Some Like It Hot

so it's been a while

2009-01-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't logged on to this for a really long time!

Disney World

2008-06-10T05:40:00.001-07:00

Disney world was fun, definitely have to head back again one of these days.

Fox Rent-a-Car

2007-05-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

We recently used Fox rent-a-car for our trip out to san fran. I had booked the reservation through Orbitz, but what they don't tell you is that they require a $250 deposit in addition to the rental which they charge you at the time of pick up and you are not refuned until up to 14 days after returning the vehicle. If you visit Fox's website you can find out this info, but I did not see it on Orbitz. I will not be using Fox again. I have rented from Enterprise and Dollar rent-a-car before and I don't remember paying a deposit. It is fine that they have a deposit and all but it should remain pending in your account and then never actually be taken out after the car is returned so you are not waiting 14 days for a refund. What a shady place. Don't rent from Fox.

American Idol

2007-05-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

We are addicts in our household, mostly because there's not much else on, well besides baseball, and when you have a one year old going out every night is no longer an option. Too bad Sanjaya is gone, but I am still hoping that Lakisha will win. The thing that kept it interesting this year was Vote for the Worst. I recommend checking IT
it out, pretty funny. Funnier when Sanjaya was still in the running.

toys your child should have

2007-04-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

Both available at Target.com, we bought the kitchen set for 79.99 but now on the website it is 59.99, I wish I would have saved my receipt!

Seal Hunt Again..... why is this still going on?

2007-03-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: peta2.com
Date: Mar 20, 2007 2:19 PM

Each year, the ice floes off the coast of Canada turn blood red when more than 300,000 baby harp seals are beaten and skinned for their fur during the nation's cruel annual seal hunt. If you witnessed the hunt firsthand, you would see baby seals—too young even to know how to swim away—having their heads bashed in. Since you probably won't ever witness the hunt for yourself, however, click here to watch the video that will show you just how horrific this yearly hunt truly is.

After you watch the video, sign the petition and join the millions of people around the world who are calling on the Canadian government to put an end to this cruel tradition.

-peta2

Thinking about getting this one.

2006-12-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

Features

EPS, energy absorbing foam liner

Deep side wings for extra protection and comfort

Two-piece chest clips makes buckling and unbuckling easier

LATCH equipped for easy installation

Certified for use in aircraft

Product Description

When it comes to convenience, versatility, and value in a convertible car seat the Graco ComfortSport is a real winner. The ComfortSport convertible car seat, with a 5-point harness and New Energy Absorbing Foam Liner, is the perfect transition car seat for when your little one has outgrown his or her Graco SnugRide infant car seat, but should still be riding rear-facing - the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends keeping your child rear-facing as long as comfortably possible - at least till 20 lbs and one year of age. The ComfortSport convertible car seat can be used rear-facing up to an incredible 30 lbs and then after that simply turn it around and use it as a toddler seat up to 40 lbs. Your child is sure to love the GracoPedic foam pad, the infant head support, the plush, comfy seat and the kid compartments for storing drinks and stuff and you'll love how easy it is to remove the EZ Wash pad for cleaning - there's no need to worry about rethreading harness straps - just pull of the pad, it's that simple!

2006-10-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

alt="Call For Change" width="150" height="200">

HMMM

2006-10-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Thinking about getting the jumperoo for Ellie, but some suggest against it because too much jumping can be bad on joints, etc. But it looks like fun... what to do.

Fisher Price

2006-10-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

Baby Stuff.

2006-09-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

After having the baby I have realized which products are good and which ones aren't needed. At least for me. We have a bottle warmer, used it a few times. Since the baby doesn't take a bottle, not useful. Even if she did, still not that useful. I have a few of those sleep positioners, just one is necessary. Now she is 4 months, and we no longer use them. The incline to sleep we used the most. The pack n play, those things are a must have. We also have a Bjorn. We have used it, but there are cheaper carriers out there, half the price actually. I just got a playtex hip carrier, much more useful now that the baby is older. Since our baby won't take a bottle, the bottles and formula I bought prior to her birth, not useful. And pacifiers, don't need those. The glider we have in her room is nice, but I only really used it the first 2 months. It is hard to breast feed in, and since I no longer rock the baby to sleep I don't use it much, but it is a comfortable piece of furniture. Cradles and basinets are also good to have, because really the baby probably won't sleep in it's own crib until around 6 months. And pampers are the most expensive diapers, those things suck. I have had more piss and shit come out of that brand than any other brand. Huggies are good, even the Target brand of diapers are good, they just don't have the nice elastic bands, but they will hold the shit in. I also got some of those halo sleep sacks, and swaddle me things, used them a few times, after the baby is older, like past 3 months, probably not necessary, we only used ours like the first 3 weeks. Now we just put a light blanket on her and dress her appropriately for bed. Baby monitors are a must have, and I do recommend the video monitors, they cost more but it is nice to be able to check on them without having to go in the room to see them, which could wake them up, which you don't want to do.

2006-08-16T07:04:00.001-07:00

Unless you want to be pissed off and have a pissed off child, don't go to JCPenney Portrait Studios. Those people are definitely not professionals, they probably had a one day training course on how to use a digital camera, and that was it. Never seen such disorganized stupid people in my life.

I love breathing the "fresh" air in Columbus

2006-07-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Ohio Forecast Level Principal Pollutant Forecast Level Principal Pollutant

Cincinnati Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
FINE PARTICLES Moderate
FINE PARTICLES
Cleveland Moderate
OZONE Good
OZONE
*Columbus Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
FINE PARTICLES Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
FINE PARTICLES
Dayton Moderate
FINE PARTICLES Moderate
FINE PARTICLES
Youngstown Moderate
FINE PARTICLES Moderate
FINE PARTICLES

Italys Wins!

2006-07-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Italy winning the FIFA World Cup Sunday was a great day for Italians everywhere!
and the squadra for Italy sure had some hot Italian men on it!

2006-07-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

Let's hope these guys can pull it off tomorrow! Forza Italia!

2006-06-21T12:50:00.000-07:00

SIX MILLION children under the age of 5 die as a result of hunger and malnutrition every year. Kind of disgusting that we live in a country where more and more children are overweight and obese. Not that they are healthy but they aren't dying or going blind from not eating.

Forza Italia!

2006-06-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Second makes life difficult for Italy
21 June 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com

Italy’s draw with the USA and Czech Republic’s defeat to Ghana in the second round of matches means the pre-tournament favourites for progress from Group E must both seek a win in Thursday's showdown in the FIFA World Cup Stadium Hamburg.
Karel Bruckner’s men need nothing short of a victory to ensure survival, while the Azzurri would be sure of qualification with a draw but will be gunning for three points to avoid Brazil in the second round.

How things stand
In their opening match Marcello Lippi’s men beat Ghana 2-0 and then followed that up with a draw against the USA , 1-1 in a highly competitive game. These results put Italy at the top of group E needing a draw to progress.

The situation is more complicated for Czech Republic following an easy win over the USA 3-0 and a loss to Ghana 0-2. The Eastern Europeans may be currently second in Group E but they have to win against Italy to ensure automatic qualification.

A draw would see Italy through but leave the Czechs nervously waiting for news from Nuremberg of the encounter between the USA and Ghana. Under such circumstances a win for the Africans would send Bruckner’s men home, but the Americans would have to win by five goals to achieve the same feat.

Italy will be without Daniele De Rossi who is suspended following his sending off against the USA. His place will be taken by Gennaro Gattuso, but remaining team selections are shrouded in mystery, with Lippi having assessed various options in training. Simone Perrotta has recovered from the injury to his upper right leg sustained against the Americans and should start. The major doubt concerns the Azzurri forward line with a misfiring Luca Toni, Alberto Gilardino, Vincenzo Iaquinta, Alex Del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi all still hoping to get the nod.

The alternatives in attack are far more limited for Karel Bruckner. Target man Jan Koller has still not recovered from the injury suffered in the opening match, and his natural replacement Vratislav Lokvenc is suspended. The Czechs are hoping that Milan Baros, top scorer at UEFA Euro 2004, will be fit to start following a foot injury. With defender Tomas Ujfalusi suspended, the Eastern Europeans will also have to shuffle their cards at the back.
Suspensions
Tomas Ujfalusi (CZE)
Vratislav Lokvenc (CZE)
Daniele De Rossi (ITA)

Colours for the match
Czech Republic: white shirts, white shorts and white socks
Italy: blue shirts, blue shorts and blue socks

Past meetings
The two sides have met on five previous occasions, with each team recording two wins, two defeats and a draw. The most significant matches in recent history have seen the Azzurri beat the former Czechoslovakia 2-0 at Italia 90, with the Czechs gaining revenge thanks to a 2-1 win during EURO ‘96.

The duel
Gennaro Gattuso against Pavel Nedved. The contest between the Italian midfield terrier and the fulcrum of the Czech attack is a fascinating one. There is no love lost between the two, and the Serie A battles between their respective club sides AC Milan and Juventus have often hinged on the outcome of this individual skirmish. A less than diplomatic Gattuso has even stirred up the waters in the build-up to the game, and whatever the course of the match, sparks are sure to fly.

What they’re saying
Czech Republic coach Karel Bruckner
“Italy are an experienced team with a great defence. They are one of the Group E favourites.”

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro
“To go out at the first hurdle of the World Cup would be failure for us. Having said that there are those in a worse position in our group, so touch wood.”

2006-06-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

Save the Internet

Baby Ellie

2006-05-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

2006-04-30T06:37:00.000-07:00

This week the top-three US oil producers, ExxonMobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, reported more than 15 billion dollars of profit in the first quarter of 2006, adding fuel to a debate over skyrocketing energy costs.

Then they try to blame the situation in Iran as the reason prices are rising. Really any excuse to raise prices is what they want so they can continue to make more money. Consumers continue to use just as much oil as ever, there is no reason for the oil companies to keep the prices down since consumers will continue to use just as much oil either way. Unfortunately we live in the suburbs, and my husband and I always comment on how many SUVs, Trucks, and Vans we see on the roads. I'd say more than half of all vehicles we see are these larger less fuel efficent vehicles.

2006-03-29T12:10:00.000-08:00

Despite the fact that competitors have already pulled cruel glue traps from their shelves, Rite Aid (one of the nation's leading drugstore chains) continues to sell the death devices. Glue traps are indiscriminate, capturing not only rats and mice, but also birds, squirrels, snakes, gerbils, and other small animals, even kittens!

Animals who become stuck to these boards often suffer for days before finally succumbing to starvation or deyhydration. As the animals struggle to escape, the strong adhesive rips patches of skin, fur, or feathers of their bodies. Many animals chew off their own limbs in an effort to free themselves.

Please ask Rite Aid to stop selling glue traps and tell the CEO that you won't shop there until all glue traps are removed from the shelves:

Mary F. Sammons, CEO
Rite Aid Corporation
30 Hunter Ln.
Camp Hill, PA 17011
msammons@riteaid.com
717-761-2633

Why kill seals?

2006-03-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: peta2.com
Date: Mar 14, 2006 9:30 AM

This Wednesday, March 15, caring and concerned citizens everywhere will be voicing their strong opposition to the slaughter of more than 300,000 baby harp and hood seals in Canada. As part of this international day of protest against the seal hunt, PETA and other animal rights groups will be holding demonstrations all over the world. We'll need people at each of the demos to hold posters and hand out leafets, so if you can spare an hour or two to come out and help, we'll love you forever. The seals desperately need your help.

Click on the city nearest you for more details:

Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Washington
San Francisco, California
Denver, Colorado
Salt Lake City, Utah
Austin, Texas
Detroit, Michigan
New York City, New York
Calgary, Alberta
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Even if there's not a demo happening in your city, you can still take action!

- Go here to get the code to stream the video "Canada's Killing Fields" on your page.

- Contact your senators and ask them to cosponsor Carl Levin's (D-Mich.) Senate Resolution 33 condemning Canada's seal hunt.

- Write or call your Canadian ambassador (contact info for the Canadian Embassy in the U.S. is below) to ask for a call to halt the commercial seal hunt immediately:

The Honorable Frank McKenna
Ambassador-Designate to the United States of America
501 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
202-682-1740
fax: 202-682-7678
canada@canadianembassy.org

Seal Hunt to happen soon.

2006-03-08T06:02:00.000-08:00

The kind of asshole who could go out and kill baby seals deserves to be hunted too.
Canada's seal hunt starts soon, where 300,000 !! seals are killed each year. Who the fuck wants to wear a baby seal fur anything??!! The whole thing makes me sick really. Visit Protect Seals to help.

U.S. Trade Deficit

2006-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

I have had discussions with my mom on this... we buy less and less shit made here more shit made elsewhere = less jobs here. I guess you can always go work at Walmart. In our wonderful consumerist society we like to buy more and more shit, but we want it cheap. Which leads to most things being made elsewhere, which aren't always the best quality, so when it breaks a few years later we can go buy it again. Remember when vacuums lasted forever, we still have one that is like 30 years old and works. If you buy one now, unless it is very expensive and has a life time warranty, you will most likely be buying one again after a few years. (just one example)

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer:

WASHINGTON - The U.S. trade deficit soared to an all-time high of $725.8 billion in 2005, pushed upward by record imports of oil, food, cars and other consumer goods. The deficit with China hit an all-time high as did America's deficits with Japan, Europe, OPEC, Canada, Mexico and South and Central America.

The Commerce Department reported Friday that the gap between what America sells abroad and what it imports rose to $725.8 billion last year, up by 17.5 percent from the previous record of $617.6 billion set in 2004.

It marked the fourth consecutive year that America's trade deficit has set a record as American consumers continued their seemingly insatiable demand for all things foreign from new cars to televisions and electronic goods.

The increased foreign competition has helped to keep the lid on prices in this country, but critics say the rising trade deficit is a major factor in the loss of nearly 3 million manufacturing jobs since mid-2000 as U.S. companies moved production overseas to lower-waged nations. Many economists believe those manufacturing jobs will never come back.

"Such a huge trade gap undercuts domestic manufacturing and destroys good U.S. jobs," said Richard Trumka, secretary-treasuer of labor's AFL-CIO. "America's gargantuan trade deficit is a weight around American workers' necks that is pulling them into a cycle of debt, bankruptcy and low-wage service jobs."

Sen. Byron Dorgan (news, bio, voting record), D-N.D., said the new deficit figure showed that "our trade policy is an unbelievable failure that is selling out American jobs and weakening our economy."

Last year's deficit reflected the fact that imports rose by 12.9 percent to an all-time high of $2 trillion, swamping a 10.4 percent increase in exports, which reached a record high of $1.27 trillion.

For December, the trade deficit edged up a slight 1.5 percent to $65.7 billion, the third highest monthly figure on record.

Bush, in an effort to counter the growing anxiety over America's ability to compete with such rising economic powers as China and India, unveiled a new American Competitiveness Agenda in his State of the Union address to double government spending on basic research, extend tax breaks for company spending on research and hire thousands of new math and science teachers for the nation's high schools.

But critics contend that the trade deficit will keep growing unless the administration takes a harder line against unfair trade practices in low-wage countries such as China, a country they contend has gained a huge advantage over America by artificially depressing the value of its currency, which makes Chinese goods cheaper for American consumers and American products more expensive in China.

The U.S. trade deficit with China rose to a record $201.6 billion last year, the highest deficit ever recorded with any country and 24.5 percent above the previous record of $161.9 billion set in 2004. Part of that increase reflected a 42.6 percent increase in imports of Chinese clothing and textiles, which soared at the beginning of the year after the removal of global quotas.

American manufacturers, arguing that the U.S. textile and clothing industries were losing thousands of jobs, got the administration to negotiate a three-year agreement with China to reimpose quotas in a number of categories.

The United States also recorded record deficits with Japan at $82.7 billion. Until it was surpassed by China in 2000, Japan was the country that had the largest trade gap each year with the United States.

America's trade deficit set records with much of the rest of the world as well. Among those records was a $122.4 billion gap with the 25-nation European Union, a $92.7 billion deficit with the nations that belong to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, a $76.5 billion deficit with Canada and a $50.1 billion deficit with Mexico. Canada and Mexico are America's partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement. The deficit with the countries of South and Central America rose to a record $50.7 billion last year.

A huge 39.4 percent jump in petroleum imports, which rose to $251.6 billion, was a major factor contributing to last year's deficit increase. The price of those imports rose to an all-time high, reflecting tight global supplies. The United States was forced to import more oil in the fall after Hurricane Katrina caused widespread shutdowns of Gulf Coast production.

The rising trade deficits must be financed by increased borrowing from foreigners, who so far have been happy to sell us their products and hold U.S. dollars in payment which they invest in U.S. stock, bonds and other assets. The concern is that at some point foreigners will want to reduce their dollar holdings. If the change occurs at a rapid pace it could send the value of the dollar, U.S. stocks and bond prices all plunging.

heritage...blah blah blah..stop killing whales assholes

2006-02-10T08:30:00.000-08:00

By HIROKO TABUCHI, Associated Press Writer
Thu Feb 9, 3:00 PM ET

TOKYO - Japan has enticed children with whale burger school lunches, sung the praises of the red meat in colorful pamphlets, and declared whale hunting "a national heritage."

But Tokyo has a dilemma: by rapidly expanding its whale hunt, Japan now kills more of the giant mammals than its consumers care to eat.

The result is an unprecedented glut of whale meat. Prices — once about $15 a pound — are plunging, inventories are bursting, and promoters are scrambling to get Japanese to eat more whale.

It's a tough sell.

"To put it simply, whale meat tastes horrible," said 30-year-old Kosuke Nakamura, one of the diners at a Hana No Mai restaurant in Tokyo who turned their noses up at whale meat.

Young people are put off by the tough, pungent meat, Nakamura said, while older Japanese are reminded of the lean years after the country's defeat in World War II.

And while few Japanese voice environmental concerns over hunting whales, some younger people say it has brought the country unfavorable publicity.

"Whaling's so bad for Japan's image. I don't know why we still hunt," Nakamura said.

Some 1,035 tons of whale meat hit the market in Japan last year, a 65 percent increase from 1995, the Fisheries Agency says. And sluggish demand means inventories have almost doubled in five years to 2,704 tons in 2004.

In the same period, the average price of whale fell almost 30 percent, to just over $10 a pound in 2004. That's more than the average price for beef — about $9 a pound — and far higher than for chicken or pork.

But the glut of whale meat hasn't stopped the harpoon guns. Tokyo plans to kill — under a research program — some 1,070 minke whales in 2006, over 400 more than last year. Japan will also hunt 10 fin whales, and a total of 160 Bryde's, sei and sperm whales, fisheries official Kenji Masuda said.

The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, approving limited hunts for research purposes a year later. Opponents have called Japan's hunts merely a way for it to dodge the whaling ban.

Tokyo says its program is needed to establish reliable information on whale populations and habits — data Japan says can only be gleaned by killing the animals.

The government, which distributes the meat and uses profits to fund research, is working to promote whale meat and secure new distribution channels.

"Is it OK to eat whale meat? Of course it is," reads a pamphlet titled "Delicious Whales" that is distributed by the government-affiliated Japan Whaling Association.

"Even if we capture 2,000 whales a year for 100 years, it's OK because whale numbers are growing," the pamphlet says.

The association acknowledges whale is a hard sell. The meat was considered a rich source of protein in the lean years after World War II, but people moved on to other meats — notably beef — as they became more affluent.

Some local governments have begun offering whale meat in school lunches.

Wakayama, a prefecture with a whale-hunting tradition 280 miles southwest of Tokyo, has been aggressive in getting youngsters to eat whale, introducing whale meals at 270 public schools in 2005.

Nutritionists have even developed child-friendly whale dishes, including whale meatballs, hamburgers and whale spaghetti bolognese, said Tetsuji Sawada of Wakayama's education board.

Chimney Co., which runs the Hana No Mai eateries, acknowledges customers are wary of new whale dishes.

Still, Hana No Mai will keep selling whale meat. And a trader at one of Tsukiji market's biggest wholesalers, Daito Gyorui Co., was equally optimistic.

"The fall in prices is a good thing because it will make whale meat more accessible," Yoshiaki Kochi said. "Japanese will never forget the taste of whale. It's part of our culture. It's in our DNA."

2006-01-18T12:20:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court steered clear of a major ruling on abortion Wednesday, instead giving New Hampshire a chance to save its parental notification law.

Justices, in a rare unanimous abortion ruling, agreed that the New Hampshire law could make it too hard for some ill minors to get an abortion, but at the same time they were hesitant about stepping in to fix the 2003 statute. They told a lower court to reconsider whether the entire law is unconstitutional.

"Making distinctions in a murky constitutional context, or where line-drawing is inherently complex, may call for a `far more serious invasion of the legislative domain' than we ought to undertake," retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote for the court.

The New Hampshire case had been expected to be much closer at the high court.

Instead, justices found consensus on narrow grounds, that a lower court went too far by permanently blocking the law that requires a parent to be told before a minor daughter ends her pregnancy.

Civil rights groups predicted that the appeals court would again strike down the law.

"It tells politicians that they must include protections for women's health and safety when they pass abortion laws," said Jennifer Dalven, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.

O'Connor, a key swing voter at the court on abortion rights, last year announced plans to retire and she will step down soon if the Senate confirms nominee Samuel Alito.

Alito was questioned extensively last week during his Senate confirmation hearing about his views on abortion, including the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that declared abortion a fundamental constitutional right. He steadfastly refused to agree with assertions by Democrats that Roe v. Wade is "settled law."

O'Connor, who supports Roe, made clear that the court was not going to break new ground in what may be her final days on the bench. "We do not revisit our abortion precedents today," she wrote in the opening of the brief opinion.

David Garrow, a Supreme Court historian at Cambridge University, said the decision "can be read as another step toward a long-term middle-ground truce, or at least stalemate."

The case returns to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston, which had ruled that the law was unconstitutional. The statute requires that a parent be informed 48 hours before a minor child has an abortion but makes no exception for a medical emergency that threatens the youth's health.

Phyllis Woods, a former state representative from Dover, N.H., who was a main sponsor of the bill, said she was pleased by the ruling but concerned that the appeals court might require a broad health exception. "Our concern has always been that a blanket health exception opens the door and really negates the whole purpose of the bill," Woods said.

New Hampshire's appeal gave the court a chance to clarify when laws pose an "undue burden" on a woman in choosing to end a pregnancy. O'Connor is an architect of the undue burden standard, and was the deciding vote in the last abortion case in 2000, when the justices ruled that a Nebraska law banning a type of late-term abortion was too burdensome. That law did not have an exception to protect the mother's health.

Justices did not deal directly with that question, although O'Connor wrote: "under our cases it would be unconstitutional to apply the act in a manner that subjects minors to significant health risks."

"In the case that is before us ... the lower courts need not have invalidated the law wholesale," O'Connor wrote. "Only a few applications of New Hampshire's parental notification statute would present a constitutional problem."

The opinion, just 10 pages, was a partial victory for New Hampshire in a case that had been closely watched by other states with restrictions. Justices had been told that 24 states mandate a parent's approval and 19, including New Hampshire, demand parental notice.

Another major case awaiting justices is the Bush administration's appeal of a lower court ruling that struck down a federal ban on a late-term procedure that critics call "partial birth" abortions. The federal law has no health exception.

The case is Ayotte v.Planned Parenthood, 04-1144.

some wedding pics

2006-01-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

My aunt took some pics but most are a bit blurry, so until I find someone else that took pics with a digital camera, here's a few. One with my mom, and one with Mark and I dancing our first dance.

Buon Natale

2005-12-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

ITALY
"Buon Natale"

Christmas, as it is celebrated in Italy, has two origins: the familiar traditions of Christianity blended with the pagan traditions predating the Christmas era. The greatest feast of the ancient Roman Empire, "Saturnalia" (a winter solstice celebration), just happens to coincide with the Christmas celebrations of the Advent. Consequently, Christmas fairs, merry-making and torch processions, honor not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of the "Unconquered Sun." "Natale," the Italian word for Christmas, is literally the translation for "birthday."

A delightful, but rapidly disappearing tradition in Italy, is the ushering in of the coming festivities by the "Piferari" or fifers. They descend from the mountains of the Abruzzo and Latium playing inviting and characteristic tunes on their bagpipes, filling the air with anticipation for the joyous celebration to come.

Christmas Eve is a time for viewing Italy's artistic and elaborate manger scenes or Cribs. They consist of figurines, in clay or plaster , of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. An ox and ass are nearby because legend has it that they warmed the child with their breath. It is around this basic focal point that individual artisans create their own intricate landscapes. There may be grottoes, small trees, lakes, rivers, the lights of "Bethlehem" in the background, angels hung from wires, and occasionally, even local heroes. The most beautiful Cribs are set up in churches. There is often a contest between churches of the same town for the best Crib. People go from church to church to view and compare the Cribs and displays.

Another tradition is the burning of the Yule log, which must stay alight until New Year's Day. This, again, is an example of pagan and Christian blending. The pagan belief explains the purifying and revitalizing power of fire, and that with the burning log, the old year and its evils are destroyed. Christian legend tells how the Virgin Mary enters the homes of the humble at midnight while the people are away at Midnight Mass and warms her newborn child before the blazing log.

Amidst the general merrymaking and religious observance of Christmas Eve, Christmas tapers (long slender candles) are lighted and a Christmas banquet is spread. In some places, Christmas Eve dinner consists largely of fish. There may be as many as 10 t 20 fish dishes prepared. In Rome, the traditional dish of Christmas Eve is "Capitone," a big female eel, roasted, baked or fried. North of Rome a traditional dish may be pork, sausage packed in a pig's leg, smothered in lentils, or turkey stuffed with chestnuts.

Common throughout Italy are the Christmas sweets: "panettone" (cake filled with candied fruit), "torrone" (nougat) and "panforte" (gingerbread) made with hazelnuts, honey and almonds. All Christmas sweets, as a rule, contain nuts and almonds. Peasant folklore theorizes that to eat nuts favors the fertility of the earth and aids in the increase of flocks and family. In ancient Rome, honey was offered at this time of year so that the new year might be sweet.

Of Special Note...

On Christmas Eve, Italian children set out their shoes for the female Santa Claus, La Befana, to fill with gifts of all kinds like toys, candies and fruit. If the children were good, their shoes would be filled on Christmas morning. If they were bad, they would find their shoes filled with coal. La Befana is the best-known legend in Italy.

Traditional Dishes From Italy...

SPUMETTI (Chocolate-Hazelnut Meringues)

1 lb. hazelnut meats, coarsely chopped
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 oz. cocoa (2tbls.)
2 tsps. cinnamon
5-6 egg whites

Preheat oven to 325 F. Cut baking pan liner paper or brown paper to fit 2 baking sheets and grease lightly. Put hazelnuts, confectioner's sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a large bowl; add egg whites and mix well until mixture is well blended--about 5 minutes. Wet hands with water and break off small pieces of mixture (about 1 tbl.) and shape into round balls. Place on baking sheets, 1 inch apart, and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Makes approx. 3 ½ dozen.

"ZUCCHINE IN AGRODOLCE"
(Sweet and Sour Zucchini)

3 tbls. olive oil
4 med. zucchini, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbl. vinegar
¼ cup water
Salt and pepper
3 tbls. pine nuts

In a large skillet, heat oil and sauté garlic for 2 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté on both sides until golden. Sprinkle with pine nuts, raisins, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 3 minutes. Mix vinegar with water and pour into skillet; cover and simmer slowly until zucchini is tender--about 10 minutes. Discard garlic; cool and serve at room temperature.

"STRUFFOLI"
(Honey Balls)

2 cups water
1 cup margarine
4 cups sifted flour
¼ tsp. salt
10 large eggs
16 oz. honey
½ cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup candied orange peels
½ cup (multicolored) cake-decorating sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two baking sheets lightly. Have eggs at room temperature.

Place water, margarine, and salt in a saucepan and bring to broil. Remove from range and cool for 3 minutes. Stir in flour and mix well. Return to heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball and leaves sides of pan--about 1 minute. Remove from range and cool for 5 minutes. Add eggs to mixture, one at a time, beating hard for approximately 1 minute after each addition. Fill pastry bag with batter and pipe small rounds (the size of marbles) 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. (Or you can drop by half teaspoons onto baking sheets.) Bake until lightly browned--about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

In a saucepan, heat honey until it comes to rolling boil. Boil for 5 minutes, being careful not to let it boil over. Dip puffs, approximately 12 at a time, into honey and roll around to coat evenly. Remove with slotted spoon onto a plate. Continue until all puffs are dipped. Wet hands with cold water and stick puffs together forming wreath rings, pyramids, or dome shapes. Decorate with toasted pine nuts, candied orange peel, and cake-decorating sprinkles.

2005-12-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

we had a great wedding this past weekend, a lot of fun. I think everyone had a good time, and it was great to see people who came from out of town.... Now we are off to italy woohoo! I seriously need a vacation!

I'll post some wedding pics when we get back.

Got this email today

2005-11-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

These are the kind of emails I get from my university email, which I should get rid of since if forwards 99% trash to my yahoo spam box, so slip into my inbox however. This email is trying to make buying oil stock look great, but the info they provide as a selling point is scary.

Hot_St0ck Trading A|ert for Monday!!!
________________________________________

In the current oil market, select small energy
deals are flying. With growing demand,
shrinking supplies, and government support for
domestic energy projects, is there a better
sector to invest in?

A Huge PR Campaign Has Begun For Monday and
all of next weeks trading with this one at only
$.02 very huge gains are possible! You may want
to Act Very Quick!!

With this in mind, we would like to present a
company poised for Big returns:

PREMIUM PETROLEM, INC.

Symbol: PPTL. PK

Current Price: $0.025
Short Term Target Price: $0.053
3 month Target Price: $0.12

Premium Petroleum, Inc. is a diversified energy
company focused on exploiting the vast oil and
gas reserves of Northern Canada. With a strong
management and technical team, Premium
Petroleum will apply innovative technologies
towards the discovery and development of a
diverse portfolio of high value, low risk
energy projects. The company just went public
in August of this year, and is in a position to
do great things.

***Why we believe PPTL is a Winner***

++News From the Sector++

* Crude oil prices continue to remain high,
nearly double the price of the previous year.

* Natural gas futures have more than doubled
compared with a year ago and are expected to
produce huge heating bills this winter across
much of the United States.

* According to a Goldman Sachs report, Oil
markets have entered a "super-spike" period
that could see 1970's-style price surges as
high as $105 a barrel.

*Chinese and Indian oil demand continues to
surge with no end in sight.

++News From PPTL++

* Aug 10, 2005 - Premium Petroleum goes public

* Sep 8, 2005 - Premium Petroleum purchases
the gas rights to 640 acres of proven land.

* Sep 14, 2005 - A study commissioned by
Premium Petroleum values gas rights on acquired
property to be approximately $8,000,000 per
well with a 12 well potential.

LATEST NEWS:

CALGARY, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31,
2005--Premium Petroleum, Inc. is pleased to
announce that it has initiated its Seismic
program on its Boyne Lake Gas Project. Due to
the channel sand nature of the geology at the
site, management has decided to shoot a seismic
program to assist in identifying the optimum
drill location on the subject lands. To this
end, a highly respected geophysical firm of
Petrel Robertson Consulting Ltd. has been
retained to design, oversee, and interpret a 3-
line 8 km seismic program. This program should
be completed and interpreted within the next 30
to 60 days, subject to equipment availability.

"The power of seismic is that it raises the
probability of success," commented Bruce
Thomson, President and Chief Executive Officer
of Premium Petroleum, Inc. "In this case from
an estimated 35% to an over 70%," concluded
Thomson.

The time to get in on this is Now! Once these
small companies start moving, they appreciate
rapidly.

Please Watch this one trade all week!

________________________________________________
Disc|a1mer:
Information within this em4i| c0nta1ns "f0rw4rd
|0ok1ng st4t3ments" within the meaning of
Sect10n 27Aof the Secur1ties Act of 1933 and
Secti0n_21B of the Secur1ties_Exchange_Act of
1934. Any statements that express or inv0lve
discussi0ns with respect to pred1cti0ns,
expectati0ns, be|iefs, p|ans, pr0jecti0ns,
objectives, goals, assumptions or future
events or performance are not statements of
historicalfact and may be "f0rw4rd |0ok1ng
st4t3ments". "f0rw4rd |0ok1ng st4t3ments" are
based on expectations, estimates and
pr0jections at the time the statements
are made that involve a number of risks and
uncertainties which could cause actual results
or events to differ materially from those
presently anticipated. We were paid a sum of
three th0us4nd USD to disseminate this
information from ir marketing. f0rw4rd |0ok1ng
st4t3ments in this action may be identified
through the use of words such as "projects",
"f0resee", "exp3cts", "wi||", "ant1cipates",
"est1mates", "be|ieves", "understands" or that
by statements indicating certain acti0ns "may",
"c0uld", or "might" occur. Risk fact0rs include
general economic and business conditions, the
ability to acquire and develop specific
projects, the ability to fund operations and
changes in consumerand business consumption
habits and other factors over which the company
has little or no control. The publisher of this
news|etter does not represent that the
information contained herein are true and
correct.

2005-11-11T10:52:00.000-08:00

You can’t help but hear it these days – expletives being muttered at gas pumps all across America. Gas prices have soared in recent months, and so have the profits of big oil. While homeowners are wondering where they are going to find the money to heat their house this winter, ExxonMobil has announced its hottest profits on record – a 75 percent increase over last year.

In fact, Exxon’s earnings have exceeded the gross domestic product of several oil producing nations, including Kuwait, Libya and Qatar, making it the most profitable corporation in U.S. history.

On October 27, ExxonMobil announced a $9.9 billion quarterly profit despite lost sales and damages to its rigs, refineries and pipelines resulting from the devastating hurricanes that recently swept the Gulf Coast.

The icing on this money cake is massive subsidies given to the oil industry from Congress. In August, Bush signed into law the notorious energy bill - granting $14.5 billion in tax breaks and incentives to the energy industry. Then, on October 7, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would give federal insurance to oil refiners whose expansion projects are delayed by lawsuits or red tape.

Surprise, Surprise

Exxon plans to invest ZERO dollars of its obscene profits into renewable energy development. According to Exxon spokesperson Dave Gardner, "We're an oil and gas company. In times past, when we tried to get into other businesses, we didn't do it well. We'd rather re-invest in what we know."

If Exxon is going to carry on business as usual, it should do it WITHOUT our tax dollars. Our coalition - Exxpose Exxon - is calling on CEO Lee Raymond to refuse the billions in American tax dollars that Congress is throwing his way. That money would be better spent rebuilding the communities destroyed by hurricanes and rewarding companies that are actually trying to solve the global warming crisis, rather than contribute to it.

Take Action!

Don't reward big oil. Tell Congress to remove tax breaks for the oil industry.

Vote November 8th

2005-11-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Check out the State issues for Ohio
Issues

Sample ballot Democratic Vote

Visit the Franklin County Democratic Party

2005-10-25T20:27:00.000-07:00

Went up to Rochester, NY to visit Mark's family this past weekend. They are all really nice. We had a good time with everyone and it was nice to relax and not have to do anything for a few days. We received some wedding gifts and stuff for the baby. It is fun getting a few things already. I am in my 10th actual week of pregnancy and not showing any signs. I haven't gained any weight, but I attribute that to the fact that I am not working out and probably losing muscle mass. I just have no time, and in the evenings I am too tired. I am starting to feel a little better than before, so I am hoping that I can go to the gym sometimes and do the treadmill. I think the pre-natal vitamins help. After this week I will be down to only 2 jobs, which will free up a little more time. There is still a lot to do for the wedding, we need to plan the actual ceremony, order flowers, pick out tuxs, etc. I am looking forward to when it is all done, and we can go on vacation, which I will need.

WooHoo

2005-10-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

I bought tickest for Mark and I to go to Italy for our honeymoon. We are only going for 10 days, but it is better than not going. We will go to Firenze for a few days and visit friends, then head south to Roma, and then to Amalfi, and then back up to Firenze. I have found some reasonably priced bed and breakfast places I think we'll stay at. So we'll have to start booking those places soon. I think I am more excited about the honeymoon than the wedding. But the wedding will be fun, and hopefully we'll get enough $$$ to pay for the honeymoon, and reimburse me for tickets. Really the money will just go into savings. But we can use $$ for spending and shopping, etc. I put new luggage on one of the registries, so hopefully we get it.

2005-10-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

I've been too tired to blog lately or do much more than go to work. I am sleeping way more now that I'm pregnant, and feel like crap most of the time. Fun Fun. I have pretty much no energy to do anything. But I did manage to go shopping yesterday and get a wedding dress and pick out the bridesmaid dresses. So that is one less thing. Weddings are not cheap.
We still need to figure out the music for the wedding reception. Band or DJ. Bands cost more and it is better to find one who can play a lot of different music, or can learn music we want them to play. A DJ can play a cd from what ever genre we want, so that is also good. My mom wants some traditional italian songs played, and a band that can do it, but maybe we can find a recording and have the DJ play the same songs.
Hopefully I will be making alot of money this month so I can buy tickets to go to Italy for the honeymoon. Otherwise I may need and advance on the wedding money grandma is giving us to buy them. I just spent a shitload on the dress and accessories to go with it. And will be paying for the church. Well technically I have the money, but that money is from Dad and reserved for paying for the food at the wedding. Hopefully by the end of this week the invitations will be in so we can mail those next weekend. The invite list is up to 170 now, which the room we have reserved holds 150. Not everyone will come, and we may need to make some cuts to the list. Feeding that many people and that many people drinking, not cheap.

Moving is a pain in the ass

2005-09-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

I have two more days to finish getting shit out of my place and clean it. Besides being busy as hell with work, and trying to think about wedding planning, having to move sucks. I even had movers, thank god, but still haven't quite finished. And Mark's house has practically no storage space. The kitchen needs remodeling in a major way. It might become the top priority after the wedding, along with getting the baby's room together.
Half of my shit is being stored in my Grandma's basement, which is clean and dry. The basement of the place I a moving out of is damp, and moldy. Anything down there has a layer of mold. We have given tons of shit away to Good Will. And I discoved FreeCycle here in columbus, so some people are coming to pick up my washer and dryer tomorrow. Monday I have a guy coming to pick up all kinds of shit for a family who relocated from Louisiana. I have given tons of clothes away because I couldn't fit them in the closet I have at Mark's. Figured it wouldn't fit any way, and when it did fit again, I doubt I'd want to be where those clothes.

I think with the wedding money we should re-do the kitchen, that way we will have somewhere to put the things we get.

Mark's house needs to be cleaned in a way that it has never experienced, which is next on the list after I have finished moving and we get rid of all this stuff on Monday. Every blind and curtain in the house needs to be thrown away. Well except the curtains in Mark's room they are fairly new.

New Carpet. Also another major priority.

Quiz Time

2005-09-22T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am too tired to post anything worthwhile, so thought I'd throw up a quiz.

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead...

But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself.

You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place.

You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

How Machiavellian Are You?

update

2005-09-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Well the last 10 days have been pretty crazy. Last Friday I found out that I was pregnant. My birth control failed miserably. Not keeping it wasn't an option, so Mark and I decided to get married. We are doing it this week actually so I can get on his insurance. However we are having a real wedding December 3rd. Last week we managed to set a date, book a place, and find a church. And I am moving in with him, so we have been cleaning his house, which needed some major help, so I'd have a place to put my shit. I really like living in Grandview, and hopefully living in Hilliard will be only for the next 2 years max.

I have been feeling like a moody tired mess, which I doubt will end any time soon.

The Boston Globe

2005-09-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

PETER SINGER
Un-American about animals
By Peter Singer | August 20, 2005
WHAT COUNTRY has the most advanced animal protection legislation in the world? If you guessed the United States, go to the bottom of the class. The United States lags far behind all 25 nations of the European Union, and most other developed nations as well, such as Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. To gauge just how far behind the United States is, consider these three facts:
Around 10 billion farm animals are killed every year by US meat, egg, and dairy industries; the estimated number of animals killed for research every year is 20 million to 30 million, a mere 0.3 of that number.
In the United States, there is no federal law governing the welfare of animals on the farm. Federal law begins only at the slaughterhouse.
Most states with major animal industries have written into their anticruelty laws exemptions for ''common farming practices." If something is a common farming practice, it is, according to these states, not cruel, and you can't prosecute anyone for doing it.
Together these last two points mean that any common farming practice is legal. If you hear farm industry lobbyists trying to tell you that there is no problem in the United States because unhappy animals would not be productive, ask them how it can be good for a hen to be kept with four or five other hens in a cage so small she couldn't stretch her wings even if she had the whole cage to herself.
To measure how far ahead other countries are, we can first look at British animal protection legislation. British law makes it illegal to keep breeding sows in crates that prevent them from walking or turning around -- the way in which about four out of every five US sows are kept. In Britain, law does not allow veal calves to be denied adequate roughage and iron, as is common in the United States to help produce the gourmet veal often served in restaurants.
Nevertheless, it is not Britain but Austria that has the most advanced animal protection legislation. In May 2004, a proposed law banning the chicken ''battery cage" was put to a vote in the Austrian Parliament. It passed -- without a single member of Parliament opposing it. Austria has banned fur farming and prohibited the use of wild animals in circuses. It has also made it illegal to trade in living cats and dogs in stores and deems killing an animal for no good reason a criminal offense. Most important, every Austrian province must appoint an ''animal lawyer" who can initiate court procedures on behalf of animals.
Why are Europeans so far ahead of Americans in protecting animal welfare? I doubt that it is because Americans are more tolerant of cruelty. In 2002, when the citizens of Florida were given a chance to vote on whether sows should be confined for months without ever having room to turn around, they voted, by a clear majority, to ban sow crates. Most Americans, though, have never had the chance to cast that vote. The animal movement in the United States has not succeeded in turning animal rights into electoral issues about which voters seek their candidates' views.
As a result, the American animal movement has shifted toward targeting corporations rather than the legislatures. For example, in 2001, the organization Viva! launched a campaign accusing Whole Foods of selling inhumanely raised duck meat. Whole Foods responded by exploring the issue and setting new companywide standards for raising ducks.
Other sets of standards will follow by 2008, Whole Foods plans to have in place a set of standards for all the species of farm animals it sells. By addressing an individual corporation, animal rights activists are hoping that other retailers will follow suit and this pressure will influence legislation changes in the United States.
Judged by the standards of other developed countries, over recent decades the United States has done little to improve the protection of the vast majority of animals. We should direct our energies to reducing the suffering of farm animals and put pressure on our corporations and our legislatures, both state and federal, to bring the United States at least up to the standards of the European Union in our treatment of animals.
Peter Singer's most recent book is ''In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave."

PETA Urgent News

2005-09-08T05:06:00.000-07:00

I feel for the people there, but I love animals too.

"On August 29, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. In addition to the human misery that the storm left in its wake, Katrina left many thousands of animals dead and dying. But the greater problem has turned out to be state and federal governments adding to this toll—and causing the slow and agonizing deaths of thousands more much-loved dogs, cats, and other animals—through their failure to allow animal protection agents to rescue animals.

Worse, although the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) guidelines on animal handling in a disaster were carefully crafted years ago in cooperation with PETA and other animal organizations, our government has evidently thrown them out the window, even going so far as to order citizens to abandon their animals under threat of arrest—animals who in many cases were considered members of the family and were all that these people had left.

Volunteer Steve Miller told The Advocate in Baton Rouge that “FEMA has told us we cannot take the pets” along with the distraught human victims that they are evacuating. “They told [us] that we could not take one cat or dog in our boats,” Miller said. “It’s a stupid rule. More people are going to die because of that.”

Telling these exasperated citizens of our country to abandon the animals they care for so deeply is, in fact, illegal. Chapter 14, Section 102.1(A)(1)(d) of Louisiana’s Revised Statutes, for example, states that anyone who abandons an animal is guilty of the crime of cruelty to animals.

Please politely call on Michael Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of FEMA, to immediately order his subordinates and their brave volunteers to evacuate animals with their human families, effective today, from areas affected by Katrina. Tell Mr. Brown that in these United States, we can and must do better for our citizens and their animals:

The Honorable Michael Brown
Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response
500 C St. S.W.
Washington, DC 20472
202-646-3900
202-646-3930 (fax)
FEMAOPA@dhs.gov

On Tuesday, September 6, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin reportedly issued a mandatory evacuation order and authorized police to remove people from their homes regardless of the residents’ wishes, according to CNN. Although Lt. Gen. Russel Honore—Commander of the First U.S. Army and the man in charge in New Orleans—apparently stated that his military units will not carry out such evacuations, New Orleans police officers and other law enforcement agents may force city residents to abandon their animals when evacuating. Please ask Mayor Nagin to ensure that his beleaguered constituents are allowed to bring their companion animals along should they be evacuated:

The Honorable Ray Nagin
Mayor of New Orleans
Send an e-mail to the Mayor’s Office here

Visit HelpingAnimals.com for further information and updates on Katrina and our response. Help Support This Critical Work With a Special Donation Today!"

Stop Violence Against Women

2005-09-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Every day four women die in the U.S. as a result of domestic violence. And more than 700 women are raped or sexually assaulted every day. We can stop these tragedies -- but we urgently need your help. Join hundreds of thousands of women across the country in making sure that the Violence Against Women Act is reauthorized by Congress when it expires in September 2005. Please help! Millions -- that¹s right, MILLIONS -- of women and children will be better off as a result!

Tell Congress that 700 women is 700 too many. Sign the petition to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

Visit www.700women.org to sign the petition

Heading to PA this weekend

2005-09-02T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'll be in Tidioute.

2005-09-02T07:23:00.000-07:00

2005-08-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

Visit the American Red Cross to donate to the Katrina Disaster Relief Fund
Red Cross

2005-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Mark and I went up to Chicago this past weekend. We had a good time. Unfortunately we both had a cold and felt a little run down the entire time. I didn't sleep well Friday night, which didn't help the situation Saturday. Mark brought his sleeping bag and everytime he moved it swished and woke me up. He wasn't allowed sleeping in that the rest of the time. For some reason he has always like to sleep in sleeping bags, and I long ago put a stop to it, and now I remember why.

Saturday we went to the Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field. I was in a bit of a daze the whole time because I took a cold pill before we left, which was a mistake. I would have been better off not breathing so well. But we had fun seeing Wrigley field. Our seats were good, we were never in the sun which was nice. The buildings across from the ballpark all have bleachers and seats built on the roofs so people could watch the game, and not have had to buy a ticket. It looked like it would be fun watching a game from the roof top. The Cubs lost to the Marlins 2 to 1. Upon hearing who was pitching Mark said it would be a 2 to 1 game and he was right. The Cubs did win on Friday night and Sunday, however we weren't at those games.
After the game we met up with some friends to eat/drink. The place we went to had shitty service and food, but we did get a good seat outside. Mark got pretty drunk Saturday. He starts ranting when he drinks too much. The whole train ride back he was the only person on the train talking, probably everyone could hear him. It was kind of funny.

Saturday our friends made us some kick ass dinner and then we went down to Rush Street to hit some bars. We probably should have went somewhere near where they live, because everyplace was pretty packed and it took a while to get down there. We hit one place, some irish bar, and had a round of shots, well not Mark he was pretty much hung over from earlier by this point. Then we went to Mother's. It wasn't too bad. I think it would have been more fun if I had felt better and not been so tired, because then I would have wanted to dance and put more effort into drinking.

Sunday we went to Chicago's Little Italy. A lot of the restarants were closed Sunday afternoon when we went, but we found a place called something Viaggio, I don't remember the name. The food was pretty good. I have been to the Little Italy's in New York, San Francisco and Boston, and they were all better Little Italy's as far as things go. After that we went to the Magnificant Mile to do some shopping. I got some great Jeans, which Rachael helped pick out, and Mark got me for my Birthday. We went to the Apple store and Rach got an Ipod Mini. She got a student discount with her Student ID from like 4 years ago. I wonder if they give discounts at all the Apple locations. I still have my BuckID.

Next time we go back to Chicago we'll definitely have to hit a Cubs game again and maybe some of the museums.

Ok it is now midnight, and officially my birthday. Another year down. To bad it is suppose to rain all day tomorrow, stupid hurricane Katrina shit. At least we don't live in New Orleans.

Eeewww

2005-08-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

So I had the Oprah show on today, which I normally don't watch, but I happened to be home. I learned from doctor somebody, I don't remember his name, that meat rots in your gut and you need fiber to help pull it out. Apparently rotting is how meat is digested. I am glad I don't eat that shit. No wonder after people eat meat they have some rank ass breath.

We're fucked.

2005-08-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

With gas going up as much as it is, so will everything else. Everything has to be shipped from somewhere using trucks, etc. that use gas. I guess we'll also be looking at some heavy inflation. I am getting a $1/hr raise starting next month with one job, guess that will help pay for the gas to get there. I definitely won't notice the raise since it costs so much more now to fill up the tank. I think that I am going to suggest to my boss for one of my other jobs that we start charging more for closings since we have to drive so much.

My plan for the next few years is still to get the hell out of here, and go where I don't need a car.
No gas, no insurance, no car payments, no repairs......

Fuel Additive

2005-08-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

By suggestion of my mother, I am starting to use a fuel additive. Apparently it can help cut down on the costs of gas a bit. It is like having gas with a higher octane. I am not sure exactly how it works, but it helps get more miles to the gallon.

2005-08-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Finally a day to relax. Friday was long and hellish. I had 2 closing in southern ohio, Waverly and Chillicothe. These places are about 20 minutes apart, but I had 2 hours and 45 minutes to kill between closings. No point in driving back to columbus to turn around again. I figured I could go shopping or find a book store, get something to eat etc. There isn't shit in Waverly and Chillicothe is one of the worst places I have ever had to displeasure of going to in my entire life. There was no mall, and the shopping they did have were strip malls of the worst stores ever. The restaurant selection consisted of only chain restaurants. The was a line of people out the door waiting to eat at Red Lobster. WTF?
First I went to a place that I thought was Eddie Bauer, because the writing was identical, but I obviously didn't read the name carefully, it was Elder Be... something I don't remember. It was a department store with all the rejected shit all of the other department stores didn't want. I couldn't believe that somewhere someone wasted the time and energy producing and manufacturing this crap. I then went to the JC Penny they had there, the first time I had been to JC Penny in like 13 years. That place sucked. I thought it couldn't get much worst than the last place, but it did. After that I went down the strip, walked into the fashion bug there, and then turned around and walked right back out. I went to Sears, pretty bad. All the reject clothes from JC Penny and Sears from 2-3 years ago were sent to the stores in Chillicothe. I was hoping to find a Barnes and Nobles or some other book store, but after asking someone, they told me there weren't any books store in Chillicothe.

On the way home a deer ran right in front of my car, it was like five feet away, running by it almost looked like a cartoon or something. Scared the shit out of me.

Yesterday we went to Cincinnati, saw the Red lose. Of course they won friday night, and I think they won the game today too. It was fun, but it is more fun when the game is a little more exciting.

Work work work

2005-08-19T12:00:00.000-07:00

I didn't get in from work until almost 10:30 last night, and had to leave this morning at 7:30am. I am really not a morning person. This is another one of those 14-15 hour days. I'll probably get home about 10:15 tonight. I can't wait for tomorrow to relax! We're going down to Cinci to watch a Reds game. That should be fun. I am really not looking forward to the rest of the day.
ok time to eat lunch and run....

non posso dormire...

2005-08-18T00:51:00.000-07:00

I really am more of a night person. I hate mornings. I had an iced coffee drink around 8:30, it was stronger than usual. I felt antsy, restless, and wired most of the evening since then. I am already never tired at night, I probably shouldn't drink anything with caffiene after 10am.

I have accumlated lounge points at CD101, so the auction begins at 7am to redeem and bid on shit. I am aiming for a $25 gift certificate to the Blues Station, and then to redeem points for 2 tickets to see Particle next month. Not bad for not really having to do much to earn the points.

Here's some shit from a bulk email I got, I think someone is suggesting to buy oil stock...... scary..... like the fact that the world is using more and more oil all the time is good.

"World demand for oil is off the charts.
Which is why we are issueing a STRONG BUY:

Eldorado Exploration Inc.
SYMBOL:(EDEX)
Current Price:.18
4 Week Projection: $1.25
starting right now!

The oil industry has rarely - perhaps NEVER - seen a demand to rival this
one ...
Europe and North America are soaking up every drop they can get - an
eye-popping 44.6 million barrels per day.
China's 1.3 billion people - nearly one-fifth of the planet's population -
busily trading their bicycles for cars, are consuming more oil in a day than
they used to in a month. In fact, China's demand for oil is increasing at
the rate of 15.4% per year.

India's future oil consumption is expected to grow rapidly to 2.8 million
barrels per day by 2010. Presently, oil accounts for about 30 percent of
India's total energy consumption.

Latin America, Africa, the former Soviet Union, and other regions are
bellying up to the bar as never before - adding 11.11million-barrels-per-day
demand pressures on oil prices.

This explosion in demand for oil is NOT going to abate anytime soon.
That is an opinion we read today and agree with! It is just one more reason
we think we should watch some smaller American companies.
Some of them will make it.

Eldorado Exploration Inc. (EDEX)

"We are proud of our company and will strive to make it a leader, not a
follower."

WE think that says it all and from a man that should know,

The CEO of the company!"

Guess I'll try to go to bed.

2005-08-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

I guess I'll start working here in a few hours. I got used to being a slack ass every day. But now I need to start doing more and making more money. I just got new brakes and roters on my car this weekend. There goes some extra money I had. Then my mom tells me yesterday my step-bro could have replaced them for me b/c he just did his own recently. I forgot he knew how to do that shit. I should have spoken with her a few days earlier. I waste a lot of my money every month towards my car. Driving just pisses me off most of the time, especially driving around columbus. This city has gotten too big. Urban sprawl. It would be nice if I never had to leave Grandview, then I could walk every where. Unfortunately that is not the case. Hopefully within the next few years I will be living somewhere where I don't need car.

The Warren Italian fest was alright. I still like the one in Columbus a little better, but we had a good time. I was kind of pissed that I didn't get to see my relatives or my dad, which is half the reason I even wanted to go up there. Mark didn't look like he was enjoying himself the entire time. The dog had to come with us, which was a part of the problem with not seeing my family, the hotel, etc.... But we ended up coming back to columbus earlier than expected so that was probably better.
All in all I guess it would have been better to stay in Columbus and saved ourselves some money. Especially after the car repair. Plus we'll be heading to Chicago the last weekend of the month, and we'll need $$ for the trip.

So my birthday is 2 weeks from today. (you guys can feel free to visit my amazon wish list) :)
We I turned 23 I was in a bad mood about it. But I haven't really cared otherwise. I feel like since I am getting older there are certain things that I should be doing, but then I still feel very young and not really ready for "adult life". But people live for long ass time, especially in my family. My healthy ass will probably be alive way longer than I would like to be, so really my 20s, 30s, and 40s, are going to be my youth period. Maybe I'll feel like being an adult when I'm 50.

OK Mark is buggin'. I really need to start doing some work, but I think I'll have to do that from my house. I'll be working from home today. And as much as I can for this mortgage shit, hopefully Jeremy doesn't have a problem with it. The office is way on the other side of town. Gas is 2.69 a gallon. At least when I close loans for the title co. I am paid to be driving around.

2005-08-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

2.69 a gallon for gas is bullshit. I hate driving.

2005-08-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

My life is rated R.
What is your life rated?

Bored

2005-08-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

SBC service sucks. Be sure to never ever sign up for their dsl internet service, ever. So since I've had it I have always had problems getting online, specifically in the evenings but sometimes during the day too. After many calls and not getting anywhere, I had to get a little rude with them. So finally they dispatched a tech, which will be at my home anywhere from 8am to 12pm. So now it is 12, are they here? No. I call around 11 to make sure they were coming, so guy said he'd be here soon. Right. Like I have nothing else better to do. And trying to get ahold of a human at SBC took a while.

2005-08-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

I had to take the video off of the animals being tortured, It was too much for me.

Well the past week hasn't been the best. The relationship between Mark and I has really been on the rocks. I don't care to go into details, but I guess we have worked some shit out, and we'll see how it goes for a while.

Today is the first day I have felt at all happy in months, and hopefully that will continue to improve.

It will be nice to get out of town this weekend and head to Warren. I definitely need a break from Columbus. And we'll be heading to Chicago in a few weeks which will be good. I can't wait until the day I permantly move out of this city. Columbus is beyond boring for me. I have lived here my entire life, and I don't think that I can continue to grow as a person if I stay here.

The fact that I don't like being here, and the fact the my relationship just hasn't been that great for a WHILE definitely contributed to the unhappiness factor.

Maybe I'll be somewhat more productive today. I definitely will be getting out to enjoy the weather, (you know I like it hot) and maybe play some music.

I'm a lazy ass.

2005-08-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

I just haven't felt like blogging this week. I can't believe it is the end of the week already. I haven't been accomplishing much lately which is good and bad. Too much free time drives me crazy, but also I haven't made a great effort to do more with it. Of course I have been riding my bike a lot, so that's good. Cleaned out the basement, well pretty much, I have some more to do. Not fun.
So looks like we're heading up to Warren for the Italian Fest. The last time I was in Warren for the fest I was a little kid.
So besides hanging with Roberto, I will also be visiting some family as well.

Porky's Songs

This place sucks

2005-07-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

"THIS WEEK, the Senate votes on the Energy Bill, and the possibility of a seismic survey of the U.S. coastline. At decibel levels of 260, seismic blasts have a devastating impact on whales, dolphins and other marine mammals that rely on their sense of hearing to survive. In fact, they can lead to permanent hearing loss, brain hemorrhaging and even cause entire pods of whales and dolphins to beach."

We can only hope they don't pass this shit bill. Oil companies will get tax breaks (like they need them) and not have to abide by the clean water act. The bill would promote larger production of ethanol, which would in fact increase air polution and use more energy to produce. Oh yes, and more nuclear power plants are on the agenda.

The Bush administration wants to pretend that they are doing something about energy conservation and the environment. Really it is designed to make sure the oil companies don't lose any money, and in fact continue to make huge profits.

And from the NARAL people:

"It's official: Americans can no longer take prescription birth control for granted. Yesterday, Monday, July 25, anti-choice representatives in the U.S. House made it clear that they support pharmacies that refuse to fill birth-control prescriptions - and that women have no right to birth control.

The radical right's campaign to stop birth control
The House Small Business Committee held a hearing on whether pharmacies should be allowed to refuse to fill women's prescriptions. Anti-choice Rep. Steve King (R-IA) told a witness, who had been denied birth control and emergency contraception by her pharmacist, that she had no "right" to her prescriptions - she only believed she did. Anti-choice Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) told a witness whose prescription had also been rejected by a hostile pharmacist, that her "minor inconvenience" - that is, risking an unintended pregnancy - was nothing compared to the "conscience" of a pharmacist.

The right's anti-birth control campaign doesn't stop in Washington, DC. Across the country, the radical right has engaged pharmacies in its campaign to block women's access to birth control. Women like Julee Lacey, a 32-year-old married mother of two and first-grade teacher from Texas, are being turned away by vigilante pharmacists who think it's their job to dispense morals instead of medicine.

Now, as many as 20 states officially protect pharmacists like Karen Brauer, president of Pharmacists for Life, who says she'd lecture women customers to get off the pill. Other states are pursuing an even more aggressive strategy. Just last month Wisconsin passed a bill to block state universities from filling birth control prescriptions."

I wonder if these anti-contraception people also wouldn't sell condoms.

Also in the news:

Urgent: Ask Your Representative to Say ‘No’ to CAFTA

Sometime in the next two days, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on DR-CAFTA (the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement). If this bill passes, it will be a disaster for farmed animals. All the major front groups for the meat, egg, and dairy industries, including the National Chicken Council, the American Meat Institute, the National Pork Producers Council, and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, are aggressively lobbying in support of DR-CAFTA. Why do these industries, which profit from the suffering of animals, support this trade agreement? Because DR-CAFTA will open the doors for enormous animal-abusing corporations like Tyson, Pilgrim’s Pride, and Smithfield to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into building new factory farms in Central America. As more and more Americans turn toward vegetarianism, these industries are desperate to find new markets for their unhealthy, inhumane products. DR-CAFTA will make it much easier for these corporations to peddle flesh, eggs, and dairy in Central America.
Millions of farmed animals will suffer on factory farms if DR-CAFTA passes. While the meat industry doles out contributions to politicians on Capitol Hill, it’s vital that everyone who cares about animals make their voices heard. Please immediately call (it’s too late for letters) your representative and ask him or her to stop DR-CAFTA in its tracks.

Visit Congress.org to find your representative’s phone number.

The best way you can stop factory farming is by joining the growing ranks of vegetarians around the world. For a free vegetarian starter kit, full of delicious recipes and a free DVD, visit VegetarianStarterKit.com.

Monday again....

2005-07-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

I am not in the mood to go through this week.
It is going to be hotter than hell today and very humid. So I am going to hit the gym and workout in the AC, then work all day after that, fun fun.
I haven't been to the beach yet this year, which is a bit depressing. One of these days I am going to get up and start driving east (well south east, I need to be at least in Virginia) until I hit water. Sometimes you just need to say fuck it and get out of town.

More shit to piss me off.

2005-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

"In the hospital and estimated 25,000 women become pregnant each year after a rape. Yet only about half of women at risk were given emergency contraception in the ER, according to a 2002 study in the Annals of Emergency Medicine. Laws in California, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, South Carolina and Washington require hospitals to offer EC in the ER, but do they? A report by the New York city council found nearly one in four public clinics were ignoring a similar rule. Worse, when U.S. Department of Justice officials issued guidelines for threatment of women who have been raped, they omitted any mention if emergency contraception."

There are 1,500 members in the Pharmacists for Life International organization. Meaning these people will not, based on their beliefs fill any type of prescription to prevent pregnancy. Personally I think these people are fucking idiots, but everyone is entitled to their own moral beliefs. (We don't want to go fucking with nature now by ensuring a woman can't get pregnant.) I want to know why are they pharmacists then? Are there other prescriptions these people won't fill based on personally beliefs? Go find a new job assholes.

Avoiding the office

2005-07-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

"In a devastating move, George W. Bush has nominated John Roberts to replace Justice O'Connor's swing vote on the U.S. Supreme Court. By nominating John Roberts, George Bush has issued a slap in the face to every American who values personal privacy and a woman's right to choose.

With Bush in the White House and Congress in the grip of anti-choice leadership -- a woman's right to choose cannot afford to have John Roberts on the Supreme Court. The worst news, John Roberts has actually argued before the Supreme Court that Roe v. Wade should be overruled."

"In the past weeks, Republicans and Democrats have called on President Bush to nominate a moderate for the Supreme Court—someone who would honor the legacy of independent Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. But last night, President Bush nominated Judge John Roberts, a far-right lawyer and corporate lobbyist, to fill her post on the Supreme Court.

We've got to stop Roberts. He opposed clean air rules and worked to help coal companies strip-mine mountaintops. He worked with Ken Starr (yes, that Ken Starr), and tried to keep Congress from defending the Voting Rights Act. He wrote that Roe v. Wade should be "overruled," and as a lawyer argued (and won) the case that stopped some doctors from even discussing abortion."

I suppose it is not possible to nominate a judge who isn't bias, and can judge fairly and not on personal beliefs. Or is it? Hmmm.
Every pro-choice, GBLT group, environmentalist and democrat in the country can be opposed (and most will be) to Bush's nominees but really, he will eventually get one in.

Also nice to know:

"You may be shocked to learn that Ohio's hospitals don't routinely provide women with the morning-after pill when they need it. Our report, Access to Emergency Contraceptives in Ohio's Emergency Rooms, paints a grim picture for women in our state. Only two hospital ERs claim to give out the morning-after pill to women regardless of the reason they requested it. Only 31 percent of hospitals told us that they routinely give out the morning-after pill to rape survivors, but a shocking 24 percent of hospitals told us that they NEVER dispense it, not even to women who have been raped."

"What is the morning-after pill?
Also known as emergency contraception or EC, the morning-after pill is a high dose of the same hormones that are in birth control pills. A woman can take it to prevent pregnancy up to 72 hours following unprotected sex, contraceptive failure, or sexual assault. It is most effective when taken in the first 24 hours.

Is EC the same as Mifepristone or RU-486 (the abortion pill)?
No EC is totally different than the abortion pill. RU-486 or Mifepristone can be taken in the first 7 weeks of pregnancy to cause an abortion. EC must be taken in the first 72 hours after sex, and has no effect on an established pregnancy, it only works to prevent a new pregnancy from occurring."

Maybe people think that women want to be pregnant and have no choice. We should be able to prevent or terminate a pregnancy. If a woman doesn't desire to have a child, especially in the case of rape or incest, then she shouldn't have to.

Dan Savage, who has a column Savage Love recently had a man write in who was transing into a woman, and wanted to simulate having a period by sticking a tampon in his ass. So he could really feel like a woman. Why the hell anyone one would want to have a period is beyond me. Do any women enjoy it? Maybe this guy could take something to give him cramps. Maybe he wants to worry about getting pregnant and not having access to birth control or legal abortion.

Sunday Morning Funnies

2005-07-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2005-07-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yawn.....

My biorythmn

2005-07-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

Il tuo bioritmo
A differenza dell'oroscopo, i nostri bioritmi non dipendono dall'influsso degli astri, ma sono regolati da altri fattori come ad esempio il ciclo lunare, e riflettono quindi il nostro "ciclo vitale", il nostro benessere.

Il bioritmo si compone di tre cicli:
Ciclo fisico: forza, energia, potenza sessuale e fisica
Ciclo emotivo: sentimenti, emozioni
Ciclo intellettivo: facoltà mentali, logica, funzioni cerebrali

Eternal Summer Slacking

2005-07-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well at least I am doing the shit on my To Do List. I might as well enjoy not doing much because my step-bro, who I work for doing loans, called me yesterday and is on a kick. So by the beginning of august if not sooner things may start to get ugly.
I would prefer to work as much as possible from home because I hate driving out to the office. It is 30 minutes from Mark's, and 20 min. from me. Not close. I don't mind driving for closings, because I am being paid to drive there. Otherwise driving to any job is a waste of time, unpaid waste of time. Working from home is the way to go.
But if I am going to save as much money as I would like, I guess I will have to work more :(
I only have to teach for 2 hours today b/c half my students are on vacation that come on wednesdays. So after work we are going to go on a bike ride, providing it doesn't rain, or at least isn't storming. Hopefully my knee won't be completely shot afterward.

2005-07-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

Winning Bid

2005-07-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

So I won my first bid on ebay. Now I have bought things before, but not bid. It was mildly exciting the last few minutes since earlier in the day I was out bid by 1 cent b/c I wasn't paying attention to the time running out. But it worked out b/c I got fairly good seats for less money. Mark is excited about seeing the Marlins play the Cubs. And now we definitely will be going to Chicago the last weekend of August.

Yawn...

2005-07-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

I am feeling even more lazy this week than last.
So I am trying to buy tickets for a cubs game for the last weekend of august. I got out bid at the last minute on the ones I wanted. So I have a bid in for another pair. Hopefully I'll get them. When we go to Cincinnati to see a game getting tickets is easy since the Reds suck.

The weekend was good, I saw a lot of friends the past 4 days. Some I haven't seen in a while so that was fun. I ate and drank a lot all weekend, and generally had a good time.

Mark got me a ring for our one year anniversary, but it was too big. We went down to Cinci for the day saturday so he could golf, and his sister and I went to Tiffany & Co. to get the right sized ring.

Check it out:

Almost hump day.

2005-07-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Well I joined myspace since so many of my friends had. That shit is crazy. All kinds of people want to be your friend.
hhmmm.

Anyway. The weekend was pretty good. Sunday I accomplished very little, and Monday we hit the Doo Dah parade and then my parents house to eat. I am happy that this is a short week.
Hopefully tomorrow night we can get in a game of Bocce.
I have had to work a little less this week and last so that has been nice, but weird.

Poor Mark is still at work. He left a little early since he had to go back in at 7 this evening, but still he has worked over 11 hours today. I made dinner b/c he thought he would be done by 8:30 (it is almost midnight). I made Pad Thai and bought sushi. I still need to learn to make sushi, not that it exactly seems hard, but getting all of the ingrediants and what not would be necessary. The seaweed to make the rolls isn't too cheap, but rice, veggies and what not to be wrapped in there shouldn't be too costly. Making the pad thai was fairly easy, so I may need to make a larger quantity and have people over for dinner sometime. Maybe I'll make home made sushi too.

I stopped in the office for an hour today which was enough to remind me how much I don't feel like doing any work for a while. Jobs are annoying.

Ok off to do some reading.

2005-07-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

American Cities That Best Fit You:

65% Los Angeles

65% San Francisco

60% Honolulu

55% Chicago

55% Las Vegas

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

3 day weekend, whohoo!

2005-07-03T10:14:00.000-07:00

So nice to know that we still have another day off.
Last night Mark and I went out for our 1 year anniversary. We had dinner and then hit the gallery hop. We walked all the way up to Starr, I haven't hit this part of High St. in a while. They have a really cool wine bar, and some new restaurants, and many new gallery's. I will definitely be hitting the wine bar again soon, like this week. But the close at 9pm on weekdays, so I will have to go immediately after work. I had a strawberry white zin. and a peach chardonnay. mmm good.
oh there is Robert on the phone now.

2005-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Find me on MySpace and be my friend!

Work it Girl

2005-07-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

pics from comfest, thanks robert

2005-07-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

Nice pic of my passed out ass

group pics

2005-06-28T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well my mood this week has greatly improved. Got that loan closed, and it was a bitch right up until the last minute. So I am trying to relax as much as I can this week, and I am looking forward to the 3 day weekend ahead. The weekend at comfest was good. Friday I had a good time, and was drunk, but not too drunk, so I enjoyed myself. Saturday was hot, hotter than friday and very humid. We hit the Pride parade which was fun. That started at 1pm, and by 2 when it finished I had about polished off a bottle of wine. At this point we hit the Gay Eagle and got more alcohol. The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. Plus I had an hour and a half nap on the blanket. I feel like I missed hanging out with everyone. We went home so I could shower and in the mean time the monsoon hit and comfest was cut short. I didn't drink as much as last year, but the heat, food, and wine did me in for sure. It was a good time all in all. There were some people I was hoping to see but didn't get too. Sunday we had to go to the baptism, so I missed sunday comfest, too bad.
I don't think I need to drink for a while that is for sure.

Well it is about 10am I need to do something with my day. I am only working three hours this evening who hoo!
So I am going to spend the day working out I think, and burn off some of the over eating and drinking calories I gained over the weekend. My gym has step/ kickboxing aerobics at 9:30am everyday, but I am really just not a morning person. I tell myself that I will get up and go, that way I get it over with early, but It hasn't happened.

I found out that the apple tree in the yard is really a pear tree. Pears suck. But I have 3 peach trees and a grapevine.
My landlord said that some lady usually askes to have all the fruit and he lets her pick it, and she picks it dry I guess. Not this year people. He said I can have it. So I have concord grapes (only grape that will grow in Ohio). And hopefully it will rain more, b/c that way there will be more peaches. I think I'll get my cuz to make some peach pie.

HUMP DAY

2005-06-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

Is this God forsaken week over yet?

Another Week

2005-06-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

Well the weekend was fairly good. By the time friday ended I was tired as hell and stressed. I got home at about 8:30 and bailed out on the plans to hit the latino fest. Mark and I had dinner at Spagio which was nice and then went to bed. Saturday I went shopping with his sister, and out to lunch, while the guys golfed. For dinner we ate at this Asian restaurant (called Bancock something I forget), it was a mix between Japanese dishes, and Thai food. We ate some Sushi that was really good, and I had phad thai noodles that were really fucking good. I definitely will be returning there next time we are in Cincinnati.
We were suppose to go to a cook out at Mark's best friend's house, but those plans were cancelled due to some drama between his friend and his girlfriend. It all worked out though. We went to a Reds game after we ate, bought tickets from a scalper, and they we great seats behind home plate. We had comfortable seating in a section that had people to take our order and not just yell BEER HERE! I may have to watch all ball games this way now. Mark's sister and brother in law were there too, but in a different section at some party someone was hosting. I guess the game was sold out, which was suprising since the Reds suck. But they played the Braves who are pretty good. I enjoy watching baseball no matter which teams are playing so I had fun.

I am already ready for Friday, one because I took the day off to drink and go to Com Fest with the gang. Hopefully I will actually have the entire day off, but I fear I may have to work a bit in the morning. Still having problems on this appraisal for the loan we are trying to close thursday. At this rate if I am lucky if it will close on Friday. That is what I hate about this shit. Always some fucking problem. Aside from that I plan on drinking most of the day friday and all day saturday starting off at the Pride parade. I don't like to get shit faced too often, but Com Fest is one of those times. Hopefully I will be a little less drunk than last year though. Or someone will need to have Anne check a little better this time. We do have to get up early Sunday and go down to Cinci again for Mark's niece's baptism. Hopefully I won't feel like shit.
Actually Thursday night I will be heading down to the Downtown Connection where the are giving away a Vespa. For those of you in Columbus you should go.

Rachel, Amy and Matt Browning will be in town, I am excited. Amy did you work that shit out with your Mom?
Can wait to see you guys!
Com fest really is the best festival of the year.

web site to check out

2005-06-20T21:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6377.htm

TGIF is all I can say

2005-06-17T05:14:00.000-07:00

Though I have a 12 hour work day ahead of me :( at least tomorrow is Saturday. We're hitting the Latino fest, probably, this evening with my parents. The keep bugging for us to go out with them. But then we have to get up early to head to Cincinnati, where I plan on doing alot of relaxing this weekend.
OK off to the day of fun.

2005-06-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

I might as well blog as I wait for these morons to send the shit I need to get this loan into underwriting. I have better things to do with my time that sit around waiting for shit. These fucking people at the appraisers office are really pissing me off right now. This loan needs to close by next thurday to keep everyone happy, buyer, sellers, realtors. I really wanted to get the loan into underwriting yesterday, at this rate I won't get it in until tomorrow, which could potentially fuck things up. Ok time to harass everyone again.

2005-06-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

I guess I should update this thing. My relaxing June really hasn't been. I guess I am working a little less, maybe.
We went shopping today, got a few things. Overall I didn't really like much that I saw at the mall. Mall stores kinda suck anyway. I prefer Easton, but you know shit costs more out there, but they do have better stores than Tuttle. I really need a new pair of jeans and a skirt. Didn't find either. I hate all these little house on the prairie hippy skirts that are in right now. And I about about sick of the low low rise shit. I really don't feel like having my ass crack sticking out. I think that I am going to have to save up and by a pair of jeans at DR. MOJO. Overpriced yes, but the jeans there fit better and last longer.

We are going out for Roberto's b-day tonight. Going to Due Amici. A new italian place downtown. They have Cannoli on the menu, so I think I will be skipping dinner and going straight for the desert this evening, and then on to a martini.
We may hit Gasworks after that, shitty music, but cheap drinks, a patio, and non-coin pool tables. Or we may go next door to Spicy and try to feel posh and important. Too bad Amy and Rachel aren't in town this weekend too! but looking forward to seeing you for Com Fest weekend!

http://www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp

2005-06-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

You entered: 8/30/1979
You were born on a Thursday
under the astrological sign Virgo.
Your Life path number is 1.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2444115.5.
The golden number for 1979 is 4.
The epact number for 1979 is 2.
The year 1979 was not a leap year.

As of 6/7/2005 10:20:16 AM CDT
You are 25 years old.
You are 310 months old.
You are 1,345 weeks old.
You are 9,413 days old.
You are 225,922 hours old.
You are 13,555,340 minutes old.
You are 813,320,416 seconds old.

There are 84 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 26 candles on it.

Those 26 candles produce 26 BTU's,
or 6,552 calories of heat (that's only 6.5520 food Calories!) .
You can boil 2.97 US ounces of water with that many candles.

Your birth tree is

Pine Tree, the Particularity
Loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, many disappointments till it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical.

There are 201 days till Christmas 2005!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was in its first quarter.

A quiz because I have no time to blog

2005-06-07T00:34:00.000-07:00

The PJ's You Are Most Like: Sexy PJ's

You're a hot girl, and you don't let anyone forget it - even yourself
You have an understated, easy sexyness that men love
Relax a little - you look great even when you're not wearing lipstick!

What Kind of PJ's Are You? Take This Quiz :-)

Find the Love of Your Life
(and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance.

Getting up early to play Tennis before the long ass day of work crap. Thought I'd throw a quiz in here before bed.

2005-06-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

Help Mercy For Animals:

Billions of factory farmed animals desperately need our help. These innocent creatures are destined to be crammed into tiny cages, stalls, and pens, mutilated without painkillers, denied nearly every natural instinct, and finally, mercilessly slaughtered. Sadly, these animals will never know the compassionate touch of a caring person, let alone feel the gentle grass beneath their feet, the warmth of the sun on their back, or have the freedom to walk, run, or play.

These nameless individuals, each capable of experiencing happiness, joy, loneliness, fear, pain, and frustration, have been condemned to a life of misery by the meat, dairy, and egg industries. We must stop their senseless suffering by addressing the problem at its source: our diets.

MFA works diligently to promote cruelty-free food choices and protect farmed animals from cruelty and neglect. This is why, as part of our ongoing vegetarian advocacy campaign, MFA created a comprehensive 32-page Vegetarian Starter Kit, complete with compelling facts, heart-wrenching stories, vivid photographs, nutritional information, and mouth-watering recipes.

During the last year alone, MFA printed and distributed 40,000 Starter Kits through various means, including MTV ad campaigns, website requests, the efforts of grassroots organizations, sympathetic businesses, leafleting events, festivals, and outreach activities at high schools and colleges across North America. Our initial follow-up surveys indicate that a staggering 57% of respondents are now eating vegan or moving towards veganism after reading the Starter Kit!

Here are just a few comments readers of the Vegetarian Starter Kit have shared with MFA:

"All of the pictures and stories were moving. My classmates also thought so and decided to try veganism."

"I'd never 'seen' what happens at these farms before. I look at those pictures every few days to get the confidence of knowing I'm doing the right thing."

"I just wanted to thank you for such a wonderful Starter Kit. It's truly uplifting. The bright colors. The rescue stories. Just beautiful. I wish I had known sooner about the suffering."

"The whole booklet opened my eyes. I can never thank you enough."

We are now at a crucial time and urgently need your support. Nearly all 40,000 Vegetarian Starter Kits from our initial printing have been distributed and we desperately need to print more to fulfill the high demand. In order to achieve our goal of printing 100,000 Starter Kits, we need your help in raising $25,000.

A kind supporter has pledged to match every contribution made during this special fundraising drive. If you make a donation to support this important project before June 30th, your generous contribution will be matched, dollar for dollar. This is a wonderful opportunity for your financial gift to help even more animals in need. Further, since MFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Check and money order donations can be made payable to:
Mercy For Animals, P.O. Box 363, Columbus, OH 43216

The average vegetarian prevents the suffering and death of approximately 95 animals every year - animals who otherwise would be sentenced to a life of cruelty and exploitation. With your support, we can reach countless more consumers and prevent the suffering of literally hundreds of thousands of animals.

2005-06-01T06:16:00.000-07:00

By a vote of 56-43 the Senate confirmed Priscilla Owen, an anti-choice judicial activist from Texas, to a lifetime position on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

House Republican leaders refused to allow debate or votes on two amendments that would have provided compassionate health care to military women who’ve been raped. The first would have ensured that the morning-after pill, ordinary birth control pills that can prevent pregnancy after sex or assault, is made available to servicewomen at every military base. The second amendment would have allowed women to use their military health insurance for abortion care in cases of rape or incest. Given that sexual assaults against servicewomen rose 25 percent in 2004, it's appalling that anti-choice lawmakers refused to allow these amendments to even come to a vote.

Military women were also yet again denied the right to access abortion care at military facilities overseas when the House defeated an amendment to repeal a ban that forbids servicewomen and female military dependents from using their own money to pay for an abortion at overseas military hospitals.

The right wing, anti-choice majority of the state legislature is continuing to chip away at the health care options available to Ohio women!

State Rep. Michelle Schneider (R-Cincinnati) has introduced legislation to prevent public hospitals in the state from performing abortions. The only exception would be when the woman's life is in danger.

Otherwise, abortions at public hospitals would be illegal for victims of rape and incest, for women carrying severely disabled fetuses, for women who become pregnant when contraception fails and cannot provide for another child in the family, and for all other circumstances.

Also, if many state and local government workers want coverage for abortion care, they will be forced to pay the additional premium and all other costs associated with this coverage. That's because House Bill 239 would make it illegal to use public funds to pay for any insurance plan that provides coverage for abortions that are performed other than to preserve the life of the mother.

This bill comes on the heels of House Bill 228 that seeks to ban all abortions in the state of Ohio.

House Bill 239 has recently been assigned to the House Health Committee. Hearings on this bill could begin as early as next Wednesday morning.

Please take a moment to call members of the House Health Committee and ask them to OPPOSE House Bill 239.

If you live near one of the committee members, please call them at their district number.
If you live in the Columbus area, please call their Statehouse offices.
If you are unable to call them directly, please call the toll-free legislative hotline (1-800-282-0253) and leave a message for each member of the Health Committee.
TELL THEM that politicians have no business prescribing health care.

TELL THEM that House Bill 239 will unnecessarily endanger women's lives.

TELL THEM to oppose House Bill 239 and, instead, support Planned Parenthood in our efforts to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
If you contact them at home or at their office, please let us know what response they give you.

HOUSE HEALTH COMMITTEE MEMBERS
NAME
DISTRICT PHONE
STATEHOUSE
PHONE
D/R
HOME

COUNTY
Barrett, Catherine L.
513/681-0050
614/466-1645
D
Cincinnati
Hamilton
Beatty, Joyce
614/253-6443
614/466-5343
D
Columbus
Franklin
Brown, Edna
419/243-1415
614/466-1401
D
Toledo
Lucas
Combs, Courtney
513/984-5258
614/644-6721
R
Fairfield
Butler
DeBose, Michael
216/751-8073
614/466-1408
D
Cleveland
Cuyahoga
Fessler, Diana M.
937/845-8428
614/466-8114
R
New Carlisle
Clark
Harwood, Sandra
330/652-5808
614/466-3488
D
Niles
Trumbull
Hoops, James M.
419/592-2683
614/466-3760
R
Napoleon
Henry
Kearns, Merle Grace
937/323-1581
614/466-2038
R
Springfield
Clark
Martin, Earl
440/933-3213
614/644-5076
R
Avon Lake
Lorain
Mason, Lance
216/491-8622
614/466-5441
D
Shaker Heights
Cuyahoga
Otterman, Robert J.
330/733-8254
614/644-6037
D
Akron
Summit
Peterson, Jon M.
740/369-6168
614/644-6711
R
Delaware
Delaware
Raussen, Jim[1]
513/674-7281
614/466-8120
R
Cincinnati
Hamilton
Reidelbach, Linda
614/885-1611
614/644-6030
R
Columbus
Franklin
Schneider, Michelle G.[2]
513/271-0908
614/644-6023
R
Cincinnati
Hamilton
Seaver, Derrick
419/628-2445
614/466-1507
R
Minster
Auglaize
Smith, Geoffrey C.
614/487-6050
614/644-6005
R
Columbus
Franklin
Smith, Shirley A.[3]
216/761-6682
614/466-7954
D
Cleveland
Cuyahoga
Webster, Shawn N.
513/868-6221
614/644-5094
R
Hamilton
Butler
White, John J.[4]
937/434-4473
614/466-6504
R
Kettering
Montgomery
Widowfield, John
330/928-3353
614/466-1177
R
Cuyahoga Falls
Summit

2005-05-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well this has turned out to be a 4 1/2 day weekend. I only worked 4 hours thursday and then had the rest of the day to enjoy the nice weather. We hit the north market, and had some over priced food (I think the north market is over rated) and then walked up high street. We happened to see Christen at Rigsby's sitting at the bar so we stopped to have a drink and hang with her which was fun. We don't see each other that much with our busy lives. I ended up not having to work friday since my closing was cancelled, good and bad, good b/c I got to enjoy the awesome weather all day, not good b/c I made no money. Now we're off to hookaville to listen to music all weekend. Hopefully the ground isn't too wet out there with the rain we had last night. but I have been to festivals with water up past my ankles so it shouldn't be too bad.
Sam Bush, Particle, Galatic, The Wailers, Robert Randolph and the Family band, who else will be there?, I forget. Hooka themselves are ok I guess, but they get some good bands at their festivals.

Ok we're out.

2005-05-23T21:31:00.000-07:00

We went to see the new Star Wars movie on opening day, and I would recommend seeing it. We saw a part of the Attack of the Clones on TV yesterday, and now I think I am going to watch it again (on LaJuane's big movie screen TV) and then go see the new movie again. I am staring to feel like those dorks that dressed up. But I always did enjoy the Star Wars movies. I was Darth Vader for Halloween when I was four years old. My mom and her boyfriend took me to see King Kong and some other movie, and between films they had a costume contest, which I won. Probably b/c I was the youngest kid there, I remember alot of adults being dressed up too. I won this snake thing and a rubix cube (did I spell that right?)
I remember seeing Return of the Jedi several times in the Theatres. I read some reviews of the movie before we went, and some people gave it a bad review, I think that they were wrong. Talking about the acting, who really gives a shit about the acting, it is the story that it interesting. I mean it is a sci-fi film really. Acting is stupid anyway, go see a play if you care about that shit.

I finally got the movie I ordered off of amazon, L'ultimo Bacio. I bought it a few years ago in Italy, but the DVD won't play on our players here, so I am sending it to Jami, and I got a copy I can watch here. It was a good movie. Good to hear la lingua italiano. I wish I was there now. Hate this country.

Already looking forward to Saturday.

2005-05-17T19:34:00.000-07:00

Some stuff from the PETA people:

"PETA Breaking News

Today, at a news conference in Washington, D.C., PETA revealed the findings of its 11-month undercover investigation into Covance, the international drug-testing giant (formerly known as Hazelton).
PETA’s investigator worked as a technician inside the Vienna, Virginia, Covance laboratory, where she documented workers who were striking, choking, taunting, and deliberately tormenting terrified monkeys. She documented monkeys with broken arms left without proper veterinary treatment and animals in desperate need of euthanasia, who were kept alive and in agony just to please drug companies. Other primates, used in lethal irradiation experiments, developed open wounds on their stomachs.

When PETA called the U.S. Department of Agriculture for help during our investigation, the agency took five days to respond. Please help these suffering primates, who live in constant fear of the next horrible thing that will happen to them. Read about our investigation and watch our video at CovanceCruelty.com now!"

2005-05-16T05:44:00.000-07:00

The Phamida Pharmacy is where this woman had problems. More info can be found on the NARAL website site, also where if any woman has been denied a presciption filled she can post a complaint.
I have already written a complaint to the Walmart people which is why I know they don't give a shit, got a nice response back from them.

2005-05-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

"Becky's Story...

I'd like to share my personal experience at the Pamida Pharmacy on Saturday, April 16th, 2005.

I walked up to a busy counter with a prescription for two medications. The pharmacist took the note and told me she'd fill one medication, but I'd have to come back on Monday to have the birth control filled by the other pharmacist. I verbally questioned this, because she herself was a pharmacist. Her answer was "for moral reasons I will not fill a birth control prescription."

I challenged the pharmacist by telling her, "It's a valid medical prescription signed by a medical doctor. Your other customers are receiving service. I shouldn't have to come back Monday when I'm here now." I was refused a second time on the same grounds and told to try another pharmacy. My response, "No, my insurance information is here and this is where I come to get my prescriptions." I was refused a third time. When I asked her to show me written documentation that would give her a legal right to refuse, she had nothing to show me.

Correspondence with the Pamida pharmacist manager was most disturbing. I was again told to come back when the other pharmacist was working or to follow a sticker on the prescription that instructs the patient to call in their refill a week ahead of time. Although they upheld the actions of their pharmacist, I was not told anything regarding their policy on the issue or given any evidence that the pharmacist acted within her legal right.

We are constantly being confronted with such emotionally charged issues as abortion, family welfare, domestic abuse, etc. It seems very contradictory to refuse a product whose absence will only make these issues more volatile."

If you want to be anti-choice fine, but to not fill a prescription for birth control (not killing a baby by the way) because of moral reasons, well don't be a fucking pharmacist then. I bet these same assholes fill plenty of prescriptions for all of those great addictive controlled substances so commonly prescribed, sleep aids, anit-depressants, you name it.

Not that I would ever walk into a Walmart in the first place, (for many reasons) but if one of their right wingers are working at the pharmy counter you can count on not having your prescription filled. Walmart doesn't feel it should require it's pharmacists to fill anything they don't want to.

Gotta love these only fuck to procreate assholes.

2005-05-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Privatizing social security isn't the best idea, but giving the money to the government to borrow against to spend on shit other that what is was intended for hasn't worked so well either. Either way social security is fucked if W has anything to do with it.
Most people won't be looking forward to a pension when they retire. I wouldn't be counting on my 401k either. Bush's plan and 401k seem similar. Hmmm.

There is a good book by Robert Kiosaki called Prophecy that talks about the next stock market crash, and everyones 401k going down the shitter (again for some). I highly recommend reading it.

2005-05-09T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well I have been slacking on the blogging. Working too much lately! Well I have been enjoying the nice weather as much as possible too. I have had a cold again for about a week now, it is finally getting better. I was just sick last month with the same type of annoying cold. Being around all those kids all the time isn't healthy. There is always someone that is sick.
After these next two weeks are over I will be working less. Well that is the goal. I won't have to teach the week after the recitals so I will only being working at 2 jobs that week. After memorial day weekend I am going to teach and do closings, and work on a few loans. So hopefully I will be working about 30 hours a week. I may have to be a little more conservative on my spending, but I need to enjoy the summer as much as possible. June is usually the best month of the year here in Columbus, so I need to enjoy it.
We decided to go to Hookaville this year since it is cheap and nearby. Plus some good bands will be there, and it is on memorial day weekend, so it won't require taking time off of work.
Not that I mind missing work of course :)

2005-05-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

Working is a waste of my time.

This is bullshit

2005-04-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

A bill to BAN abortions in Ohio was introduced yesterday in the Ohio House of representatives.

House Bill 228 would:

make it illegal to perform any abortion in Ohio
increase the penalties for the offenses of unlawful abortion, unlawful distribution of an abortion-inducing drug, and abortion trafficking,
enact the offense of facilitating an abortion,
place felony penalties on an individual who attempts to coordinate an abortion for a minor, and
make it a felony to transport a woman across state lines to obtain an abortion.
VIEW A COPY OF THE BILL AT

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/BillText126/126_HB_228_I_Y.pdf

2005-04-26T21:35:00.000-07:00

The shit that goes on in this country just pisses me off more and more each day.

From the Move On people:
"Any day now, radical Republicans are hoping to seize absolute power to appoint Supreme Court justices who favor right-wing, corporate interests over the rest of us. To do it, Vice President Cheney and Senate Republican leader Bill Frist are threatening to use what they call the "nuclear option"—a parliamentary maneuver to overturn the 200-year-old tradition that all judges have broad support in Congress."

MoveOn PAC and our partners in the Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary are organizing a massive national wave of protest to stop them, culminating with emergency rallies across the country on Wednesday, April 27, at 5 PM (or earlier in a few cities).

The rally here in Columbus is down town:
Federal courthouse
85 Marconi Blvd
Columbus
OH
43210

More fun news:

The Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act (CIANA) would outlaw an older sister, grandmother, or close family friend taking a woman under age 18 across state lines to access abortion services. It would also mandate notification of a parent even in states that have chosen not to enact such a requirement.

CIANA is not about protecting young women. No shit.

Urge your representative to vote against CIANA. Congress may vote as early as Wednesday.

CIANA imposes a mandatory federal parental notification requirement even on mature young people who have good reasons for not being able to involve a parent in their abortion decision. CIANA would make parental notification the law of the land. Mandating parental involvement does not take into account the complexity of real people's lives. Sadly, not every parent is a daughter's best advocate. No law can change that. Even worse, CIANA contains no exception for emergency circumstances in which a minor's health would be threatened by the delay required by the act. In some circumstances, CIANA would result in a young woman having to go to court twice (once in each state) to obtain two separate court waivers of parental consent laws.

This one has me pissed off on varying levels.

We have less and less rights and freedom all the time in this country. The goverment has way too much power.

2005-04-26T05:22:00.000-07:00

The U.S. finally ended its search for Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, not having found any. What a surprise.
That war was the biggest waste of time. I had a student whose dad was called to duty and over in Iraq. Every week the Mom was all stressed and talking about it. I tried to be sympathetic. You know the kid was always sad b/c he was worried his dad would die. I said well maybe we'll get a new president and they'll pull everyone one out of there. (this was prior to the elections) Well the mom didn't like that, they were big Bush fans, why? Oh yeah the are brain washed military people. Then she asked me "don't you sleep better at night knowing that tyrannt is out of power?" (refering to sadam) I said no I sleep the same as before. She didn't like that too much because they quit. Pretty funny, don't ask if you don't want an answer.

2005-04-26T00:02:00.000-07:00

I got my fed. tax returns friday, which came pretty quickly. like 2 weeks, and I filed by mail. So I spent a little too much money this weekend. But it is fun every once in a while. I need to pay off the doctor bills next month, my original plan for the money. I still need a new bed. My parents are suppose to give me their king one of these days, and that bed is soooo comfortable. Not a top priority for them since they have a nice bed. But I am going to have to get something to hold me over in the meantime. I slept like complete shit last night, and ended up on the couch, a contributing factor. I get one good night of sleep due to the fact that I am tired as hell from one crappy night of sleep. It keeps going on like this.

There is a new family guy series starting May 1st. I was never much for TV, cartoons especially, but I have gotten to liking it the last few months. (what I am watching now)

I have started playing the violin more again lately. I need to use the little free time I have doing something I enjoy. Be it that I teach 30 students music every week I should play more. Some time soon I need to get my cello fixed so I can play that too. But after I get it fixed I think I am going to sell it and buy a new one.

I came to the conclusion over the weekend that since I am unhappy in general doing the crap (work) I could give a fuck about I have got to work on getting the hell out of here and doing something that entails my interests more. While teaching music is better than not doing anything with it, I have been teaching for 8 years now, and it is ok, but mostly I am tired of never having my evenings free.

Ohio has some of the most toxic nasty air in the country. (acid rain killing trees in PA, we contribute to that). Not to say the air quality world wide is much better. But it just stinks here, especially Columbus. If you go outside for even 2 minutes you come back smelling like some funk ass. Maybe it is my over sensitive dog like senses, but I don't notice the same nasty smell other places I go. When we were out in California they air quality was much better. We we also near the ocean so it was pretty windy, which helps, and they have emissions standards which also helps. I didn't see too many cars or trucks with thick nasty black smoke coming out of the exhaust. In the summer hear you can see the nasty smoking particles in the humid ass air. It is a wonder we are advised not to exercise out side certain times of the day and times of the year.

I liked my cousins idea of everyone just being bused everywhere. Like instead of all of the employees of a company driving to work, they go to the bus stop where the get picked up to go to work (like when we were in school). Each company could have its own busing service. That would be fun.
I guess we could take buses now, but our mass transit system is THE worst here in columbus. Just the worst.

2005-04-25T06:20:00.000-07:00

My desire to go to work today is zero.

2005-04-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

After a long ass day of work yesterday we went to Christen's to celebrate her birthday. I haven't seen her in a while between us being so busy, It was good, plus I saw some other friends from high school I haven't seen in a while. My friend Jesse is working for this wine distribution company, and he had some kick ass wine there. One brand was called Funky, it was a cabernet savingnon, which I normally don't like, but this was really good. No after taste. He can get wine for super cheap, so I am going to be on that shit. Christen's boyfriend is really nice, I only met him once before when I was really drunk. It was a good evening. I really need to hang out with my friends more. All I do is work work work, and try to exercise so I don't get too fat, and hang out with Mark, who usually passes out early as hell all the time. I managed to keep him up late last night.
I think we need to start having more parties on the weekends, and weekdays (why not) as the weather gets nicer. It is a good reason to bring people together. Amy if you read this blog you need to bring you ass down to columbus! Yes we should go up to Cleveland too, maybe when Rachel is in town. I can't believe it is the weekend again almost. These weeks really do fly by!

2005-04-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Not much time for blogging lately. And I should be in bed now. Had a good weekend. The weather was good which always helps. We went do to Cinci to see the Reds Sunday, and they won so that was good. Saw the new baby too, she is pretty cute. Went shopping saturday, too bad I don't have time to do that shit during the weekdays when it is less crowded. I needed to buy work clothes, never that exciting, but necessary.
Shit I have a long day tomorrow, well a long rest of the week. Working is such a waste of time.