Second Blooming

RTT: Good TV, Birkin and Dog Cologne

 

I am better. I am not fully well, but at least I'm up and around. Thank you all for your well-wishes. Because I am weird, I located on the internet  THIS WEBSITE where you can go and click the "Hear a typical TB cough" link and you will hear just what my cough sounds like. Though I do not have tuberculosis. It's very pleasant. That was sarcasm.

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During my lengthy confinement, I went crazy on Netflix and have to share TWO fabulous finds with you!

1. Top of the Lake

 

Damned good.

 

I LOVED this show. It's an amazing 7-hour mini series which takes place in New Zealand, and is directed by the great Jane Campion. Top notch acting and writing too. It stars Elisabeth Moss from MadMen, who does a flawed but pretty decent Aussie accent. It's a beautifully-shot whodunit, that kept me hooked until the very end. Holly Hunter is almost unrecognizable as a wise-but-weird androgynous guru woman...

 

Cool.

 

But the real star of the show is New Zealand. Which comes across as both shockingly beautiful, and frighteningly rough. Y'all MUST Netflix it.

2. The Fall

Another stylish whodunit starring an American actress doing an accent. This time it's Gillian Anderson, doing a posh London accent, which is also flawed but pretty decent. Another strong female character, another good mystery. I highly recommend it also.

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My friend Amanda was saying something on Facebook about an Hermes Birkin handbag, so I started poking around on the internet to see just how much one of these goes for nowadays. Apparently, they are available for between $9000 and $150,000. For a purse. This one is available HERE for $65,000. (I put in the link just in case you're in the market)...

 

It's a $65,000  purple purse.

 

Now, my immediate thought was "What kind of person could possibly justify purchasing a handbag for $15,000 more than the median American household income?" I mean, how could you live with yourself? People are starving. Homeless. It's a purse!

But then I got to thinking...maybe I've just been living too close to the poverty level for too long. Maybe, I have simply never experienced a $65,000 handbag. That might be the most amazing handbag imaginable. That handbag might make its owner an ecstatically happy person. It might be something beyond imagining. I mean, I can see spending a couple of grand on a handbag. If I had the cash, I'd drop $2000 on a bag easy. So just imagine how much better a $65,000 bag might be.

What do y'all think?

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Unfortunately...

 

 

That's it!!

 

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Our little dog, Fancy, stinks. It's not her fault, she needs to go to the groomer. But since I've been in bed for a week, and Fancy wants to be in the bed with me, the stinking has become an issue. As in, she's been banned from the bed. Which makes her sad. So yesterday, Jude and I went to the Petco and purchased her a new shampoo and...I love this...cologne. Yes, her very own doggie cologne...

 

It's very pleasant.

 

So we gave her a shampoo and blow dry and spritzed her with her cologne, and now she's fabulous! And back in the bed!

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That is the randomness for today! Go see Stacy and the others!

Spin Cycle: Commencement Speech

I hardly consider myself to be a great mind, nor do I believe that I am endowed with tremendous wisdom. But I do feel that in my half a century on this earth, I have learned a thing or two about life. And so, to any and all young folks out there who are about to embark on their lives, I have the following words of advice...

• Go ahead, follow your bliss. But make sure you have a degree and a backup plan. Because bliss almost never pays the mortgage.
• Whatever you presently expect your life to be, it won't be that. Life will deal you cards that you never expected, and you will have to play the hand that you are dealt. If you're lucky, you'll get a full house, but you may also draw a pair deuces, and have to learn to play the hand you get. The good news is that you'll also probably draw a Joker or two, and they can be kind of fun, and if you're clever enough, you can bluff your way through quite a bit. I have hereby carried this silly analogy as far as I can.
• Have fun. It's okay to do a few stupid things. Be a little reckless while you are young. Because if you don't, you'll live your later years filled with questioning and regrets. But be careful while you're doing stupid things to always maintain your integrity, and don't do anything that hurts someone else.
• Avoid all mistakes/decisions which will stay with you for the rest of your life - tattoos, peculiar piercings, venereal diseases, unwanted pregnancies. But if you do make any poor choices, and who doesn't, accept responsibility with as much grace as you can muster.
• Often, young people give up their sense of self in an attempt to please parents and friends. Then, later in life, they go too far the other way, trying to regain their power, and end up becoming self-righteous and selfish. Work to find this balance, and try to focus on the greater good. Remember that doing something for the greater good doesn't make you weak. I think it can actually be the stronger path.
• When choosing a profession in which to enter, look up one of those earnings scales for the profession where they list expected earnings by profession by state. But don't look at the top salaries. It's unlikely that you'll achieve that for a very long time, if ever. Look at the base salary and the median salary. If you think you can live comfortably on that, go for it. Otherwise, formulate another plan.
• At this point in your life, you may want to be the cool one and the sexy one and the popular one, but ultimately, being the kind one will serve you best.
• You must treat love as an action verb. It's not something into which you fall. Because if you've simply fallen into something, you can climb out of it. In order for any loving relationship to stand the test of time, you must choose to love, and actively work at it.

So there you have it, the wealth of my experience. I wish someone had said some of these things to me when I was heading out into the world. Or maybe...they did. Because I don't remember one word of my Commencement Speech.

And to be completely truthful, I probably would have ignored the advice anyway. I guess all young people have to make their own mistakes before they start to know a few things.

What advice do you have for graduates?

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More amazing words of wisdom...

Nain at View From Down Here

Vandy J at The Testosterone Three and Me

Janice at I Got Nothing - a last minute Best/Worst post from last week!

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Next week on The Spin Cycle...

Relax

Aaaaaaaaaah! Summer is finally here! Time to relax, kick-back, take a load off. I'm planning on sleeping in every morning for at least a week.

What do you do to relax? Are you a hot tub/candles/wine kind of person? Or do you relax by exercising? Do you like to leave town? Spa it? Or maybe just curl up in bed with a good book and ignore the children.

Write your spin on "Relax". Post it. Let me know. I'll link it.

Come back next week for my spin on Relax, and to find out next week's Spin topic!

 

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RTT: Trek Musical, Kelsi and Lara

 

I am feeling SOOOOO lazy! It is definitely the countdown to Camp Mama around here. Only one week and two days until summertime, summertime, summertime. But I think I can come up with a handful of randomness...

 

 

Oh yes...

 

 

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Just in case you're looking for a refreshing summer salad recipe...

 

Oh my...

 

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I love these photographs. An Austin photographer has commemorated her daughter's 5th birthday by dressing the kid up not as a Disney princess, but as real-life inspirational women...

 

Amelia Earhart

Susan B. Anthony

 

Go check out the other photos!  It's such a cool idea!

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Gotta admire this girl's gumption.

 

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An old friend of mine, Lara, needs your help. Lara is an artist, an activist, a small business owner and a lovely human being. I first met Lara through a theater we were both involved in, and when I adapted "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" as a stage play, she was my Margaret. Lara is also going blind. She is a young woman with severe cataracts, which can be helped with surgery, but her health insurance doesn't cover vision. Please watch the video HERE. Her friends have put together an Indiegogo site. which is raising the $14,000 needed for surgery to both of her eyes. So far, they have raised an amazing $8000. PLEASE donate to her cause. Even $5 makes a difference! Thank you SO much!

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And then go see Stacy and the other randomers!

RTT: Mothers, Buttons and Jackie Robinson

 

I had the LAZIEST Mother's Day. Jimmy and Jude allowed me to just dilly-dally in bed all afternoon - I watched tv, I played computer games, I read, I ate food that I didn't have to make off a breakfast tray. It was heavenly. I realize that most mothers want a nice brunch or dinner or something, but I was just too exhausted. I really needed the day to rest and recuperate. I hope all of you mothers out there had a beautiful day, and that you got treated with exactly what YOU needed.

Oh, and in honor of Mother's Day, here are some glamorous pictures of my two mothers...

 

Mama!

Mommy!

 

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I have been loving the latest season of Game of Thrones. The other day I found this article 16 Games of Thrones Characters Who Are Giving You Major Deja Vu. You know, I watch a ton of British tv, and I always see the same actors over and over, but some of these blew me away. I mean, I knew that the women who plays Margaery Tyrell also played Anne Boleyn on The Tudors, and the actress who plays Osha was Tonks in the Harry Potter movies...

and Ser Jerah was the dastardly Sir Richard on Downton Abbey...

But I was totally blown away to realize that Littlefinger is the same actor who played Tommy Carcetti on The Wire!

 

Oh my God!

 

...I mean, I've been obsessively watching Game of Thrones and The Wire concurrently, and it never occurred to me ever! A testament to Aidan Gillen's abilities as an actor.

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I personally would like to add "Please stop posting glamorous pictures of yourself and exaggerating your mediocre acting career." I realize that this doesn't resonate for most of you.

 

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Jude and I finally went and saw 42, the movie about Jackie Robinson, and we both enjoyed it very much. He wasn't so sure if he wanted to see it, as he has decided that he isn't into baseball anymore now that he has discovered the joys of track and swimming, but I suspected that it would appeal to him and his innate sense of social justice, and I was right. He's been talking about it ever since. Yes, it is a little overly earnest, and sentimental, but it's really well-acted and extremely moving. I highly recommend that you all take your kids to see it. It's a great story of heroism and strength. Be warned that the language is a little rough, and there is repeated use of the n-word (at one point, Jude actually covered his ears because of it), but it certainly was historically accurate, and the word is never used casually - the hatred behind it is very impactful. And there's a little sexy stuff, but it's all sweet married people who love each other sexy stuff, so I was fine with it. Go see it!

 

Chadwick Boseman, who played Robinson also happens to be super cute. Just saying.

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I stole this off a friend's Facebook page, and I'm fairly sorry for it - I don't know this woman, and she's probably horrified that a picture of her has gone viral - but really?

 

This is in a McDonald's. So wrong. On so many levels.

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That's the random for today. Go see Stacy!

The Classics

Until a year ago, I had read aloud to Jude virtually every night of his life since the day he was born. I'll never forget holding him in the hospital and reading...

We looked!

Then we saw him step in on the mat!

We looked! And we saw him!

The Cat in the Hat!

Carefully holding the book up to share Dr. Seuss's pictures for his not-yet-focused eyes.

Reading aloud to him has been one of the greatest joys of my life. It perfectly combines my love of books + my love of performance + my love of the boy.

We have always had our nighttime reading ritual. Over time, he started reading on his own, aloud to me. Which I also loved. He'd read a while to me, then I'd read a while to him.

Then he stopped wanting to read aloud to me. He wanted to read to himself inside his head. No problem. We established something I called "tandem reading" during which time he would read his book and I would read my book, then we'd put our books away and I'd read something aloud to him.

But then...about a year ago...dum, dum, dum, DUM...he told me he really didn't need me to read aloud to him anymore.

This was truly heartbreaking. Earthshatteringly upsetting. But I survived. Never really got over it...sigh...but worked my way through it. He is growing up. Pushing away from Mom. It's all healthy and natural. But I still hated it.

Then, about a month ago...

We went and saw that 3D nightmare, Oz the Great and Powerful. That night, as Jude was going to sleep, he suddenly asked if we still had that old copy of The Wizard of Oz that I'd had when I was little. We did.

 

Love that old book smell.

My Mama had loved the book The Wizard of Oz because her father had been personal friends with L. Frank Baum when the author lived in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Mama's hometown. Apparently, his description of Kansas in the book is based on his experience in Aberdeen. 

I dug the book out and handed it to him, assuming he wanted to read it to himself, but instead he asked, "Could you read it to me?"

CUE: CHORUS OF ANGELS

I could! And I DID! And we enjoyed it so much that when we finished it, I pulled out another beloved edition from my childhood, The Wind in the Willows, and have been reading it to him!

 

Badger and Mole and Toad and Rat

 

Interestingly, these are books which he deems too "babyish" to read to himself, but are still very intriguing, and my reading them aloud to him seems to be the perfect solution.

I have started a stack on his bedside table of children's classics which he has never read, and we are both kind of excited about. Next up is Peter Pan, then Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

It's kind of sad that Disney has ruined these books for kids and has them believing that they are too "babyish". They aren't. In fact, the writing is very grownup, with lots of big words. It's nothing that a little kid could read. I'm assuming that they were originally written to be read aloud. Lucky me!

All of this reading of classics has me loving my funny little man all the more. He has been picking up Wind in the Willowsisms. Three times now, I have heard him using the word..."posthaste". I can't imagine what his teacher is going to think if he works this into some comment at school.

And he completely lost it when we read the following sentence...

"Nor don't the ducks neither," replied the Rat cheerfully.

"Hahahahahahahah," said Jude, barely able to catch his breath, "that's HYSTERICAL! It's a TRIPLE negative!!"

I don't know whether to be proud that my child found a triple negative so hilarious, or slightly embarrassed. It's real English Major humor.

Nevertheless, I am really enjoying being the read-alouder again. I don't know how long it's going to last, but I'm going to relish every moment!

RTT: Tea, Arrested Development and Engagement

 

I WANT SOME OF THIS! Adagio Teas has created a genre of Fandom Teas. Tea blends created by my fellow geeks around the world. There's a variety of Doctor Who teas including the Tardis blend (Earl Grey Bravo, blackberry and vanilla - it tastes bigger on the inside), Battlestar Galactica teas (the Laura Roslin - Valentines, Ceylon Sonata, vanilla oolong and rosehips - warm and sweet and stronger than you'd have imagined), Downton Abbey teas (The Lady Mary Crawley - Earl Grey moonlight, apricot and ginger - soft and sensual, with a hint of something spicier below the surface) and Game of Thrones teas (The Imp's Brew - oriental spice, caramel and apple - smart and unusual). It's the perfect gift for the Anglophile geek - ME!

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Were any of y'all Arrested Development fans? The highly-acclaimed sitcom that aired for three seasons about 10 years ago? I'm afraid I missed it completely. I guess that Jude was a newborn, and I really wasn't watching much of anything except the Teletubbies about then. Anyway, Netflix is producing a NEW season of the show - yes, same show, same cast, 10 years later. And so, of course, I have been binge-viewing the original series. It's AMAZING. Hysterical. I'm completely addicted, and have a terrible crush on Jason Bateman.

 

Love.

 

I can't wait for the new season to start, May 26th. I highly recommend that you all binge on it at Netflix.

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Just not the same.

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Yesterday, I was watching something on CNN about the Boston bomber's legal issues, and they were interviewing a well-known lawyer named Tom Mesereau. He's made a name for himself as the defense attorney to wayward stars, including Robert Blake and Michael Jackson. Here's his Wiki page.

 

Mesereau

 

Interestingly, about 20 years ago, I took a comedy improv class with this man. Tom was very sweet and dorky and terrible at comedy. Why was he in this comedy improv class? He thought it would help him to think on his feet during trials. I guess it worked!

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11 Engagement Photos That Will Make You Happy You're Single. Too funny. A handful of faves...

 

Not sure what she's thinking...

Wow. Really uncomfortable.

Inexplicable. And somebody could use a little sun.

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Before you leave, my wonderful friend Elizabeth, from a moon, worn as if it had been a shell, has had a brilliant prose poem published in an online literary magazine. Please enjoy...

When Bears Fall From Trees.

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Go visit Stacy!

RTT: Hashtag, Batman and Helpful Hints

There was a huge panic on Twitter last week when Margaret Thatcher died. Apparently, folks tweeting about the death of the UK's former Prime Minister were using the hashtag #nowthatchersdead. But many people read this as meaning the loss, not of...

 

Baroness Thatcher

 ...but of... 

Goddess of Pop

 

Yes that's right instead of #now thatchers dead, people read #now that chers dead!

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I want one of these desperately!...

...beautiful, right? Carved book landscapes. Imagine one of these on my mantel! Maybe when I finish my book and it's a big best seller? Hmmm...

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Captain Dumbass posted this on Facebook, and I had to share.

Click here for the Amazon page for BIC Cristal for Her, and read the reviews. Brilliant!

 

Just for her...

 

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Okay, this might be the best helpful hints site I've EVER found. I kept scrolling on and on slapping my forehead and shouting "Why didn't I think of that!" at every one. Some of my favorites...

 

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That's it. Was that random enough for you? Go check out Stacy et al!

Fun With Cascarones (Confetti Eggs)

When I was a little girl, my friend Flavia's mom used to make cascarones every year for Easter. What is a cascarón, you ask? Well I will tell you.

Cascarones are confetti-filled eggs, traditional in Mexico and particularly popular along the US/Mexican border, where Flavia's mom lived when she was a little girl. Cascarones are traditionally thrown at someone, or even better, cracked over someone's head. It's BIG fun, y'all. It's also kind of a mess, so if you have an issue with lots of confetti and egg shells all over your yard, take it to the park. But MAKE them, your kids will thank you!

Here's what you do...

1. Using a needle, poke a hole in one end of the eggs, bigger than a pinhead, but no bigger than ¼" in diameter.

2. Turn the eggs over, and poke a larger hole, about nickel-sized to quarter-sized on the other end.

3. Carefully, blow into the small hole, pushing the contents of the eggshell out of the egg, and into a bowl. It can be done. You'll end up with sore cheeks, unless you happen to be a trumpet player.

4. Wash the residual egg out of the eggshells.

5. Dye the eggs with food coloring, the same way you'd dye any Easter eggs.

6. Let the colored eggs dry thoroughly - they need to be dry both inside and outside.

7. Gently, fill each egg with confetti. This is a mess. I suggest using some kind of funnel. I bought bags of confetti at the party store, but you could easily make your own by just dumping your shredder. I suggest NOT buying the metallic/Mylar confetti, because if it ends up all over the yard, you will want to kill yourself. Use something biodegradable. You will thank me.

8. Next, cut out a bunch of little squares of tissue paper, I'd say 1½ " X 1 ½".

 

Cut them according to the size of your egg holes.

 

9. Squeeze a little circle of good ol' Elmer's Glue around the larger hole in the egg, and cover it with the piece of tissue paper, thus closing the hole.

10. Give them to your adoring children and allow them to crack them on each others skulls.

11. Bask in the adoration of your children for being the coolest mom ever.

NOTE REGARDING WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT DANG EGG:

FREEZE them. Yes, it's true. But you need to prep them a little bit or weird things happen to them in the freezer. After you've blown the eggs out of all your eggshells, you first have to scramble them. Then, add 1/2 tsp. of salt for every cup of raw egg if you're saving them for savory dishes. If you want to save them for sweet dishes, you simply mix in 1 tbsp. of sugar per cup of egg. Don't forget that you've added salt or sugar when you use the eggs, or you'll end up with a really salty omelette! You can then put them in freezer containers, and they'll keep for up to a year! Viva frittata!

Felices Pascuas everybody!

 

Spin Cycle: 11 Dream Vacations

Oh dear Lord, do I need a vacation. I mean a real vacation, not two weeks at my in-laws house, sleeping on the tilt-o-slab, sharing a bathroom with 5 other people and doing half the cooking. I mean going some place fabulous and beautiful and indulgent, and being treated like a queen.

And since this is not likely to happen anytime in the near future, I have spent the last week with a Mai Tai in my hand, cruising not the Caribbean, but...the internet. After much web-trolling, I present you with 11 Dream Vacations. Why 11? Because I couldn't narrow it down to 10! I probably don't need to mention that in my dream vacation world, money is no object. And I have the body I had 15 years ago.

So please, pour yourself a cocktail, preferably something with a little umbrella garnish, sit back and enjoy...

1. Four Seasons Bora Bora

Oh yeah, it's Bora Bora, baby.

 

According to the website, this suite here...

Over-the-water Bungalow Suite with Plunge Pool

...has a view of the "lagoon" and of Mount Otemanu. And if the entire South Pacific isn't a good enough swimming spot for you, you can step right out of your bedroom into your private "plunge pool". And while Mom and Dad are busy plunging, they can get rid of the kids every day, I mean, give their kids a fabulous Polynesian adventure, by putting them in the Kids Club, where they have full days of planned activities. Nice.

2. Chateau de La Chevere D'Or

The French Riviera. Royalty, the Jet Set...me.

The view from my suite.

The Presidential Suite boasts a "superb terrace perched above the sea" with its own private infinity pool and jacuzzi. Fabrice, the chef in the restaurant has two Michelin stars, and the wine list includes such fabulousness as a Château Lafite Rothschild 1918. I am weak with desire.

3. The Tree House Suite Bleue

Prepare yourself. A tree house. Over a field of lavender. In Italy.

The ultimate aromatherapy.

Arlena di Castro, Lazio, Italy. A tiny dream nest, perched in a 100-year old oak tree, over 12 hectares of lavender hills. I have no idea how much a hectare is, but it seems like enough. And every morning, they raise a tiny dumbwaiter filled with this...

So very...European

4. Ashford Castle 

To get my Downton Abbey fix.

A castle in County Galway, Ireland, once owned by...get ready...the Guinness Family. Estate activities include golf, fly-fishing, shooting, archery, equestrian, FALCONRY (seriously, haven't you always wanted to play with a falcon?) and of course...Guinness. And I know that Irish Cuisine is considered an oxymoron, but the menu at the restaurant looks exquisite, sort of like it's been revamped by Gordon Ramsay, as it's filled with local and estate-grown foods.

5. Four Seasons New York

Truly, I'm blessed to have Aunt Grace's apartment to stay in when I'm in the Big Apple, but this really would be an outrageous treat. Check this out...

A (bath)Room With a View

Designed by I. M. Pei, and described as a "beacon of sophistication". I want the suite with this in it...

But only if it comes with a sexy piano player who plays Gershwin all night.

6. Cove Spring House 

Many years ago, Jimmy and I went to an amazing wedding in Barbados. The wealthy boss of the friend who was getting married rented a gorgeous villa for the wedding party. I would love to recreate that, sans the wedding, as the couple ended up divorced, but that's another story.

Heaven.

10 bedrooms, it's own private beach. Imagine 20 of your closest friends sharing the place for a week! And everything's taken care of for you! The staff includes a chef, sous chef, cook and kitchen assistant, butler, housekeepers, gardeners, security and a laundress. Who's in?

7. Icehotel

Those wacky Danes! An artsy hotel made entirely of ice.

Each bedroom is sculpted from ice by a different artist.

They swear that inside the Icehotel it never gets colder than -8 C, but just in case that's a little too nippy for you, the beds are made from ice blocks, but topped with wood, then a mattress and thermal sleeping bag, and you are then encased in reindeer skins. And in the morning, they thaw you out by delivering a cup of hot lingonberry juice. Skol!

8. The Christina O

Cruise the Mediterranean from Greece aboard the Christina O, yes, the very yacht which once belonged to Aristotle Onassis and Jackie O, and entertained Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe.

My yacht.

This would be another great group vacation, as the Christina O has 19 suites, and a crew of 34.

The Christina O's daily rate seems to be 65,000 Euros. Hmmm, is that a lot?

You know Marilyn must have gone swimming here in the nude.

9. Private Island in Adirondacks

Sweet, right?

You know, this one is actually...doable. A cozy cabin in upstate New York. Your own little island, far away from the hustle and bustle. Maybe we could get away from the in-laws one weekend?! You can canoe or swim or just lie there in the hammock. Sigh...

10. Governors' Camp Safari

In the heart of Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve.

 

I'm thinking the scene in Jungle Book when Mowgli wants to join the elephant patrol with Colonel Hathi.

 

Amazing, right? The tents are on the Mara River, which the site says is teeming with "bird-life, hippo and crocodile". And they swear that there are toilets.

 

All I'd need is Robert Redford to wash my hair. I guess Jimmy would have to do.

 

11. Hotel Santa Caterina 

Ah, Amalfi!

I have always, always wanted to visit the Amalfi Coast of Italy. The website lists a bunch of activities, but who would want to do anything other than just lie here and bask?

And the menu at the restaurant actually makes me weak in the knees.

According to the internets...Brad and Angelina stayed here. And if it's good enough for them...

Well, that's the end of my list. I'm exhausted from all this traveling.

Alas, I fear that my next real "vacation" will involve camping with a bunch of Cub Scouts with an air mattress and no toilet. But a girl can dream, can't she?

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And as long as you're along for the trip, visit our other Dream Vacationers and see where they'd go if they had their druthers...

Kendra at Life in the slow lane

Vandy J at The Testosterone Three and Me

Stacy at Stacy Uncorked - NEW on FRIDAY

Nain at View From Down Here - NEW on FRIDAY

Ginny Marie at Lemon Drop Pie - NEW on FRIDAY

 Patty at Pancakes Gone Awry - NEW on FRIDAY

Janice at I Got Nothing - NEW on MONDAY!

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Next week on The Spin Cycle...

Sometimes,

Inspired by the amazing Arnebya at What Now and Why? Check out her post HERE. For those of you who don't read Arnebya, she's one of the best blog writers I know, with a unique voice and tremendous humor. She's honest and smart, and while she always surprises me, I also always identify with her.

So check out Arnebya and see what she sometimes does. Then make it your own.

Sometimes, I write an entire post, then get to the end and have absolutely no idea how to end it, so I sort of hem and haw and try to be clever, but then just give up and end it, hoping that everybody just thinks I'm pithy, and not clueless.

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RTT: Baltimore, Apollo and Richard III

 

How 'bout them Ravens?! You know, Super Bowls are usually so boring that we all just watch the commercials, but this year, all the commercials were stupid  (well okay, that one with the baby horse was sweet...) and the game was the star! Harbaugh sibling rivalry! 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown! A blackout! A down-to-the-wire squeaker! And though I didn't really have any interest in either of the teams, I had decided to root for Baltimore for 3 reasons -

 

1. Diner

2. The Wire

 

3. My friend Lynn is a Baltimore girl, and...the party was at her house. So, you know...

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This is Apollo...

 

Apollo

Over the last year and a half, Apollo has become a fixture at Jude's tiny Catholic school. One of the school's families has been fostering Apollo for the Guide Dogs of America program. The job of the foster family is the raise a selected puppy from 8-weeks to 18-months, teaching him basic obedience, and socializing him as much as possible. To this end, Laura, the mom of the family, took Apollo with her EVERYWHERE. That dog was at school every day, at every sports event and Parent Board meeting. The kids had come to adore him. But alas, Apollo's 18 months are up, and he is graduating on to his formal guide dog training, and then on to his new life as a service dog for the blind. It was amazingly sweet how the school came together to say goodbye to Apollo! Everyone was so touched! On Apollo's last day with Laura's family, the school had their monthly mass, and Monsignor gave him a special blessing, with all the children praying for Apollo's safety and his future life of service. What a wonderful lesson for them all! If you live in Southern California, and would like to be a Puppy Raiser, click on the Guide Dogs link and then on "Raise a Puppy".

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Librarian Humor

 

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Chemistry Humor.

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Did y'all hear that they finally located the remains of King Richard III? Scientists have positively identified him with DNA. Amazing, right? Richard III was the last of the Plantagenets, and was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field, by his successor, Henry VII, the first of the Tudors. I kept thinking that Temperance Brennan on Bones would have had a blast working on this. The skeleton they found confirms everything we know about Richard - early 30s, severe scoliosis which caused a considerable curvature to the spine, a skull indented with two clear blows to the head by a bladed weapon. Fascinating. But I have to admit, after Jude's recent dealings with the orthodontist, when I saw the picture of Richard's skull, all I could think was that he would really have benefited from an expander, and probably a Herbst appliance...

 

Orthodontia! Orthodontia! My kingdom for orthodontia!

 

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Direct quote from my child - "Math is the worst thing in the world." He then qualified it a bit, after I raised my eyebrow at him, "at least, there's no need for it at this time in my life."

Sigh...

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Fairly embarrassed that I laughed at this.

 

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Please go visit Stacy (click that link above) for more Random Tuesday Thoughts!