i've been tagged by my psycho bud, health-pych
here are the tag rules:
List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your Live Journal/blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.
mckay says: if i had an ipod these songs would be on it.
mckay's angle: youtube.com has an odd assortment of homemade music videos people have posted. you can listen to my song picks, but close your eyes, as most of the videos don't fit the song - or me - at all.
Maroon 5 – sweetest goodbye
Blue October – calling you (ignore the video, just listen to the music)
Steve Tyrell – the way you look tonight (again, please close your eyes. you must ignore the video. steve tyrell sings a great rendition of my all time favorite song. This is the song I sing to my son, and now he sings it back to me)
Death Cab for Cutie – sound of settling (close your eyes and listen. this song always reminds me of saturday mornings at my former home; mowing the lawn then relaxing in a warm bubble bath, to this cd)
Nickleback – I walk alone (so me these days)
(you know not to watch the video, right? you get that. this is not 'my fav videos' blog. just the song-except for the screeching part at the end. that wasn't on the cd...okay. go)
The beatles – in my life (a song so great, it needs no explanation)
john mayer – st. patrick’s day (my favorite holiday song)
do any of these songs speak to you?
i tag 7 lurkers who never post comments.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
stalkers take note: i'll be @ fashion island this sunday morning, along with 20,000 others racing for the cure.
i am so horribly uncomfortable asking for money, but here goes.
i'm participating in the Susan G. Koman race for the cure at Fasion Island, in Newport Beach this coming weekend to honor the memory of my mom, Joan McDonell. My sister asked me to participate last year as a birthday present to her. This Orange County race always falls in September, which is the month of my sister's birthday. how cool is that, that this is all my sister wants for her birthday celebration? pretty dang cool, if you ask me. yeah, i still get her a gift. but hey, i'm her sister and i love to give, give, give. i'm a giver, what can i say?
last year we did the 5k walk for the very first time: my sister, her 12 year old daughter (my oldest niece) and me(or is it i? i think it's i, but that just sounds weird), the ever faithful blogger, mckay (aka auntie, sis, mom). i went out and bought us matching pink nike baseball hats, to get in the spirit of the day. little did i know that wearing pink at the race signifies that the wearer is a breast cancer survivor. here we were a happy threesome, with my little 12 year old neice wearing a pink hat, along with her mom and aunt. everyone thought we were cancer survivors. it was so embarrassing! we had the master of ceremonies stop us and interview us. we said we were walking in honor of Joan McDonell, which was announced over the loudspeakers. hearing my mom's name announced to thousands had me in tears, and the race had just started. we had tons of photographers taking our pictures. and one of my sis and my niece made the front page of the orange county register: a very big newspaper in our parts.
...i just told this same story to a manager where i work (she's gonna donate! YEA!! but only after i go to the doctors and get a mamogram. i'm way over due.)...
this year, my sister has some of her friends participating. i just signed up and never gave much thought to collecting donations, until today.
here's a link if you want to help me gather a little caCHING to help a good cause. my mom died way too young. she has two grandkids she never got to meet. my son will never know what a wonderfully funny lady his grandma was, but he does know visiting her grave.
donate for a cure!
well, the link will give you some basic information, but if you want to donate... email me at my.mckmail@gmail.com and i'll give you my full name so you can fork over the cash.
help today...and if you can't donate, then at least assist a friend with a breast exam ;0)
i'm participating in the Susan G. Koman race for the cure at Fasion Island, in Newport Beach this coming weekend to honor the memory of my mom, Joan McDonell. My sister asked me to participate last year as a birthday present to her. This Orange County race always falls in September, which is the month of my sister's birthday. how cool is that, that this is all my sister wants for her birthday celebration? pretty dang cool, if you ask me. yeah, i still get her a gift. but hey, i'm her sister and i love to give, give, give. i'm a giver, what can i say?last year we did the 5k walk for the very first time: my sister, her 12 year old daughter (my oldest niece) and me(or is it i? i think it's i, but that just sounds weird), the ever faithful blogger, mckay (aka auntie, sis, mom). i went out and bought us matching pink nike baseball hats, to get in the spirit of the day. little did i know that wearing pink at the race signifies that the wearer is a breast cancer survivor. here we were a happy threesome, with my little 12 year old neice wearing a pink hat, along with her mom and aunt. everyone thought we were cancer survivors. it was so embarrassing! we had the master of ceremonies stop us and interview us. we said we were walking in honor of Joan McDonell, which was announced over the loudspeakers. hearing my mom's name announced to thousands had me in tears, and the race had just started. we had tons of photographers taking our pictures. and one of my sis and my niece made the front page of the orange county register: a very big newspaper in our parts.
...i just told this same story to a manager where i work (she's gonna donate! YEA!! but only after i go to the doctors and get a mamogram. i'm way over due.)...
this year, my sister has some of her friends participating. i just signed up and never gave much thought to collecting donations, until today.
here's a link if you want to help me gather a little caCHING to help a good cause. my mom died way too young. she has two grandkids she never got to meet. my son will never know what a wonderfully funny lady his grandma was, but he does know visiting her grave.
donate for a cure!
well, the link will give you some basic information, but if you want to donate... email me at my.mckmail@gmail.com and i'll give you my full name so you can fork over the cash.
help today...and if you can't donate, then at least assist a friend with a breast exam ;0)
Saturday, September 02, 2006
i've seen this victoria's secret commercial a couple of times and never thought much of it. i usually use my tivo to skip the commercials, but yesterday morning i was avoiding doing my household repairs by tapping out the grasshopper post
so, this commercial pops up on my tv and guess what i notice? this lingerie model is wearing MY glasses.
*sigh*
THAT'S the look i was going for: sexy librarian. or, in this case, sexy bra model (minus the bra. well, not minus the bra. keep the bra, just add a sweater).
anyways, she pulls the look off. i don't. just thought i'd share that lil tibbit.
this bud ain't for you
i'm not the type of gal who's afraid of bugs or spiders, i have no problem carefully squishing the occasional black widow, and i usually give the cute-ish i.e. harmless spiders a ride outside on a paper napkin.
so, when i get a mombo huge grasshopper in my garden, my first instinct is to look at how cool it is, admire the almost fluorescent shade of green and be quietly happy that i have a lil friend in my garden.
until.
until i figured out that this is the guy who's the culprit behind all my damaged rosebuds. who knew that the grass- hopper's favorite meal in the whole wide world is the young rosebud just before it blooms? not this novice gardener, that's for sure.
this dang grasshopper was getting fat and happy off my adopted rose bushes i just planted in march. they were given to me by a coworker who was remodeling his backyard. i took these dormant bushes and gave them a new home and i didn't want them to be eaten alive by the grasshopper from hell. i had no blooms, because of this green eating machine. all i had were empty stems.
i took my handy dandy garden hose to spray the heck outta the green eating machine. instead of flying away in fear for its life, it flew through the spray and directly into my face. i had no idea grasshoppers were so aggressive! after i stopped flailing my arms like a spaz i was fairly soaked and just a little bit pissed. i turned up the water pressure and took aim a second time with the full intention of letting the hopper know i meant business.
leave my buds alone, bud. this bud ain't for you. i sprayed the hopper to the cement and kept spraying until it was across the street. HA!
the next morning he was back. i went inside to get an old tupperware container, poked a few holes in it and trapped him. boy that thing was pissed. he practically threw himself against the plastic trying to escape.
i decided to take him far, far away. the grasshopper now lives on the grassy knoll beside my reserved parking spot at work. some days i imagine him sitting on my windshield begging to come home for some of those tasty buds. i felt a little bad bugnapping him like that, but i've gotten over it since i've done the same for his relatives. i've relocated four grasshoppers since last week. am i nuts?
anyways, this morning i took a pic of one of my roses for you to see. finally, a rose in full bloom!
so, when i get a mombo huge grasshopper in my garden, my first instinct is to look at how cool it is, admire the almost fluorescent shade of green and be quietly happy that i have a lil friend in my garden.
until.
until i figured out that this is the guy who's the culprit behind all my damaged rosebuds. who knew that the grass- hopper's favorite meal in the whole wide world is the young rosebud just before it blooms? not this novice gardener, that's for sure.this dang grasshopper was getting fat and happy off my adopted rose bushes i just planted in march. they were given to me by a coworker who was remodeling his backyard. i took these dormant bushes and gave them a new home and i didn't want them to be eaten alive by the grasshopper from hell. i had no blooms, because of this green eating machine. all i had were empty stems.
i took my handy dandy garden hose to spray the heck outta the green eating machine. instead of flying away in fear for its life, it flew through the spray and directly into my face. i had no idea grasshoppers were so aggressive! after i stopped flailing my arms like a spaz i was fairly soaked and just a little bit pissed. i turned up the water pressure and took aim a second time with the full intention of letting the hopper know i meant business.
leave my buds alone, bud. this bud ain't for you. i sprayed the hopper to the cement and kept spraying until it was across the street. HA!
the next morning he was back. i went inside to get an old tupperware container, poked a few holes in it and trapped him. boy that thing was pissed. he practically threw himself against the plastic trying to escape.
i decided to take him far, far away. the grasshopper now lives on the grassy knoll beside my reserved parking spot at work. some days i imagine him sitting on my windshield begging to come home for some of those tasty buds. i felt a little bad bugnapping him like that, but i've gotten over it since i've done the same for his relatives. i've relocated four grasshoppers since last week. am i nuts?
anyways, this morning i took a pic of one of my roses for you to see. finally, a rose in full bloom!
Friday, September 01, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
sick as a dog
needless to say i haven't felt much like posting these past few days. everyone's been sick at my house: the son, the two dogs, and now me. i'm so tired of cleaning up all the assorted messes these past few weeks. i could never be a nurse. even so, i'll never regret the two years i spent taking care of my mom as she fought her last battles with cancer. she took care of me as an infant and i was more than glad to return the favor. dang, i miss that woman.
Friday, August 18, 2006
travel bug
should i start with my earliest journey? is the most romantic trip to be addressed first? well. perhaps i'll start with my birth.
on a warm july evening a baby girl was born harriet and william of the scottish clan in the city of angels. i was delivered via cesarian section by an obstetrician who happened to be married to the orange juice hocking, homosexual lambasting singer known as anita bryant. not that that's anything of note, but it's a trivial pursuit bit of info at the very least, to be sure. my father, being the entrepreneur that he was, was not present at my birth. my mom drove herself to the hospital and, according to her recollection, was left strapped on a gurney in the hospital hallway to travel the journey of labour alone.
my first two years were spent in an upscale cottage home within a quaint L.A. suburb from which my parents decided to leave, as los angeles was growing too fast for my father's taste. L.A. was left behind for a sleepy beach town no one had heard of. our new home had the romantic sounding name of corona del mar (to this very day, few know of its existence, yet for the memory of beautiful coastal drives between newport and laugna).
my first memory is of resting in my crib within a sunny room, enveloped by a warm glow of pink. maybe this is the first glance of how compatible my nature is. i never screamed to be let out of my crib. i was content to meditate on the toddler view of my world. and what a world it was, for my view was the undeveloped expanse of the southern california coastline. i could look out my window (which was the whole friggin wall - top to bottom, left to right - all glass and view) and see forever. brown desert prairie summertime grass with roaming herds of cows,... and nighttime visitors of cougar, coyotes, foxes, possum and skunk, if one were to count the critters from largest to smallest. forget cable tv - all we had to do was put a few table scraps in our backyard, sit on the living room floor with the lights off and wait to see all our nocturnal beasties that lived in our neighborhood.
does it really need to be said that i could spend eternity contemplating that view? i truly spent hours upon hours gazing out my 4th wall....
to be continued.
here's a look at the states where i've been. i'll go into the stories why i visited a bit later...
create your own visited states map
here's a map of the countries i've been blessed to visit:
create your own visited countries map
on a warm july evening a baby girl was born harriet and william of the scottish clan in the city of angels. i was delivered via cesarian section by an obstetrician who happened to be married to the orange juice hocking, homosexual lambasting singer known as anita bryant. not that that's anything of note, but it's a trivial pursuit bit of info at the very least, to be sure. my father, being the entrepreneur that he was, was not present at my birth. my mom drove herself to the hospital and, according to her recollection, was left strapped on a gurney in the hospital hallway to travel the journey of labour alone.
my first two years were spent in an upscale cottage home within a quaint L.A. suburb from which my parents decided to leave, as los angeles was growing too fast for my father's taste. L.A. was left behind for a sleepy beach town no one had heard of. our new home had the romantic sounding name of corona del mar (to this very day, few know of its existence, yet for the memory of beautiful coastal drives between newport and laugna).
my first memory is of resting in my crib within a sunny room, enveloped by a warm glow of pink. maybe this is the first glance of how compatible my nature is. i never screamed to be let out of my crib. i was content to meditate on the toddler view of my world. and what a world it was, for my view was the undeveloped expanse of the southern california coastline. i could look out my window (which was the whole friggin wall - top to bottom, left to right - all glass and view) and see forever. brown desert prairie summertime grass with roaming herds of cows,... and nighttime visitors of cougar, coyotes, foxes, possum and skunk, if one were to count the critters from largest to smallest. forget cable tv - all we had to do was put a few table scraps in our backyard, sit on the living room floor with the lights off and wait to see all our nocturnal beasties that lived in our neighborhood.
does it really need to be said that i could spend eternity contemplating that view? i truly spent hours upon hours gazing out my 4th wall....
to be continued.
here's a look at the states where i've been. i'll go into the stories why i visited a bit later...
create your own visited states map
here's a map of the countries i've been blessed to visit:
create your own visited countries map
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Jennifer Aniston called up People today to get it into their thick heads (my words, not her’s) that she's not engaged to Vince Vaughn. She says in an angry interview:"I'm not engaged and I don't have a ring and I haven't been proposed to. Normally we don't even acknowledge these things because they're endless, at this point, the thing that got me was that I was getting phone calls from Greece! My Aunt Mary in Greece is getting accused of lying! I mean, they're getting angry. My dad calls and he says, 'Honey, it's on the CNN crawl,' and I'm going, 'Wait a second!' When it starts to travel over into the Today show and CNN and supposedly reliable and accurate news programs, then you just go, 'This is insane. People are getting fed a lot of bull. I don't feed into that. We (her friends) don't talk about it. We don't hash it out because it's not true. The only reason I'm saying something is because if we're listening to the news, we're supposed to be believing in the news. Tabloids are going to lie all the time. You’re prepared for that. But it's the news. And you think, 'Well, we need to trust what our newscasters are saying when we have this horrific situation that's actually taking place in the world, I mean, we are getting reported the truth, right? The American people need to believe (the news). Please. Get it together. So that's all.”
# $ # $ # $ # $ # $ #
mckay says:
Bravo. Well said. now i must continue to watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, darlings, to escape from the humdrum madness that is my life.
p.s. dang, i just copy/pasted that blurb from some gossip blog. i sure hope it’s true.
p.s. again. my sister and her hubby just got back from puerto villarta last week and they confirmed that they did not see jennifer and vince at all.
p.s. again, again. this is why i am so glad i’m not famous. all this talent left undiscovered is oh, so worth it.
Friday, August 11, 2006
the debate has been settled. most guys say, "yep, that's sexy (unless they belong to a dude)."
the chicken guessed it. the lengthy gams belong to Tim Curry.
settle this debate
i was having a silly debate with a friend and i need to your input.
sexy or not sexy?
Thursday, August 10, 2006
shut your trap
Terror Plot Suspects Planned 'Dry-Run' of Attacks in Next 2 Days, Sources SayThursday, August 10, 2006
LONDON — Suspects arrested Thursday for planning to stage a massive mid-air terror attacked were in the final stages of planning and planned to run a dry-run of the plan within two days, U.S. intelligence officers said Thursday.
One official said the suicide attackers planned to use a peroxide-based solution that could ignite when sparked by a camera flash or another electronic device.
The test run was designed to see whether the plotters would be able to smuggle the needed materials aboard the planes, these officials said. They spoke only on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject matter…
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mckay says,
is it just me or does this piss anyone else off? if it's supposed to be confidential then KEEP it confidential. this is not juicy office gossip. lives are at stake.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Sunday, August 06, 2006
truth
sometimes i want to post something, not because i have something to say, but because i want to connect with you.
Friday, August 04, 2006
and the winner is… !!!
the tamagachi family!
i.e. not me. …and i’m perfectly okay with that. well, to be honest, i’m a little disappointed since all my fantasy brain power was working overtime on designing my beautiful italian courtyard with all the nifty items to be bestowed upon me as the beautiful divorcee contest winner. in my fantasy i would be a gracious and humble winner, delightefully surprised in a semi-serene, classy way…no wild jumping or flailing. picture audrey hepburn winning an academy award ..
okay, so i have an active and glamorous imagination.
What i’ll miss about my contest fantasy not coming true is losing the designer contractor part of the prize. i need that leader/contractor/partner to help me move forward and set the course of action. at times i can be a leader, but lately, my cocoon has become a bit paralyzing. perhaps that’s part of the grieving process. i haven’t done anything to this new house other than change out a few plants and bushes in the front courtyard and buy some potted plants for the back. i really need to get off my licking-my-wounds / feeling-sorry-for-myself butt and start doing some of the stuff that’s on my home improvement list.
i think it has something to do with living alone. having a spouse or partner with whom i can work on projects makes it fun and manageable.
“here, honey, hold this nail while i use all my strength to pound it into submission.”
see how fun that is?
one of my favorite home improvement memories was 'helping' my hubby install the satellite dish on our former home. he chose to attach the dish to a wall on top of a huge slope; therefore, having to scale the heights on slippery ivy, past eucalyptus trees and through some very overgrown bushes. while he was struggling with the wires, the dish & assorted tools he got frustrated and was on the verge of a hissy fit, so i offered the only help i could at that moment.
i flashed him. if any of you knew me, you’d know how out of character that is. i’m not a flasher kinda gal. i’m a bridget jones'-undie & victoria's secret-bra wearing, support-is-my-friend kinda gal. but on that particular morning i wasn’t wearing a bra, so…
from then on, my offering to help always brought a smile.
like i said, help is good.
i.e. not me. …and i’m perfectly okay with that. well, to be honest, i’m a little disappointed since all my fantasy brain power was working overtime on designing my beautiful italian courtyard with all the nifty items to be bestowed upon me as the beautiful divorcee contest winner. in my fantasy i would be a gracious and humble winner, delightefully surprised in a semi-serene, classy way…no wild jumping or flailing. picture audrey hepburn winning an academy award ..
okay, so i have an active and glamorous imagination.
What i’ll miss about my contest fantasy not coming true is losing the designer contractor part of the prize. i need that leader/contractor/partner to help me move forward and set the course of action. at times i can be a leader, but lately, my cocoon has become a bit paralyzing. perhaps that’s part of the grieving process. i haven’t done anything to this new house other than change out a few plants and bushes in the front courtyard and buy some potted plants for the back. i really need to get off my licking-my-wounds / feeling-sorry-for-myself butt and start doing some of the stuff that’s on my home improvement list.
i think it has something to do with living alone. having a spouse or partner with whom i can work on projects makes it fun and manageable.
“here, honey, hold this nail while i use all my strength to pound it into submission.”
see how fun that is?
one of my favorite home improvement memories was 'helping' my hubby install the satellite dish on our former home. he chose to attach the dish to a wall on top of a huge slope; therefore, having to scale the heights on slippery ivy, past eucalyptus trees and through some very overgrown bushes. while he was struggling with the wires, the dish & assorted tools he got frustrated and was on the verge of a hissy fit, so i offered the only help i could at that moment.
i flashed him. if any of you knew me, you’d know how out of character that is. i’m not a flasher kinda gal. i’m a bridget jones'-undie & victoria's secret-bra wearing, support-is-my-friend kinda gal. but on that particular morning i wasn’t wearing a bra, so…
from then on, my offering to help always brought a smile.
like i said, help is good.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
mel's meltdown
by now everyone's heard and perhaps commented on mel gibson's drunken tirade. i, myself posted the following comment on saur's blog:
i've liked some of mel's movies, mostly Braveheart. I didn't care for the gore of Passion yet I didn't see anything in the movie as anti-semitic. Being a born & raised Catholic, i was never taught that the Jews caused Jesus' death.
the thought that crossed my mind when i heard the horrible things allegedly spewed from mel's mouth was that many saints had huge vices they had to overcome and renounce to finally become better people.
here's a brief bio on Saint Paul:
"Jewish Talmudic student. Pharisee...Saul the Jew hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of Saint Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus to arrest another group of Christians, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him, causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began traveling and preaching. Martyr."
if Saint Paul started out as a bigot full of hatred, perhaps there's hope for today's bigots to repent and change. Perhaps this arrest could be a life changing event (like Saul being struck blind) to give mel the wake up call he surely needs.
i've liked some of mel's movies, mostly Braveheart. I didn't care for the gore of Passion yet I didn't see anything in the movie as anti-semitic. Being a born & raised Catholic, i was never taught that the Jews caused Jesus' death.
the thought that crossed my mind when i heard the horrible things allegedly spewed from mel's mouth was that many saints had huge vices they had to overcome and renounce to finally become better people.
here's a brief bio on Saint Paul:
"Jewish Talmudic student. Pharisee...Saul the Jew hated and persecuted Christians as heretical, even assisting at the stoning of Saint Stephen the Martyr. On his way to Damascus to arrest another group of Christians, he was knocked to the ground, struck blind by a heavenly light, and given the message that in persecuting Christians, he was persecuting Christ. The experience had a profound spiritual effect on him, causing his conversion to Christianity. He was baptized, changed his name to Paul to reflect his new persona, and began traveling and preaching. Martyr."
if Saint Paul started out as a bigot full of hatred, perhaps there's hope for today's bigots to repent and change. Perhaps this arrest could be a life changing event (like Saul being struck blind) to give mel the wake up call he surely needs.
Monday, July 31, 2006
the longest drum roll.....
Okay, so i check my email this afternoon and here’s what in there:
“Thank you for entering our Backyard Contest. We would like to invite you to a special reception where we’ll serve hors d’oeuvres and announce our Grand Prize Winner.
The event is scheduled to take place on THURSDAY, AUGUST 3RD, FROM 5P-7P in the KZRA Courtyard.
Please reply to this email with your RSVP and how many guests you will bring.
Thank you!
KZRA Promotions Department”
so, now i’m thinking it’s one of two doors:
door number 1) i’ve won...
or door number 2) they’re inviting lots of entrants to the reception because all the vendors will be there to pass out brochures and little coupons for all the folks with the cruddy back yards. now i do live in southern california, but taking time off work, finding someone to watch my son and driving into the los angeles area during the high traffic time is not my idea of a fun afternoon. granted, the lure of mini quiches and a wine in a plastic cup are quite enticing, but i’ve become such a social hermit, i’d rather spend the evening with my 4 year old than schmooze with other garden challenged black thumbs.
i will have a better idea which is my fate when i learn from my sister if she received the same email… that'll give me a hint.
oh, and did i mention they changed their website? the contest logo/verbiage on the website used to read "Oasis $100,000 backyard / patio makeover" now it just says "patio". granted, the email says "backyard" but hey, a girl can dream, can't she?
okay. i just heard from my sister and she did not get the same email. she's going to go up to L.A. with me after i find someone to watch my son. arghhh. the suspense is killing me!
“Thank you for entering our Backyard Contest. We would like to invite you to a special reception where we’ll serve hors d’oeuvres and announce our Grand Prize Winner.
The event is scheduled to take place on THURSDAY, AUGUST 3RD, FROM 5P-7P in the KZRA Courtyard.
Please reply to this email with your RSVP and how many guests you will bring.
Thank you!
KZRA Promotions Department”
so, now i’m thinking it’s one of two doors:
door number 1) i’ve won...
or door number 2) they’re inviting lots of entrants to the reception because all the vendors will be there to pass out brochures and little coupons for all the folks with the cruddy back yards. now i do live in southern california, but taking time off work, finding someone to watch my son and driving into the los angeles area during the high traffic time is not my idea of a fun afternoon. granted, the lure of mini quiches and a wine in a plastic cup are quite enticing, but i’ve become such a social hermit, i’d rather spend the evening with my 4 year old than schmooze with other garden challenged black thumbs.
i will have a better idea which is my fate when i learn from my sister if she received the same email… that'll give me a hint.
oh, and did i mention they changed their website? the contest logo/verbiage on the website used to read "Oasis $100,000 backyard / patio makeover" now it just says "patio". granted, the email says "backyard" but hey, a girl can dream, can't she?okay. i just heard from my sister and she did not get the same email. she's going to go up to L.A. with me after i find someone to watch my son. arghhh. the suspense is killing me!
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
maybe...just maybe....
remember how i mentioned that my backyard is a pitiful area of dirt and boring concrete? well, there's a los angeles talk radio station that i listen to and guess what? they're having a contest...win a $100,000 back yard or patio makeover. to enter the contest one had to tell why their back yard was in need of a re-do...in 50 words or less.
on a whim, i emailed my shpeel (saving my last seven characters to say, Thanks!...being polite never hurts) along with a goofy picture of my back patio. i checked out their website this morning and lo and behold, the photo of my patio* is one of the 50ish photos being shown as entries. the caption says, "look at your neighbors' back yards!" or something like that. how embarrassing. i didn't know they'd show my dusty hovel on the net. eGADS! *note: my yard is NOT the one with the toilet in the dirt. perhaps there are needier(filthier)peeps than myself. and hey, one or two of those yards look nice. hmmm. do they really need a makeover? kinda like farrah fawcett thinking she needed a facelift.
a drastic change is not always for the best.
a funny thing: i mentioned to my sister that i had entered the contest and she said that she did, too! this is only funny if you know that she and her hubby recently bought a m-m-million dollar home and have already had an architect draw up an awesome multi-level back yard dream design (complete with putting green, horse shoe pit and lanai) that they've been planning for some time now. i guess it doesn't hurt to try to win it for free...just like i'm trying to do. our budgets are just a bit different, that’s all. ;0)
and another interesting thing is the radio website's headline says Patio makeover...not backyard. could it be that they've picked a winner (moi?) and they know it's a patio?? the radio station will be announcing the winner this saturday morning on the air. i suppose i should clear my busy social calendar to see who wins.
update: they did not announce the winner this morning. maybe next week? who knows?? they read some of the 50 word essayettes, and i must say i'd rather have the mom who's hubby is away fighting the war be the winner. how cool for him to come home to an awesome backyard.
on a whim, i emailed my shpeel (saving my last seven characters to say, Thanks!...being polite never hurts) along with a goofy picture of my back patio. i checked out their website this morning and lo and behold, the photo of my patio* is one of the 50ish photos being shown as entries. the caption says, "look at your neighbors' back yards!" or something like that. how embarrassing. i didn't know they'd show my dusty hovel on the net. eGADS! *note: my yard is NOT the one with the toilet in the dirt. perhaps there are needier(filthier)peeps than myself. and hey, one or two of those yards look nice. hmmm. do they really need a makeover? kinda like farrah fawcett thinking she needed a facelift.
a drastic change is not always for the best.
a funny thing: i mentioned to my sister that i had entered the contest and she said that she did, too! this is only funny if you know that she and her hubby recently bought a m-m-million dollar home and have already had an architect draw up an awesome multi-level back yard dream design (complete with putting green, horse shoe pit and lanai) that they've been planning for some time now. i guess it doesn't hurt to try to win it for free...just like i'm trying to do. our budgets are just a bit different, that’s all. ;0)
and another interesting thing is the radio website's headline says Patio makeover...not backyard. could it be that they've picked a winner (moi?) and they know it's a patio?? the radio station will be announcing the winner this saturday morning on the air. i suppose i should clear my busy social calendar to see who wins.
update: they did not announce the winner this morning. maybe next week? who knows?? they read some of the 50 word essayettes, and i must say i'd rather have the mom who's hubby is away fighting the war be the winner. how cool for him to come home to an awesome backyard.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
changes in my routine
my son is away on his first camping trip with his dad, which leaves me alone for several days (i will save you all the pity party woe's me stuff). so with my added free time after work i thought i would go to the gym...and guess what? i re-discovered something i forgot i already knew. i hate going to the gym. i think i will actually cancel my gym membership.
* # * # *
for the past two weeks or so, my television's been on the fritz. it's done this before and i shelled out around $300 to get it repaired about a year ago, which isn't too bad to spend on a tv we paid 3 grand for back at the start of the millennium. now it's back to its same old tricks - it just won't turn on. *sigh* i hate spending money on stuff like this. i've waited for it to magically get better...which it has done in the past, but since it actually seems to be dead this time i bit the bullet. oh well. here's what i bought online last night: for you technogeeks, it's a 42 inch vizio hdtv plasma w/ tuner. i have no idea when it will arrive, but i sure hope the delivery guy will be kind enough to carry it upstairs for me. * # * # *
since i refuse to go to the gym, and being a tv watching couch potato isn't an option, tonight after work i plan on taking my dog to huntington beach (the real, one-and-only Surf City, USA) for a bit of fun at the famous dog beach. it's a great place to run around and let your pooch have some fun. i've never taken my mutt there and he can be a bit of a scaredycat, so it'll be interesting to see how he reacts to the beach, the ocean and other dogs running around without a care or leash. i'll be sure to take my camera.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
i learn something new every day
this morning i was reading my Real Simple magazine and i learned something new. did you know that the little strawberry on the tomato pin cushion is filled with sand, which can be used to sharpen your needles and pins and will also help remove any rust on your little shiny things?
neither did i! what a tiny bit of information that is, but i know i'll never forget it. it made me think of my sewing kit. it's a small wooden sewing box that belonged to my grandmother. the box still has old fashioned wooden spools inside, some still bound with silk thread. i don't know how old it is, perhaps 80 years old? each time i take it down from the shelf, sit on my bed to repair something, i think of grandma memories as i sew. funny thing is, they are never about sewing. They’re usually how she taught me to play gin rummy for nickels and dimes. whenever i would walk to her apartment to visit we would always end up sipping coke and playing gin. at the end of the afternoon i would always leave with a little fistful of coins. it took me years to figure out that she let me win, which was her way of indulging me...letting me think i had outsmarted her of her coins that day. i guess she outsmarted me.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
mckay and hattie
i promised jamie dawn that i would post a picture of me in my old age makeup. i tried to get a good picture while on stage with the lights, but the playwright didn't get a good shot. i guess he needs to stick with the pen (or keyboard) and leave the camera to others.
i'm glad i got to do the show, but there were some frustrating times dealing with the diva and nonexistent audiences. let me say that i will (probably) never do another production for this theatre. if we can donate our time and energy to put on a show then the theatre company should do some advertising and promotion to fill the house. there was one night when the only people in the audience were friends of the cast - six people. the dad of a cast member was rather old and not feeling well, so he and his family left after her show was over (remember, this was an evening of two 1-hour one-acts). so after intermission ended, there was a grand total of one person in the audience - a friend of the diva's. i hadn't heard that the audience number had dribbled down one sole soul until i was in places, ready to go on stage in one minute. the diva comes trotting up to me saying, "there's only one person in the audience and he's my friend. he can come see me another night, so we're going to cancel the show."
this is the first time i've ever heard of an actress canceling a performance. *rolls eyes* whatever. three other cast members thought canceling the performance was a great idea. i wanted to do the show, just as a pick up rehearsal, since due to the diva hardly ever showing up to rehearsal, opening night had been our fist runthrough with everyone present. no luck. the show got canceled that night. like i said, i won't do another show for a place that can't do their job and sell some tickets. as much as i like to act, i really prefer there be some people in the audience.
what i liked most about doing the performance was getting to create a believable older character for the fist time. in the past i've played ingenues and character comedy roles. i bonded with my character, hattie. hattie was my grandmother's real nickname and my mom's middle name was harriet, so i felt a bit of a spiritual bond with the ol' gal. okay, okay, that's my story. here's a recent picture of me and a backstage picture of my character, hattie. my apologies for the picture not being under the theatre lights, which would make the old age makeup a bit more realistic.
i'm glad i got to do the show, but there were some frustrating times dealing with the diva and nonexistent audiences. let me say that i will (probably) never do another production for this theatre. if we can donate our time and energy to put on a show then the theatre company should do some advertising and promotion to fill the house. there was one night when the only people in the audience were friends of the cast - six people. the dad of a cast member was rather old and not feeling well, so he and his family left after her show was over (remember, this was an evening of two 1-hour one-acts). so after intermission ended, there was a grand total of one person in the audience - a friend of the diva's. i hadn't heard that the audience number had dribbled down one sole soul until i was in places, ready to go on stage in one minute. the diva comes trotting up to me saying, "there's only one person in the audience and he's my friend. he can come see me another night, so we're going to cancel the show."
this is the first time i've ever heard of an actress canceling a performance. *rolls eyes* whatever. three other cast members thought canceling the performance was a great idea. i wanted to do the show, just as a pick up rehearsal, since due to the diva hardly ever showing up to rehearsal, opening night had been our fist runthrough with everyone present. no luck. the show got canceled that night. like i said, i won't do another show for a place that can't do their job and sell some tickets. as much as i like to act, i really prefer there be some people in the audience.
what i liked most about doing the performance was getting to create a believable older character for the fist time. in the past i've played ingenues and character comedy roles. i bonded with my character, hattie. hattie was my grandmother's real nickname and my mom's middle name was harriet, so i felt a bit of a spiritual bond with the ol' gal. okay, okay, that's my story. here's a recent picture of me and a backstage picture of my character, hattie. my apologies for the picture not being under the theatre lights, which would make the old age makeup a bit more realistic.
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