those four days and that just included work work. I also had a 10 page research paper due for class last night and a 3 pager due tonight. All papers are done, but I am plumb tuckered out. And, I'm at work right now.

But, here's the good news bullets:

*The conference went really really well. Except for the one attendee who accused me of physically assaulting her, that is. See, we have this one session that's limited to a certain segment of attendee. I am the bouncer. She is not from said segment and I didn't let her in. I pissed her off, she complained and LIED. Said I grabbed her. I don't think so, bitch. Now, move along.

*Winston came by the hotel Saturday night and brought me supper! And, he came by Tuesday night and brought me a toy! He brought me the handheld Ms. PacMan game that plugs right into your tv. Yay!!! Have I mentioned that I have the bestest boyfriend? Cuz, I do.

*I'm gonna have a rockin' Saturday night with Winston, Da Broad, Amy, hopefully Wad (come on, dude, you know you wanna!!), and our super special out of town guest, Snidget!!. We're gonna do some faux-Mexican at Pepe's (but $2 Coronas, woot!) and see one of Broad's favorite bands, Bite the ~~Wookie~~ Lime. I need a fun night out and this is going to be perfect.

*Getting my hair done on Saturday morning. I have some serious trailer park rootage happening and that just ain't right.

I'm taking my camera on Saturday and will post a linky to a Yahoo! photo album for you all to see the pictures. Can't wait!!

Yahoo! News - Cat Survives 10-Mile Trip on Top of Car

2005-03-04T16:31:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! News - Cat Survives 10-Mile Trip on Top of Car

Now, see...I may have made Mickey endure a 580 mile trip and then another one 2 days later. And, I may have even shut his tail in the car door when we stopped for gas (what?), but I did NOT make him ride on the top of the car. Not even for a second.

And, yes, I did shut the car door on his tail. While Winston kidded me for days that Mickey's tail was crooked because of it, in reality, he was and is fine. He did let out one whale of a hiss, though.

Wedding Weekend Recap

2005-03-04T12:52:00.000-06:00

I'm back! And, I have survived even though the snot monster has taken up residence in my sinuses. So, I'll give y'all the weekend recap:

Friday

Winston and I slept in and didn't hit the road until 11am. This was after wrestling Mickey out from under the bed and shoving him in his carrier. The trip itself was fairly uneventful. We drove. A lot. We stopped in Mt. Vernon for lunch at McD's. We drove some more. We finally got to my parents around 8:30pm-ish. My dad was already in bed, so Winston didn't get to meet him yet. But, my Lil Sis, her fiance and her 2 kids were there. So, we chatted for a little bit then they had to head back home. The kiddies needed to get in bed. After they left, Winston and I ate the supper my mom made for us: cornish hens, wild rice, green beans, and canteloupe. My mom can cook, y'all.

Then, Mom, Winston and I sat up talking a bit then went to bed. And, yes, separate bedrooms for us. My parents are not too keen on people who aren't married sleeping together. I did, however, sleep with Mickey.

Saturday

Winston came in my room around 9 to wake me up. What? He had an alarm clock and I didn't even have a clock that worked. Went out and said good morning to my dad and mom while Winston showered. My mom made a big breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and biscuits. Yum.

Winston got to meet the dad. My dad is actually very nice. No third degree or anything. It went quite well.

After breakfast, we all got dressed and headed out for Lil Sis's. We got to her place while she and her daughter were at the hairdresser's. Her fiance (will call him...LSH...Lil Sis's Husband) had to run out and pick up his son. He's a cutie kid, 7 years old. Very quiet, tho. Don't know how he's going to cope in a household with my very loud niece and nephew. When Lil Sis got home from the salon, she was NERVOUS. So nervous she said, "I think I need to go vomit. I should have done this at 10 this morning gotten it over with."

Now, I've never been married, but I can understand being nervous. I can even understand being that nervous after dating for three years let alone three months. So, I don't necessarily see that as a big red flag.

The wedding was held at Lil Sis's kids' school (daycare). Lil Sis wore a long, ivory dress. Very simple and pretty. Her 4 year old son walked her down the aisle. It was so very cute. My dad was upset by it, tho. He said that it wasn't right, "A daddy should stand up with his daughter when she gets married, and I can't do that." I felt so bad for him.

When Nephew got to the end of the aisle, he wanted to say a prayer, so they let him. He prayed for my dad: "Dear God, please help my Granddaddy get better because he's sick. Help him so that he doesn't have to use a rolling chair and can walk. Thank you." I about lost it. My mom and dad did completely lose it. He is the sweetest boy.

LSH's BIL performed the wedding which was very simple. No music, just exchanging of vows. It was sweet. There were about 40 people there, I'd guess. Lil Sis's very good friend was not there, tho. That was strange. In fact, there were only a few of Lil Sis's friends there. Like 4? Granted, it was mostly family there, but still. Seemed strange to me.

The only thing that really squicked me out was the fact that my brother and LSH have the same name. So the exchange of vows kept sounding like Lil Sis and Lil Bro were getting married. We may be Southern, but we don't cotton to incest. Blech!

Reception after was held at LSH's dad's house. They had quite a spread including some of the best chicken salad I've ever eaten. We left early because Daddy was getting tired. Headed back home to the parents.

Now, to the question I'm sure you all want to know. How did my racist sister and her husband react?? Quite well actually. I never thought they would be mean to Winston, I just thought they would ignore him. But, BIL actually talked up a storm to him at the church and at the reception. I was pleasantly surprised.

Saturday night, we had supper (chicken stew) and my dad was so tired he went to bed around 7:30. Winston, Mom and I watched some tv and talked. Mom thought Winston was pretty smart and asked what he got his degree in. I told her (electrical engineering) and she said, "Yep. He is smart." I think my parents like Winston.

Sunday

We slept in then Mom, Winston and I went and got some Mexican carry-out for lunch. We hit the road around 3:30 (dragging Mickey out from behind the sofa to do so) and drove about 5 hours. We played some 20 Questions in the car. I don't think Winston will play with me anymore. I ask you, how hard is John Wayne?? [edit: ick! I just realized how bad that sounds... you know what I mean, right? Right?!]

We stopped in Mt. Vernon and got a room at the Holiday Inn (cuz the Hampton wouldn't let Mickey stay...pet discriminators!). We watched some of the Oscars and crashed.

Mickey crashed literally. He was running all around the hotel room and woke me up at one point because he tried to jump up on the tv and missed. He bounced off the tv and landed on the floor.

Monday

Finished the last 5 hours and got home. Winston drove the whole way and let me do some homework.

The car trip went very well. It was really nice having someone to talk to on the trip, but what was even nicer was spending some time with Winston where we were virtually uninterrupted. The bad thing about that is now I miss him even more. I liked having him around all the time. And, I'm not even going to get to see him again until next weekend. He's got to work tomorrow, and starting Sunday, my company is having a conference. I'll be working crazy hours Sunday-Wednesday. And, I have a research paper due Wednesday night, so when I'm not working, I'll be writing that damn paper.

I suppose I should get back to work now. Besides, this post is long enough!

Where You Stay?

2005-02-24T23:06:00.000-06:00

bold the states you've been to, underline the states you've lived in and italicize the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.

How cool is this? I've lived a lot of places.

Snagged from him.

And, She's Off!

2005-02-24T22:59:00.000-06:00

A quick, late night post to let y'all know that I'm headed off to Lil Sis's wedding tomorrow. I've cleaned the litter box, bought road-trip snacks (Cheez Its and Nilla Wafers), and started loading the car.

I've also started breaking it to Mickey that he's going to be taking a trip. See, Mickey does not like The Outside. It's a large, cold, scary place that does not have food readily available at all times. He's much happier staying inside, thankyewverymuch. Getting him to the car can be a challenge. I have to kind of sneak up on him. As I get ready in the morning, I will close doors to rooms I don't need any more. It is imperitive that my bedroom door gets closed or he'll shoot under the bed in just the places I can't reach. Then, I'll completely load the car, come back inside, take off my shoes and sit and eat breakfast. See, all the activity of taking out bags and such makes him very nervous, so I do this in the hopes of lulling him into a false sense of security. After I'm done eating and he's calmed down a bit, I swoop in and grab him. I hold him with one hand, grab all four paws with the other and shove him into his carrier in one, swift motion. Sometimes this works out according to plan. Others, not so much.

I still need to pack. Which means that I still need to figure out what to wear. Bleh.

Winston's here and all ready to go. The fam will be meeting him for the first time. Frankly, I'm nervous and I'm not really sure why. I mean, I'm an adult, and it doesn't matter if they don't like him. It won't change my opinion of him any. It will certainly make things easier if they do like him, though. I dunno. I think I'm being weird about this. I should, at least, have some good stories for you all next week.

Oh, yeah. I'm not taking my computer, so I won't have 'net access. Of course, with the frequency I've been posting lately, it won't seem any different!

Night, bloggers. Catch you all next week.

Fage Yogurt is Back

2005-02-21T16:35:00.000-06:00

I am thrilled. I discovered Fage back in September and it is wonderful. Thick and creamy goodness. It got pulled off the store shelves in October (some kind of FDA brewhaha), but it's back. I had some yogurt with mixed berries stirred into it this morning for breakfast. It was so good I licked out the entire plastic container. Good way to start the day.

Beats the phone call I got from a cow-orker (for Broad: first name starts with L) complaining about something stupid that I wasted 2 hours on today. Happy Monday!

Yesterday I spent some coin on some new clothes. I need some nice, career clothes for a conference coming up as well as something that would be suitable for the wedding this weekend. None of my career clothes fit anymore. Which, hey, good problem to have, but still means I have to go drop some dough on some clothes. And, I don't like shopping.

I did manage to find a pair of black pants with a pink pinstripe that are way too cute; a 3/4 sleeve black top with a wide, pink satin collar and cuffs; and a blouse that has pink and black dots and circles on it. I'm going to go out again tonight with the hopes of finding something not pink and some shoes.

I also got an oil change, transmission fluid change, and front/rear differential service yesterday at the Jiffy Lube. Need the car all set for my quickie trip this weekend.

Pizza 'n Coffee

2005-02-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

Breakfast of champions, I'm tellin' ya.

Things have been a bit hectic and I haven't had much of a chance to blog. I have, however, been keeping up with the blogs in my Linky Goodness section, so be aware. I'm spying on all of you.

Valentine's Day was lovely. I kinda surprised Winston by just showing up to his place. I say kinda because I called while I was on my way there just to make sure he was home. It was a surprise up to the phone call. After that? Not so much. We went out to supper and had a quiet night. It was perfect.

Work this week has been very busy. My minion and I have been trying to get a jump on several projects that are due in March. Why? Because the courthouse gods are not with us, that's why. My minion had jury duty on Friday and I have it next week. I don't think she got put on a jury because she was supposed to call me Friday if she did and no phone call. But, if I get put on a jury, it could be all not good. My minion is in good shape with her stuff, but I'm the one who has to finish up all the projects. Next week jury duty and the week after that is our company's annual conference and I won't be in the office M-W because of that. Our consulting division scheduled a project for the day after the conference. Back in December when they told me about it, I told them they were insane. They shrugged it off. But, now they are realizing just how insane they were.

School is rockin'. I got a 95 on an exam last week. Go, me! I applied for student teaching last week. The application is for Spring 2006. It's all seeming very real now. I'm going to be out of a job in January and living like a pauper. I'm scared about that. A lot I'm scared about that. My mother has been very kind and told me that she'd pay for my car payment, car insurance and COBRA. My friend has told me I can live with him rent/utility free (he has a 2 bedroom/2 bath condo). I will really only need money for my cell phone, prescriptions, food, gas, incidentals, etc. I'm planning on getting a part time job to cover those expenses. But still scared. The biggest thing I'm scared about? What if in the middle of the semester while student teaching, I realize I hate it? I would have worked my ass off for the past 4 years, quit my job, and ended up doing something I hate? Then what? Oh dear god.

I need to get off my ass, shower, and go see about some clothes for the wedding.

Goin' to the Chapel

2005-02-11T12:16:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not getting married, but Lil Sis is. She and her new boyfriend are getting hitched on February 26. And, I mean new. They started dating right after Thanksgiving. Whirlwind courtships?? I'm guessin'.

This will give my family an opportunity to meet Winston, too. He's gonna make the road trip with me for the festivities. That should be interesting. My family hasn't met many of my boyfriends, so that's something new in itself. But, I also have one sister (and her husband) who are, well, there's really no nice way to say racist, is there? Winston's a bit darker than I think they would like. Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass. This sis is not one I have much in common with beyond DNA, so it won't hurt my feelings one bit. I just hope they don't make things bad for Winston. I doubt they will. Most likely they'll just get that pinched look like they just found a turd in the punchbowl. And, that'll be funny.

Boys are Stupid

2005-02-07T18:26:00.000-06:00

Throw rocks at them.

Hee hee.

Pwetty Hairs

2005-02-07T17:16:00.000-06:00

Went to EWK's for our every-five-week hair party. Broad got a fabulous dark red with black lowlights. It looks fantastic. I just got a trim and root touch up (gray? what gray?). We did hair, chatted, etc. And, EWK cooked roast and homemade mashed potatoes. Dear god, they were fantastic potatoes! Broad and I ran to the grocery store to pick up some pop. We skipped through the parking lot and got some strange looks, but we enjoyed ourselves. During lunch, Broad let a big burp rip which was funny. But, what was even funnier was the look of surprise on her face. Like it snuck up on her. Priceless.

Conversations with Idiots

2005-02-07T16:29:00.000-06:00

I work in a service industry, so I have to talk to some people who, frankly, I don't know how they dress themselves. Today:

Customer: Blah blah blah. Long boring intro. on stuff I don't need. Finally getting to the point. I need X kind of research and I was told you do that.

Kaffy: Actually, we don't do that kind of research, but we work with a company...

Customer: You don't do that? Then what do you do?

Kaffy: We do [another kind of research], but this other company we work with...

Customer: If you don't do it, do you know anyone who does?

Kaffy: As I was just saying, we work with Name of Company and they do that kind of research. I don't...

Customer: Are they based in New York? They're not, are they?

Kaffy: No, but they do this type of research...

Customer: I need someone in New York. [Side note: My company is in Chicago and she called us.]

Kaffy: As I was saying, they do this type of research internationally even though they're based in Rhode Island.

Customer: Oh. Who should I talk to there?

Kaffy: Ask for Man1 or Man2.

Customer: What are their last names?

Kaffy: They own..

Customer: Can you spell it?

Kaffy: They own the company. You don't need their last names.

Customer: Can you spell their last names?

Kaffy: Sigh. Spells out last names.

Why do people interrupt when all their questions are getting answered if they'd just pay attention.

Then, I talked to someone else who couldn't answer a simple question such as "When do you need this research by?"

My head is all hurty now.

Bestest Boyfriend Ever

2005-02-04T17:54:00.000-06:00

I have had, well, an interesting week. Yeah, that'll do. There's something afoot in Kaffy's world that I can't really talk about right now, but suffice to say, there is some stress. This stress entered Tuesday night. I talked to Winston and Broad and they understand the what's what.

Anyway, I got to work on Wednesday just like normal (after very little sleep). After a bit, I went to the kitchen for coffee (there was none. damn. make new pot. wait for the precious caffeine.). Then I went back to my desk with my freshly brewed coffee to find a wee present on my desk.

One dozen of the most gorgeous long-stemmed roses ever. And by wee? I mean big. They're beautiful and still smell all nice. And the card attached? "Just Because." See? Bestest boyfriend ever.

When I called him to thank him, he said that he had ordered them sometime the day before. Before the stress. He said, "I felt a disturbance in the Force. I knew you needed flowers." Again, bestest boyfriend ever.

Thanks, baby. They've made my whole week. I have them where I can see them out of the corner of my eye all day long.

I Don't Even Know Who She Is

2005-02-04T13:02:00.000-06:00

Which Rock Chick Are You?

Can anyone enlighten me as to who this chick is?

Snagged from her who got it from her.

NBC5.com - News - Confrontation Turns Fatal For Taxi Driver

2005-02-04T12:51:00.000-06:00

NBC5.com - News - Confrontation Turns Fatal For Taxi Driver

I'm scanning the news today, can you tell?

Here's another one that just gets to me. Short recap: Cabbie picks up a guy and takes him all of three blocks. Guy argues with cabbie over fare (3 freakin' blocks?? couldn't have been more than $3). They get out of the cab and yell at each other. Guy jumps back in cab and proceeds to run cabbie over at least 3 times! And, ran over some poor woman who stopped to give the cabbie CPR (she's not hurt too bad). Takes off. Cabbie dies. Guy is still on the loose.

?!?!?!?!?!

That guy was insane. Absolutely insane. There is no other explanation. I used to live in that neighborhood, and I know there are some crazies who live there (burlap man? huge guy who wears burlap and sleeps in doorways. Spitting lady? strange woman who spits at random people on the el platform. Yelling lady? woman who yells-very loudly- obscenities at, apparently, no one while walking down the street.) But, all in all, it's not a bad neighborhood. I just can't wrap my mind around running a man over three times over a $3 cab fare. I can't understand for a $300 cab fare.

What the hell is wrong with people?

CNN.com - Couple accused of torturing children - Feb 4, 2005

2005-02-04T12:33:00.000-06:00

CNN.com - Couple accused of torturing children - Feb 4, 2005

I don't believe in the death penalty, but for people like this, I would seriously reconsider. Or better yet, put them in prison and let the other prisoners do to them what they did to those poor kids. I swear to God, I don't even come close to understanding this kind of behavior. Mugging, stealing, robbery? I can kind of get that. Someone needs/wants money. Even murder I can kind of understand. Being so pissed off at someone? Yeah, I can get that.

But torturing children? What kind of twisted, sadistic fuckwad would do that?

It's Yer Birfday!

2005-02-03T01:31:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Broad!!! Go wish her some happies!

[Edit: okay, I had this really cool Aquarius image in here, but it's taking forever to load on my T1 connection, so I'm getting rid of it. But you can go here and see it!]

He Done Did It

2005-02-02T01:05:00.000-06:00

Friday was our annual holiday office party. What? I actually like having our holiday party in late January. I don't have to worry about fitting it in to an already hectic holiday schedule. And, by late January, I'm ready for a little fun. Also, my company throws pretty decent parties. For Halloween, we did a scavenger hunt around the city. It was so much fun! Last year, we played Whirlyball which is the most fun thing ever. Think bumper cars on a basketball court. Way too much fun.

This year? We did a murder mystery party. Ten people were suspects, the rest of us were witnesses. We did it at a restaurant, so during drinks/appetizers, we went around and asked questions to get clues from each other. Then during lunch, there was the reading of the will. After lunch we could ask a few more questions then we had to submit our guesses. I got it! I was pretty happy about that.

The owners of the company were at my table at lunch. We were all talking about who we thought did it. I gave my answer and reasons why and one of the owners said, "Kaffy, you're really good at this. You could really be a detective. You ask great questions." I replied, "That's why you have me as a researcher. I ask good questions." She laughed and said, "You're in the right job then!" Ahh....validation!

I'm glad my whole company are big geeks like me and get into that kind of thing. It wouldn't have been as much fun if everyone hadn't really gotten into it.

It's a Par-tay!

2005-02-01T09:28:00.000-06:00

If you are in the L.A. area (or not) and a LOST fan, you should head out to this party on April 15-16. I know the organizers, and they throw down a great party. Food, music, dancing, etc. And, it's a fundraiser for the Children's Defense Fund of California which happens to be J.J. Abrams favorite charity. So, there will be an auction with all kinds of LOST goodies to bid on.

So, get your butts in gear and head out to the party. You won't regret it!

I'm An Old Fart, Aren't I?

2005-01-31T13:39:00.000-06:00

Got this from Da Broad:

1. 10 random consecutive tracks from iTunes.

Ummm... I don't own an iPod. I don't listen to music-on-the-go. I listen to NPR in the car. Or country radio. Or my own CD's. That's it.

2. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?

I don't have any music files on my computer.

3. The last CD you bought is:

Queen, A Night at the Opera. It was a gift for someone.

4. What is the last song you listened to before this meme?

Gloria Estefan, The Rhythm is Gonna Get Ya. Don't ask.

5. Write down five songs that you listen to or mean a lot to you:

1. Defying Gravity, Wicked Soundtrack

2. Down on my Knees, Trisha Yearwood (get yer minds outta the gutter)

3. I Dreamed a Dream, Les Miserable Soundtrack

4. That Was Yesterday, Wynonna

5. How Do I Live, Trisha Yearwood

6. Who are you gonna pass this stick to?

Now see, the only people I know who read me regularly have already done this. So, if you wanna take up the stick and put this on your blog, leave a linky in the comments.

Stacking Cats

2005-01-26T10:16:00.000-06:00

I have been addicted to this game in the past couple of days. It’s basically a Tetris game (remember that??), but instead of colored blocks, it’s cats. You stack CATS. And, the cats meow and make disconcerting noises while you stack them. It’s comedy gold.

I was Stacking the Cats at home last night (which means I finally got my computer back and it’s working! Woot!) and Mickey, The World’s Cutest Cat ®, was completely wigged out. I was on the sofa, and he was curled up next to me. When I started the game and the cats started meowing, Mickey got up and stared at the computer. He tried to lick and paw the screen. He paced around me. Finally, he bit me very lightly on the arm and looked at me like, “Mama! Please help the kitties. There’s somethin’ wrong. Help ‘em!” See? Told you he was The World’s Cutest Cat ®.

Told You

2005-01-25T21:31:00.000-06:00

I knew it was gonna happen.

Cow-Orker: Can you come over and teach me X?

Kaffy: That's on page 54 of the document I emailed you yesterday. See if you can do it by yourself. If not, call me.

COW: Okay

Two Hours Later...

COW: Can you come over? I can't figure this out.

Translation: I don't wanna read it.

Bleh.

Please Go Read This. Now.

2005-01-25T17:34:00.002-06:00

This states exactly why I am pro-choice. Please go read this as what she considers, a U.S. where Roe v Wade has been overturned, scares me. And, it's an all-too-real possibility.

Snagged from Da Broad. Thanks, woman.

Pure Genius

2005-01-25T15:25:00.000-06:00

Remember the old comic strip Calvin & Hobbes? I loved that strip and miss it terribly. Well, there was a whole snowman massacre series. Some genius has recreated it in real snow. It's a work of art, truly.

In a side note, my older sister didn't get Calvin & Hobbes. At. All. She was confused by Hobbes. "Why is he real in some pictures and a stuffed animal in others?" This is a woman who has very little imagination, so I shouldn't be surprised that she didn't understand Calvin's raging imagination. Can't pick who you're related to.

Disconcerting

2005-01-24T18:07:00.000-06:00

Well, at least I'll be fairly old. But 77 still seems kinda young to die.

Snow Day!

2005-01-23T18:21:00.000-06:00

Today was a perfect snow day. I slept in cuddled up with Winston and Mickey. Got up, made coffee, deboned a chicken that I roasted yesterday, had breakfast (cereal with banana). Winston and I layed around and watched tv. I made chicken stew and corn bread. Both of which were very tasty.

As Winston was leaving to head back home, I went out with him to clean off my car (and shovel it out if necessary) since we got about 12" of snow yesterday. Imagine my great surprise when I got out there and my car was completely clean. I had to work yesterday and didn't get home till 5:45. It was snowing like mad when I was coming home, but it didn't snow at all after I got home. Clean car!

Perfect snow day. Cuddling, stew, and I didn't even have to clean off my car.

Pie Pie Pie

2005-01-23T13:16:00.000-06:00

Happy National Pie Day!!

According to the American Pie Council, here are ways you can celebrate National Pie Day. This cracks my shit up:

Eat pie. Whether you make it yourself, buy it at a supermarket or bakery or order it at a restaurant, eat some pie on National Pie Day. Pie is great with lunch or dinner or as a late-night snack.

Make pie. Bake your favorite homemade pie on National Pie Day.

Share pie. If you make or buy a pie, share it. By its very nature, pie is meant to be eaten with others. Have a pie potluck get-together.

Teach pie making. Stage classes and demonstrations and samplings at stores and schools. Invite seniors who KNOW pie to teach a class. If you don't know how to make pie, ask a pie maker to show you or attend a pie-making class.

Hold a pie night. Gather family and friends for a pie celebration. Everyone must bring one homemade pie for the pie buffet. We have heard of events where more than 100 folks come with 100 pies.

Hold a pie-making contest. Invite the best pie-makers in town to compete for prizes in various categories. Be sure to include the kids. Ask cooking teachers, pastry chefs and pie lovers to be judges. (We'll send you a sample APC pie judging sheet.)

Hold a charity pie-throwing or pie-eating contest or a pie auction. We suggest you donate the proceeds to your local community food bank.

Hold a pie sale and sampling. This is an excellent opportunity for pie retailers and commercial bakers to introduce consumers to pie through special National Pie Day sales and promotions. Bakeries can also donate pies to a pie raffle or pie auction. Restaurants should offer a pie sampler plate or free pie with dinner on January 23.

Stage kid's pie activities. Have kids compete in pie-making, pie poetry and pie art contests. Show kids how to make pie and then serve it at lunch, preferably a la mode. Teach American and world history, math and science through pie.

Pass along pie memories. Our pie heritage is slowly fading away. Call older members of the family and ask them for pie recipes. Ask them to teach you how to make them. Talk about your favorite pies and the family history behind them. Publish pie memories and recipes. Make pie often and serve them to the next generation.

Eat more pie. You can always have another slice, preferably warm and a la mode.

Do pie stuff. Sing pie songs, read pie books, quote pie poems, make pie charts. Join the American Pie Council. Contact the American Pie Council, the only national organization devoted to eating, making, selling, promoting and enjoying pie!

Weebl and Bob would be so proud. When come back, bring pie!

For the love of...

2005-01-22T13:12:00.000-06:00

My eyes! My eyes!

Oh dear god....there's more!! ACK!!!

Waste My Time, Please

2005-01-18T15:59:00.000-06:00

Dear Cow-Orker:

Yes, I can write out detailed directions for every conceivable little thing you need to do in the new software. I can waste 3 days of my time doing that just for you. Waste? Why do I say "waste"? Because you and I both know that by the time I'm done, I'll have a 60 page document you will not want to wade through and will never read.

So, yes. I'll waste 3 days of my time for you. Knowing that I'm gonna have to answer your damn phone calls asking me how to do things that are written up for you. I know exactly how that call will go:

COW: Kaffy, how can I do X?

Kaffy: Did you refer to the handout? It's on page 47.

COW: I don't have the time to go through that whole document. It's too big and confusing.

Kaffy: But I wrote it exactly the way you wanted.

COW: I don't care. I'm too important. Come to my office and hold my hand.

Whatever.

So, yes. I'll waste 3 days of my time doing something you won't even bother to wipe your ass with. Because you want it. Asshat.

The Virus that Would NOT Die

2005-01-17T13:34:00.000-06:00

I am sick. Again. Dear god. Will this thing ever go away?? What is my deal? I usually get sick one time each winter. I'm now on my 3rd illness this year. It blows. Well, I blow, anyway. I went through a whole box of Kleenex this weekend. Blech.

No Strippers Here, Move Along

2005-01-12T16:07:00.000-06:00

So, I checked my site statistics today. While it has been months, months I tell you, since I wrote about strippers, the number one thing that draws people here? Search terms that include strippers, gay male strippers, etc. It used to be that variations of You Touch My Tra La La was the leader, strippers have now overwhelmingly taken over.

So, for those of you dropping by? NO STRIPPERS HERE.

Probably True

2005-01-12T14:33:00.000-06:00

I AM 33% ASSHOLE/BITCH!

I may think I am an asshole or a bitch, but the truth is I am a good person at heart. Yeah sure, I can have a mean streak in me, but most of the people I meet like me.

Take the ASSHOLE/BITCH test at Fuali.com

Found at her place and also at hers.

Cleanliness is Cute!

2005-01-12T13:44:00.000-06:00

Clean your screen.

How cute is that??

Still Computerless

2005-01-10T18:36:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I am still computerless at home, so my posting is unfortunately sporadic. Sorry about that. And, can I just say? Extended warranties? Yeah, I don't have to pay for the repair, but I haven't had a working computer since mid-November. This bites ass.

Round up of the Kaffy happenings:

* Christmas. Went to Memphis and stayed at the sister's. Much humor in watching my cat and her cat deal with each other. When I got there, after battling ice storms, I brought Mickey in the house and left him in his carrier so that he and Buttons could figure each other out. He was nonplussed. She crouched, growled and hissed. My mom gave Buttons some catnip which mellowed her out enough to let Mickey out of his carrier. He started exploring the new place, walking around, smelling. While Buttons rode his ass and hissed at him. Every now and then, she'd get a bit too close, and Mickey would turn and hiss at her. I could just hear him, "Back off, bitch." Which she did.

Christmas day, Mickey was up on the sofa with me when Buttons came into the living room. She went behind the Christmas tree in just a place where there was only one way out. Mickey ran to that place, sat down and stared at Buttons. She crouched and started hissing. He just stared. She started to look panicky and added growls to her hissing. He just stared. She reached out and swatted Mickey. He reared up on his hind legs and swatter her with both front paws then sat back down and stared. After she was cowed long enough for him, he turned and came back to me. Buttons ran into my sis's bedroom and we didn't see her for a good 24 hours. My bad ass kitty won that little power play.

By the time I left, they were actually playing together. It was cute. Sis said that the day we left, Buttons kept going around the house looking for Mickey and sadly meowing. Awww.....

There was also much depression over my dad's pass getting revoked for the day. He was supposed to come to my sis's for Christmas, but he had a grand mal seizure on Christmas Eve and was put on bed rest for 3 days. Spending Christmas in a hospital? Not the best way to do it. Blech. Good news? My dad is now home from the hospital. He got home Friday. He hasn't been home since the first stroke in June, so it's been 7 months? Geesh. He's got to do outpatient rehab 3 days/week for a while yet. But? He's home. Yay!!!!

Got a digital camera. Yay!

* New Year's Eve. Back home. Went out for Thai food and watched Fellowship of the Ring on DVD in bed. Why? Cuz I could. Cuz I got a DVD player for my bedroom from Winston. AND....a surround sound system for my living room. How cool is that?

* New Year's Day. Went to see Spamalot. So funny. It was good, but not overwhelming. If you know the movie, you've pretty much seen the musical. Minus a few added songs. The chick who played the Lady of the Lake, Sara Ramierez, was amazing. Great voice, comedic timing was spot-on. She's fantastic.

* Back to work. Big Project is still keeping me way too busy for words. Hopefully it will slow down by February.

* School. Got straight A's last semester. Go me! And, classes start back up tomorrow night.

* Weight Watchers. What's that? Seriously, I have not been a Weight Watcher for the past month. I have to change meeting nights because of my class schedule which I'm not happy about. I'm trying to get back on track now. I did pretty good last week.

That's about it for now.

Oh, Snidge! While at my dad's rehab place, I looked out his window and saw a Wilson-clone tootling down Exeter Road in G'town. Was it possibly you??

Merry Christmas!

2004-12-23T16:32:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas and all that, bloggers. I'm off for the holidays and will not have the interbunny. Spend time with those you love and stay warm!

Hells Yeah!

2004-12-23T13:23:00.000-06:00

I saw this at one of my favorite places today. I love the sentiment!

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive, well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, choc. in one hand, martini in other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "Woo!"

I love my Buffistas.

I'm so Sex-ay

2004-12-22T20:35:00.000-06:00

I think not, really...

You Are Glam Sexy

You live for flaunting your sexiness, and you totally work it.
Why not? You've got the goods - you might as well use them.
You're 100% woman, and you never go out without looking your best.
After all, you never can tell when you might bump into Mr. Perfect!

What Kind of Sexy Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

I frequently leave the house without looking in a mirror let along looking my best.

Snagged from Snidge.

Christmas Carols

2004-12-22T20:27:00.000-06:00

My all time favorite Christmas song is "Oh Holy Night." But this rendition is the single most frightening thing I think I've ever heard.

And It's True...

2004-12-22T18:17:00.000-06:00

I'm a generally unfuckwitted, liberal, tight as fuck, relatively well adjusted human being!
What are you?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

Snagged from Amy at PsychoBabble.

Odds 'n Ends

2004-12-22T18:04:00.000-06:00

Hellooooo..... It's almost Christmas! Have I explained my Christmas-love? I love the holiday, but I hate actually putting out decorations. I'm such a lazy-ass. I'm leaving for Memphis on Friday morning for a few days with the fam. We're having Christmas at my sister's house. It'll be a bit wierd not having it at my parent's but with my dad in the hospital, it just doesn't work out so well.

My dad is in the hospital. But, not the bad one. He's in rehab now. Yay! They're working his butt off. My mom is going to see if they'll let him come to my sister's for Christmas. I really hope they do. I'll be sad if he isn't there. If he's not, I will spend the morning with my sister then head over to the hospital for the afternoon.

My computer is still off getting repaired and work has been crazy-busy, hence the lack of blogging. I'm staying late at work tonight to finish up (or, start even) my last paper for school. In fact, I'd better go do that. Later, bloggers!

Happy Holidays!

2004-12-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

I got my holiday present today: a big, fat, whompin' raise! 17%, baby! I so rock! I'm a bit happy about this, can you tell?

Also, I got a shiny new phone courtesy of Cingular. I got my cell bill last week from when I made my emergency trip down to Memphis and the roaming charges made me choke. Since my dad's health is such that I'll probably be making more frequent trips down there, I needed to change to a nationwide plan. And, got a free new phone to boot.

I had class last night for the first time in a month. Boy, I was diggin' not having to go! But, I'm in good shape for the rest of the semester. Tomorrow is the last night for class. I have a presentation tomorrow night (which I have prepared, go me!) and then I have a paper due next week (which I'm working on). And, that's it. I'm glad that the strike didn't extend the semester into the holidays. Very glad.

I have been very productive during the strike. I'm caught up on homework. Most of my Christmas shopping is done. The BIG PROJECT at work has launched and we're just working out bugs now, so my work schedule has gone back to mostly normal. And, did I mention the 17% raise??

Happy dancin'!