The Kinks Father Christmas

my fave Christmas song

draw a house and have it tell you your personality

happy halloween!

I quickly painted this for my son for trick-or-treating. Put glow-in-the-dark paint over the white and it really glows!

i hate leaf blowers

Autumn is by far my most favorite time of year. I will not allow my love for it be ruined by the fact that it is leaf blower season for my neighbor. He has that thing going daily for an average of 47 min. a day. ( timed him four times, that's my average. my husband did not believe the time)

Wake up Cat

I can so relate!

Freaks and Geeks - Ken and Amy Part I

i knew this time would come

so I've had this mini love affair with Freaks and Geeks I'm not sure why I didn't watch the series when it was on the air 7 years ago, I think it was due to the fact I didn't watch much TV then, or that I considered it to be a knock-0ff of "That 70's Show", or that truthfully I wasn't mature enough to enjoy it. I had such a miserable time in high school that spending my time watching fictional characters' high school misery was just not fun. Maybe the passing of time has allowed me to enjoy it. It was my love of Seth Rogen that led me to this awesome little show. I ordered the series through Netflix, and have very much enjoyed the experience. I'm so very sad it had to end, and a little bothered how the series ended. I so need to know if Daniel graduated, if Lindsay and Nick got back together, what happened to Sam. This is what I do know, Lindsay went on to ride The Mystery Machine and now is a nurse on ER. Kim moved to Dawson's Creek and is now a doctor on ER. Daniel was Spiderman's best friend and now nemesis. Sam is a chef. Nick is married to Willow and hang out with Doogie Howser. Ken knocked up some girl and now is a superbad cop. This show was just very funny.

Freaks and Geeks - Fake I.D.s

I knew one of these guys in high school too.

new invention

scented mousepad?

ponderings

so my son is watching a b-rated Pixar wannabe animated cartoon where the mouth movement doesn't quite match the words being spoken. I am fascinated with the origins of speech impediments, having known persons with some really bizarre ones. I had heard that it more beneficial that Spanish shows subtitle, as one can see the formation of words, unlike European television that dub in their language. I wonder what affect these shows will have on young minds trying to master their tongue. It is times like these I wish I had my doctorate in whatever science and a big college grant to do research on the subject.

my own little rave

the kids had a school event last night. It was awesome fun for them. My son turned off the lights at home and started swinging his glow necklaces around. I should have set my camera on a tripod and fixed the settings, but these shots turned out pretty cool.

my pepper relish brings all the boys to the yard

It hurt to cut up those beautiful Scotch bonnets. It hurt my husband more because there was a tear in gloves he was using. Then he had to go to work. He had previously made a batch of pepper relish using apple cider vinegar, which made my house stink for 3 days, and made all the neighbors come over to ask what the horrible smell was and could I make it stop. I made this batch in an effort to improve on the last, including 5 different hot peppers, green tomatoes and white vinegar and the beloved garlic. It was beautiful cooking, smelled awesome, and was told is very good. I haven't tasted it because I am afraid of it. I have been told it very hot!

no wonder they look at me weird

So last week in my eventful life, I was running late in the morning, had 9 min. to get the kids and I out the door. I grabbed what I thought was The Body Shop Acne Gel ( yes, I am 35 with acne). What I did grab was The Body Shop Peel-Off Acne Mask, which is in a similar tube with of course, the same logo. It's bright green and thick and dries in 15 min. I now have 8 min before leaving so I grabbed a washcloth and wiped it off, or so I thought. So I make it to the kids' school and become involved in a conversation with another mom, and she looks at me weird, which I am used to because they all think I'm weird (I live outside the Cul-de-Sac). I noticed as I drove away, flipped my visor against the morning sun, and caught a glimpse in the mirror of the bright neon green goo hanging from my nose like a sick alien snot booger. Yeah.

my newest stalking victims

I (and any of my neighbors who care) have been blessed with Eastern Goldfinches for the last few years. There is a pair that visits my yard frequently and I am in love with their melodic songs. Last year my cat came to my back door with his proud "I've killed something for you" howl. Out of his mouth was the yellow of our state bird. My heart sunk - I reponded by flicking my cat with my forefinger and thumb which caused him to open his mouth and the bird flew out! I am honored and a little frightened my bird friend has come back this year, and I'm sure it's him because there is a bit of dent on his chest. I'm obsessed with trying to obtain a good shot of them. One more reason these sunflowers make me smile.

homeowner blues

-roof has been caving for some time, applied for mortgage with different bank than wells fargo (they helped someone behind me first and left me to wait for the bilingual teller, who of cause started speaking Spanish to me. I told someone at regional that I thought that behavior was unprofessional and told them "My name's Hennessey, so there is no clue that I can't speak the language by my name, I was judged on solely on appearance" and now they treat me like shit when I go there. I was just pissed that they helped the other guy before me)
-got a much lower appraisal than anticipated, but what can I expect with a caving in roof? don't know how much that cost. later found out they compared that to a house my size a block over that had recently sold. it was a drug house.
-my parents gave me this house without an abstract. none on file with the local companies so they had to draw one from scratch $1075
-they are questioning my ownership of the property because there is no record of my mom's death ( I have a copy of her death certificate, that should fix it!)
-now the lawyers are charging me another $75 to draw up an affidavit that my mother's estate was worth less than one million, because then I would owe taxes and I would need like her husband ( my step-father is in the Philippines, married to my mother's sister and has Alzheimer's. haven't spoke to him since '01. not an option) or her lawyer that drew up her will ( another charge! and I don't think he's practicing anymore) to sign it
-shit, I just want a new roof. and a water heater. and a toilet that flushes properly.
-the tax records show that I owe for the paving of the street, which I don't. more phone calls
-another piece of paper from the lawyers (another $75) to add my husband to the deed.

this has by far the most expensive loan -- ever! we signed the paperwork today. I caught a woman out in the street taking pictures from her zoom lens in her van. I so hope she was taking a pic of that spectacular hibiscus in my neighbor's yard. The last time someone was taking picture of my home it was used to present to city council to apply for a blighted neighborhood grant. That was before my roof looked like crap, so that's really quite humiliating.

Narcissism of small differences

yipes! I'm grateful that I have a warped sense of humor to be able to somewhat laugh at this all. My overly religious in-laws raised my very anti religious husband. My husband has not been baptized and does not belong to any faith or church. He goes at the most twice a year, Easter and Christmas, and he won't dress up. He just has these beliefs, without reason. (With money and/or heavy drug use he so could be a cult leader, so in this case our poverty is a blessing) So my inlaws parading about like they are the most pious makes me chuckle. And annoy me. So my father in law has converted to Seventh Day Adventist. Truthfully, I am very unfamiliar with this religion so I asked him over dinner what the basic beliefs were. He told me they originated from the Mennonites (not true, it the Millerites, but he's hard of hearing) and that the Catholic Church is the "Fourth Nation" and when Christ comes we're first to go to hell. He also quoted a bible passage stating that if you confess your sins to anyone else but God it is a sin, therefore Catholics are sinners.(can't find that one) He also threw in some old Catholic bashing rhetoric. So I gave him the "ok, so we're on different teams, but can't you just be happy we play the same sport?" baseball reference. No. (they are already bothered that I told them I had Hindu grandparents, they would go NUTS if I ever divulged that I very likely have Muslim ancestors too) I must see the positive in this, I googled some and learned quite a bit more about Catholism and some about his religion - he probably shouldn't have been eating that cheeseburger and I'm wondering if he ate the pork chops we bought him for Father's Day and I will no longer be offering him BLT's. (apperently they also don't eat pork and most are vegetarians).

Yakko's Universe Song

oh this one's fun

Johnny Cash - 'Nasty Dan' (with Oscar the Grouch)

we once had renters like this

ryg

they are incredible!!!

"that Mom"

for anyone who has kids or have been a kid, you should be familiar with "that Mom" who just can't get it right. Kids disheveled on recital night, late for conferences, missing PTA meetings, occasionally drunk at school events (actually that was my husband, that's a whole another amusing story). The one that causes you to very conceitedly say to yourself "What was she thinking?" fully knowing that you can't be the judge of what one is thinking, not being in that position yourself. I now realize I have become "that Mom". I can't get my hair to do that flip thing and I drive them to school in sweatpants and sometimes my pajamas. My car is the one emitting blue smoke under their Hummers in the parking lot. First occasion was at my son's Boy Scouts meeting, where I didn't know that you stayed the whole meeting there, unlike Girl Scouts where I just drop my daughter off. So the other parents were talking about Valentine's Day and these gel heart stickers were attached to the cards of one student and how dangerous they were because some of the 2nd graders (or their younger siblings at home) had mistaken them for candy. These were small (around nickel sized) red stickers with the consistency of plastic jello. I bought them because they looked cool and didn't believe 2nd graders would be so prone to put things in their mouth like toddlers. So I admitted to these parents that I was the parent lacking in good judgement and said "it's my boner" in front of them and the kids. Like my hole had not been dug deep enough! What makes that statement more humorous it that I am female. So I covered myself and said that I thought that referred to "bonehead" and not a man's erect penis. "Boner" is not in my list of the offensive curse words, but I can see how it was wrong.

Ok, so they were talking about favorite songs in my son's 2nd grade class. Many of them stated country songs or various songs from Disney soundtracks, mainly "High School Musical". My son said his is "Filthy Gorgeous" by the Scissor Sisters. (here's a vid link http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbout_scissor-sisters-filthy-gorgeous ) Unfamiliar with that piece of work, he starts to sing it to them. I have seen him sing this song and he screams "cuz you're filthy ooh and gorgeous, you're disgusting ooh and nasty..........." at a high falsetto with his face all scrunched up. It's cute, though I would have given a fortune to have been a fly on the wall in his classroom. That must have been hilarious! I worry how my perceived actions (or lack of) will reflect on other mothers allowing their children to play with mine.

An added note about country songs, I angered a parent 2 years ago during the talent show at my kids' school. Of course, no inappropriate acts were allowed, and here's this 10 year old singing "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks, Smashing Pumpkins and The Dixie Chicks. The mom had only known of the Dixie Chicks version and felt it totally appropiate because it was a Dixie Chicks song about landslides and mountians. She was angry that I told her that song was about cocaine use and didn't believe me until a teacher Googled it and made her sing a different song.

Day after Easter

an incident on Friday made me realize I need to be a better person. My mother-in-law, who has been very critical of my Catholic upbringing, told me that Catholics did away with Lent. My husband and his parents were going to get lunch, and I reminded him that it was Good Friday and that limits my options. (my husband, by the way, brought me back a Cobb salad with chicken and bacon. I couldn't pick it all out so I did without.) His mother chimed in and stated that "Nobody eats fish on Friday anymore. The last Pope, well he got together with all these religious leaders and they had a big conference and they decided to do away with Lent." Well, I didn't receive that memo in my church bulletin. I told her that nobody has to eat fish, but they do need to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. I told her that she may be confused with the Pope allowing Catholics to have meat (corned beef, especially) for the special circumstance that St. Patrick's Day fell on a Friday last year. She was unwavering with her statements, which made me angry, because this woman is as old as my mom, and I felt no one of that age can be that clueless and that she was fucking with me. She goes on to tell me that half of her husband's family is all Catholic and they don't participate in Lent, and that makes her some sort of expert. She also said she has many Catholic friends and they don't abstain from meat. She has in years past fed my kids McDonalds on Good Friday despite my requests, and felt justified in doing so. My sister-in-law told me once that her 5 and 7-year-olds said after my daughters Baptismal mass that they thought my religion was stupid because we prayed to Mary. Really, they said that? Trust me, there is no Hail Mary said during mass. They all have been miserable to me about my beliefs so I got pissed. In reality, she was probably confused and referring to Vatican II in 1966, where Lenten rites were relaxed some and Latin was not the primary language of mass. I was born after that, so I had no clue. Thankfully the internet was able to educate me and by my emails to my mother-in-law, was able to educate her also. I feel angry at myself for not having more compassion for her lack of knowledge and now I have feelings of true pity for her fearing that she has made these incorrect remarks to other Catholics, and hopefully they were good enough Christians to not laugh at her.

Free To Be... You And Me - Boy Meets Girl

Paolo Nutini

1980s commercial - Elect Jerry Springer for Governor

Yoko Ono - Goodbye Sadness

I think this is so sad, not only Yoko's mourning for John, but it shows the Twin Towers, which is so symbolic for our Nation's sadness.