What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
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Labels: blogthings, meme

Posted by Laura at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments

My husband just spit his fingernail on me. This is how little respect I garner in my own household.

Quoth Calvin, "You're my friend and that means I can spit on you."

Pity me.

Love, Laura

Labels: Calvin

Posted by Laura at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

... book seven is called, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows".

Labels: misc

Posted by Laura at 8:43 PM | Permalink | Comments

We just came back from our holiday booze shopping. Check this out:

"Beautifully balanced, rich creamy supple mouth feel, with no astringency or angularity. Refined, almost pillowy texture."

This is from the info label off of the "Jewel of Russia" vodka bottle. Not sure how a flavor can have angularity, or be pillowy. And also, mouth feel? (Hansel?) But then, I ain't refined. I just like the likker. Even when it comes in a hand-painted (?!?) bottle.

We also picked up a bottle of Cabo Wabo (I don't have to chase that shit with NUTHIN) and a bottle of 1792 whiskey (aged 8 years and smoooooooth as silk).

Dude at the liquor store LOVES customers like us. We pretty much said "yup" to each of his recommendations. I'm documenting the experience here because we'll need to remember what to buy again next year. Until then, the cheap stuff will have to suffice again when this stuff is gone.

Deck the Halls meets 99 Bottles of Booze on the wall...

Labels: booze

Posted by Laura at 2:55 PM | Permalink | Comments

It's 45 degrees and raining here in Arizona today. I talked to my sister on the phone. It's 45 degrees and raining in Maine today.

Gee! It's like I never left! Except with irony!

I braved the mall briefly this morning to pick up a final gift for Michael. It wasn't my lack of planning that put me there on the second-to-last shopping day before Christmas. No, it was a botched on-line order that never got delivered. Best intentions? The road is paved. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

I spent the day mailing a package for Marie (Lilly, more presents are on the way!), picking up a few things at the grocery store (Magic Cookie bars = second batch this week), braving the mall and the smoke shop, baking the aforementioned Magic Cookie bars, watching "Burned Bridges" on CMT, doing laundry, wrapping presents, putting the stockings together (I went WAY overboard on the candy - it gets a stocking of its very own), putting together the gifts for Calvin's side of the family, and picking up food for the gathering we're going to later tonight at the G-Rents'.

I'm getting all of the busy out of the way, because tomorrow is Lobster Day (crap, I still have to go grocery shopping and make Baked Potato Soup) and Sunday is Munchies Eve (thus named because Christmas Eve is less about cooking and more about making and consuming a bunch of appetizers and likker), and Monday is Loot Day. Then I'm going to read the book my friend Jen gave me (and Jen? I'm almost done with "Lover Awakened" by J.R. Ward if you want to borrow it). That's as far as my planning takes me.

There will be the mandatory (annual) surge of motivation that precedes its own demise, that of dieting and exercising and becoming more goddess-like before being seen in summer clothes. And riding the motorcycle, and practicing the guitar (Calvin got his Esteban! guitar a couple of days ago... we've noticed it's impossible not to add the exclamation point on the end, there). I'm going to try to cook something different and new, meal-wise, each day. I'm not so sure how Louis and Clark I'm going to be about it all, though. It depends on my laziness factor, which is usually five hundred and twenty-three to one against.

It's been so cold that the lizards have been positively torpid these last couple of weeks. I'll come home in the evening and more often than not they're in the exact same spot they were in when I left. It's hard to be a lizard when it's 45 degrees.

Heck, I'm so spoiled for balmy weather that I'm having a hard time myself. But I love today's weather - I would have love it more, though, if I hadn't had some much FRICKIN' things to do. Today is a grilled cheese and tomoato soup, curled up on the couch with a book and the cat, kind of day.

Oh cool, I hear Calvin at the door. Later!

Labels: journal

Posted by Laura at 4:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Labels: boredom

Posted by Laura at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

Check this out. And this. It's unreal. I even looked it up on Snopes.

Labels: video

Posted by Laura at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments

Stolen from Robyn.

1. What does your cell phone look like?
It's blue. It's a Motorola SomethingMumble. It can take pictures. It has a time display on the cover, and when you flip it open it's got buttons that are actually big enough to push. Recently downloaded ringtones include Dancing Queen, How to Save a Life, All These Things That I've Done, Brown Eyed Girl, Gel, Golddigger, the Hogwarts Hymn, the Monday Night Football theme (current setting), Steal My Sunshine, and You're Beautiful.

2. Do you know what time you were born?
No clue. It doesn't even say on my birth certificate.

3. What do you want more than anything right now?
Strangely, I can't think of anything material I want right now. I'm usually all full of Want Disease. I guess that means I'm blessed! Oh, wait. I know. "World peace."

4. What do you miss?
Italian Sandwiches from Maine.

5. Hot Dogs or Hamburgers?
Burgers. Huge 1/3 pound mothers on a potato bun with ketchup, mustard, relish, onion, and banana pepper slices. And cheese. Two kinds. But I do love a good hot dog. With sauerkraut. Oh, hell. It's rare that I find a food that I don't like.

6. Do you get scared in the dark?
Nope. I love the dark.

7. The last person to make you cry?
You guys are going to laugh, and I totally take NO responsibility. It's the drugs, or lack thereof. Seriously. I was watching the CMT countdown of 100 greatest love songs of all time. Number one was Dolly Parton's (Pardon's?) "I Will Always Love You". She performed it live on the show. And I got teary. It's all Dolly's fault. And the meds. Yeah. I went into the bedroom all bawling and made Calvin give me a hug. He must've thought I was a lunatic.

8. Hair/Eye color you prefer on opposite sex?
Man, I can't say anything other than blonde hair and green eyes, and you know it. I know which side my bread's buttered.

9. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Lobster. Lobster stew. Any kind of seafood, really. (I happened to leave Robyn's original answer intact, conveniently enough. And we get to have our traditional lobster dinner on the 23rd! Woo!)

10. Who is the last person who was mad at you?
Oh hell, probably Calvin. Now ask me if I deserved it.

11. Do you speak another language?
Sometimes it feels like it.

12. What was the first gift anyone ever got you?
Uh? The first one I really *remember* is the doll house my mother gave me for Christmas when I was five? Six? Seven? Somewhere around there. Her boyfriend built it and put the same wallpapers in the rooms that were in the rooms in our house. It was two stories and the front was hinged to open out, and the roof was hinged to open up. There was truly beautiful dollhouse furniture for each room - a tiny cast iron stove with actual grates that lifted up and an oven that opened, eeny dishes and cups and saucers, bunk beds for the kids, a canopy bed for the parents' room, a player piano for the living room that wound up and played "The Entertainer", tiny woven throw rugs for each room, a toilet with a tank above and a pull-chain, a roll-top desk with a top that really rolled open, complete with tiny drawers and compartments, and a ton of other things. Man, I wish I still had that doll house. It was destroyed in a house fire shortly after my sister inherited my mother's house after her death.

13. Would you fall in love with someone knowing they were taken?
That happened to me only once in my life. It worked out really well, but I wouldn't recommend it, and I surely wouldn't do it again. I never told you guys I was in love with Calvin (and he with me) while we were both married to other people, did I? Another (long) story for another time.

14. Best way to tell someone how much they mean to you?
"I... will alllllways... loooove yoooouuu...."

15. Your Weaknesses?
I have a list. Salt and vinegar potato chips. Chocolate milk. Kittens. Baby bearded dragons. My temper. My body. My lungs. Laziness. I'm a very flawed individual.

16. Ever done a prank call?
Oh God, forever ago. I was in 8th grade (hm. I guess that makes it less "forever ago" and more "nineteen years ago". So, yeah, forever ago), and my best friend and I called a boy we liked and pretended to be someone else.

17. If you could get plastic surgery, what would it be?
A nose job, and lypo.

18. What do you get complimented about the most?
Calvin often compliments me on how soft my skin is. People seem to love my meatloaf, and our kitchen calendar that has the meals planned out for the week or month. A co-worker complimented me on how "homey" my cubicle is.

19. What do you want for your birthday?
Anything on my Amazon wish list.

20. How many kids do you want?
Dear God, no more. Please, make the lambs stop screaming.

21. Do you wish on stars?
Stars? Whut are them? All we see in the Phoenix night sky is SMOG.

22. Which finger/s is/are your favorite?
What an odd question. Heh. My middle fingers on each hand. Especially when used simultaneously to salute a deserving soul. Oh, and opposable thumbs are useful, too.

23. When did you last cry?
During that Dolly thing.

24. What is your most embarrassing CD on the shelf?
Oh, I don't know. Abba?

25. If you were another person, would you be friends with yourself?
Yeah, I'm pretty cool.

26. Have you ever told a secret you swore never to tell?
I can't think of any secrets anyone has told me.

27. Do looks matter?
In people? No. In cars? Yes. In food? Mostly. In the male cast members of Grey's Anatomy? Abso-fuckin-lutely.

28. How do you release your anger?
Swear profusely. Listen to loud music. Go for a drive. Usually all three at once. Alternately, I drive off a cliff with a groundhog.

29. Do you trust people too easily?
Probably. I've been told that I do.

30. Favorite toy as a child?
My velveteen rabbit. Or, the aforementioned dollhouse.

31. Where were you 6 hours ago?
In bed. Which answer also works well on fortune cookies.

32. Who will be your next kiss?
Calvin. Hopefully with a little tongue action.

33. Anything pink within 10 feet of you?
Huh! As it happens, no.

34. What are you wearing right now?
Calvin's black pullover sweatshirt, blue jeans, white socks, black loafers. Oh, and a new bra that I got at Vicky's on Wednesday. Heh.

35. Last sporting event you watched?
The Suns game a couple of nights ago.

36. What is/was your favorite class?
The 'World Culture and the Arts' class I took several years ago.

37. How old are your parents?
Abort Retry Fail

38. Do you miss anyone?
Grammy. Lanie, Robert, Devlin, and Roman. My sister. Heather.

39. Were you an honor roll student in school?
Please see here.

40. What do you know about the future?
I will laugh. I will cry. It will become a part of me.

41. Do you have a tan?
Oh, hell no. I wish.

42. How old do you want to be when you have kids?
See #20.

43. Last time you got stopped or pulled over by an officer?
Um? It was on Father's Day several years ago, coming home from Calvin's mom's restaurant. Speeding ticket, going 55 in a 40.

44. How do you like your drinks?
Alcoholic. In large quantities.

45. Are you someone's best friend?
I hope so!

Labels: meme

Posted by Laura at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments

Here. Link courtesy of Dooce.

Okay, so I cried a little bit.

Labels: video

Posted by Laura at 3:54 PM | Permalink | Comments

Slowly, over today's passage of time, I have become a Cubicle Zombie. I've somewhat managed to whittle down my "To Do" list, but I had to sacrifice my sanity in order to do so. I spent ALL DAY trying to resolve overdue invoices for my plethora of vendors. Our AP group is tough to deal with, to say the very least. Oh, I'm sure as individuals they're fine, but as a process it rather sucks balls.

Thank God for Calvin. For many reasons, tis true, but especially for the fact that he rescued me for brunch today, and I got to have eggs and homefries and sausage. I like my sausage like I like my pancakes, smothered in maple syrup. Heh. You thought I was going for something dirty there, didn't you? Frisky readers.

We've been dating a lot lately. It's a marvelous thing to go on regular dates with my husband of almost five years. And we've been together for almost nine. For instance, on Sunday Calvin and I rode up to Grimaldi's for The Best Pizza on Earth(tm), then went across the street to the Sugar Cone for a banana split and a mocha malt. THEN we walked to one of the shops nearby (Old Town Scottsdale is very pedestrian friendly), where he proceeded to buy me a leather motorcycle jacket for Christmas. Even though I told him I didn't need anything (else).

All this was his idea, mind you. Sometimes he gets all romantical and stuff. He wants us to go on another date on Friday to see Eragon at the theater (just because he knows I really want to see it), and have some dinner. And ride the motorcycle some more.

My bike is excellent for us to ride on together. It's a lot easier to snuggle up against Calvin's back than on his street bike. If we're riding without our helmets (oh, I KNOW - we say it's only because we're going slowly and a short distance, but you don't have to preach about the potential for accidents. We're risk takers, we are) then I prop my chin up on Calvin's shoulder and we converse while we're riding along. It's really, really nice.

We've been riding a lot together, hitting various bars and restaurants, or just toodling around. It makes us happy. And one cannot overemphasize the importance of simple things that make day to day life - and day to day married life - enjoyable.

In other news, my fingers hurt. I've been practicing the guitar and it's MURDER (I tell you!) to fret the 1st and 2nd strings. However, I can occasionally make noise come out of it that sounds less like a dying cat and more like (slow, halting, mistake-fraught) music. Calvin is getting a guitar as well ("Dear God, please forgive me for ordering off of QVC... and help me to hold strong against the powers of Esteban..."), and we're toying with the idea of taking lessons together.

The family that plays together, stays together? I can just see Marie on drums and Michael on the tambourine (I can hear his protesting "HEY!" when he reads this). Heh. The Partridge Family ain't got nuthin' on us.

In other, other news, we've officially tried Absinthe. ACK. ACK, ACK, ACK. ACK. Yarg.

I love the buzz (like cannabis, except that **cough** I wouldn't know what that's like **cough**), but the taste is just plain vomitous. Very STRONG black licorice. Thick, with a STRONG aftertaste. That leaves you burping up (ack) licorice for three hours afterwards.

Of course, that's if you drink it straight. If you drink it the traditional way (1pt absinthe to 3pt water, poured slowly over a sugar cube), it's less vomitous, but the buzz is less profound.

And dude, we SO ain't drinking this stuff for the taste.

Labels: booze, Calvin, guitar, journal, motorcycle

Posted by Laura at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments

Xmas Stocking

leave a gift for Laura your username: your gift: (30 characters or less) get your stocking

Labels: blogthings

Posted by Laura at 8:57 AM | Permalink | Comments

Sadness. I had to put one of the Water Dragons to sleep this morning. He wasn't using his hind end, going to the bathroom, eating or drinking. I feared it may be Metabolic Bone Disease, but it turned out to be something genetic. That offered at least a little comfort, knowing that my husbandry skills are just fine and I didn't contribute to his illness.

I know I'm not as attached to the lizards as I am to, say, Oz and the dogs. But I'm still quite fond of them, and I ended up blubbering away at the vet's as the doctor offered me tissues and a euthanasia consent form. Bleh, I hate this part of owning pets.

So, goodbye, big kid. You were a good little guy.

I took the other Water Dragon as well, just to make sure she was healthy. She's "a fine specimen" according to the vet, in good health and raising hell trying to get out of the carrying bag and explore. I think the vivarium is going to seem big to her for a while - it seems she's looking for her brother. We'll get her another friend when we can find another Water Dragon of similar age/size.

I'm sad today.

Labels: lizards, pets

Posted by Laura at 1:48 PM | Permalink | Comments

I'm so not in the holiday spirit this year. Had I been, the house would be decorated by now (sans tree, which is always about 10 days before Christmas). The decor is still snugly stored in the garage. Maybe it would be different if Lilly and the babies were still here - Christmas stuff is so much more fun when there are little ones around.

Christmas shopping is DONE, though. I heart Amazon. The gifts will be delivered within the next week, and all I'll have to do is wrap. We're going low-profile on the loot this year. I found a couple of cool gifts for Marie and Michael, but money goes over much better than anything else I might wrap and put under the tree. Why wrack my brain trying to find THE perfect gift when they'll just say, "Oh, gee, thanks," and stick it in the corner of their closet?

I'm looking forward to Calvin's reaction to his gifts, though. One of them in particular I feel is pretty cool and will garner the, "Oh, SWEET!" reaction I always look for. I like to find unique things that no one asked for and no one would think of, but when they receive it they really, really like it.

For myself, Santa has come early this year. I have instructed Calvin to purchase me NO gifts this year, as he has already been generous (and tolerant). On top of the motorcycle, which I continue to love, I have also purchased a guitar. A very pretty guitar.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ibanez-AW40-Acoustic-Guitar-with-Solid-Sitka-Spruce-Top?sku=512465

I plan to try to teach myself, though if I prove to be particularly dense about it, I'll take a half a dozen lessons. Ah, if only I had decided to do this (counting) fifteen (!?!) years ago. I would've wow-ed 'em at the high school talent show.

I'm cooking a turkey dinner today, as we had the turkey for Thanksgiving already purchased before we knew we were going to the Grandparent's. It's an excellent way to occupy one's time, while watching Sunday afternoon football in HD. Oh, man, speaking of which. We almost didn't make it. We almost DIED. Swear. Last weekend the lamp in the TV died, so we put in a service call. The repair man wasn't able to get to us until last night, which meant that we were stuck watching TV in the bedroom on a regular old tube TV. Man, it was like living in the stone age. But we're all happy now. We watched "Superman - The Return" (right?) last night to celebrate. Which I thought was decent, though when did Lois and Superman have sex??? Kevin Spacey makes an excellent Lex Luthor. And I continue to hate Parker Posey. I just don't like her, never did. I don't know why.

One of the water dragons is very ill, and it looks like we'll have to put him down. I think he developed the muscle and bone disease that they're known for - he's not using his hind limbs at all. Such is the downside of owning critters - sometimes they break, and sometimes you have to say goodbye. Sigh.

And on that happy note, back to basting the turkey, which is an every-twenty-minute requirement. Have a good one!

Labels: food, guitar, journal, lizards

Posted by Laura at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments