That's my bud

Volunteering her time

"When this happened, I think so many of us wanted to do more than write a check," said Veum. "I can't even imagine what they (hurricane victims) are going through."

Be safe, and do well, my friend.

Slug of the Week

Ok, my apartment looks like several tornadoes hit it, I still have to unpack, I have loads of pictures to go through, and what am I doing? I'm sitting at home, having called in sick with a major head cold, trying to motivate myself to go take a shower, and not sit on the couch all day, watching 'Gilmore Girls' on DVD.

Getting there.

No, really.

Here I go.

*sigh*

Orange you glad I didn't say 'banana'?

"I don't know when you people turned from paparazzi into comedians, but it's really, really not working for me, and if you don't cut it out right now I am going to call ALL of your mothers."

*thud*

Main Entry: tired
Pronunciation: 'tIrd
Function: adjective
1 : drained of strength and energy : fatigued often to the point of exhaustion
- tired·ly adverb
- tired·ness noun

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Ok, I'm finally home from Vegas. Fi-nal-ly.

I love my family, and had an absolutely great time, but I am quite glad to be home. Before I collapse into my coma, I just want to say that I can't believe how freakin' cold it got here in one week! I stepped out of the car in Flagstaff to get gas, and icicles practically formed on my face. Looks like it's time to start running the heater. Yeah, yeah, I know we don't get it nearly as bad as y'all back East, but I had to bitch.

Posts will commence once I have at least partially recovered from my driving marathon (That's 10 hours on the road today, folks).

Gina, you were right, I should have taken an audio book. Maybe next time....when I fly there.

Sweetness

Don't worry, we got your back
Originally uploaded by Esther17.

Alright folks, here she is, little Miss Lydia, born at 1:51 in the a.m., on Nov. 22nd, and as cute as ever. The red marks on her face are called 'stork bites,' which will go away in time, as will the redness across her eyes (due to the umbilical cord being wrapped around her eyes at one point). She has already shown inklings of her strong personality, which include one heck of a wail, and the eating voracity of a pro football linebacker.

I'm apologizing in advance for the baby photo madness that may or may not ensue here, but I do have a few other utterly adorable photos to show y'all. Have a good Turkey Day, whether you're celebrating or not.

I miss y'all, and will be back soon. Promise!

The Wanderer

I'll be back
Originally uploaded by Esther17.

Just so you know, it's going to get a little quiet around here for about a week. Me and my ION are off to Vegas in about 6 hours or so.

I'm going to try to post somewhere around Turkey Day, but no promises. There will, however, be lots of pictures taken, and new niece photos forthcoming.

It's gonna be good. Take it easy, everybody!

Not Jonesin' for one of these

"We have been keeping it in limited amounts, we sure as hell don't want it sitting around the warehouse for us to drink, in like May!" said Diana Turner, Jones Soda marketing associate.

Ok, maybe I'd try the cranberry-flavored one, but as for the rest of these, uh, thanks, but no thanks.

Five bucks says next year, the hit flavor will be tofurkey

Going to the Movies

Movies that I was excited about seeing this year were few and far between. There was Batman Begins, Sin City, Serenity, and now, it's Walk the Line.

You'd never know that I like Johnny Cash. I don't own a single album (that'll change soon), don't have any singles, never saw him in concert, but I've always dug him so much, and since he's passed, the admiration has grown. When I heard Joaquin Phoenix was set to play him in the movie, that thrilled me to no end. One of my favorite actors playing one of my favorite singers.

So far, the reviews have been wicked positive. Even if they weren't, I'll still be buying a ticket and braving the unwashed masses. I think it'll be worth it.

Caffeine withdrawal sucks.

Head. Ache.
Originally uploaded by Esther17.

I had a couple of posts I wanted to get up last night, but my head had other plans for me. I've been trying to cut down my caffeine intake, and eventually quit it altogether. Because of that, and combined with some lovely sinus pressure, my head is now a 200 piece symphony of pain, currently going through Wagner's entire repertoire. Work is going to be fun today. *sigh*

So, nothing new until I can type without rubbing my temples every minute or so. Oy.

Keep the girls warm and save the world!

For a long time now, I've joked around about owning a hunting bra, you know, like those battery-powered hunting socks, except nicer. There's a M*A*S*H reference in there somewhere, but I'll save you the tv geek 'splanation.

Well, whaddya know? Those resourceful (aka 'crazy') Japanese have gone and done it. Yes folks, I present to you the world's first heated bra. Instead of batteries, though, the pads are heated in the microwave. The aesthetics leave a bit to be desired (no comment on the manga-faced model), but their hearts are in the right place.

Next stop: Victoria's Secret.

Rhapsody in Blue

Sometimes, it's good to have the blues
Originally uploaded by Esther17.

A recent shot, and one of my faves. Taken as I was heading home after step class, it gives me a wonderful sense of calm.

It's on

I've got a lot coming up in these next few weeks, and not a whole lot of time to prepare for it. Next weekend, I'm headed up to Las Vegas. Before you ask me to play five bucks on the slots for you, it's to visit my sister, Yvonne, and her family, as well as celebrate Turkey Day with the rest of the family, including my parents, whom I haven't seen in over a year. Oh, and then there's the small matter of Yvonne giving birth, so we'll be welcoming a new member into the family. There's also going to be small birthday celebrations for two of my nephews, and probably my sisters (all have birthdays in November).

Last, but not least, this is going to be my first time driving out of state anywhere, solo. I'd like not to end up in Montana, but we'll see.

The To Do list is long, I'd best get moving.

Respect

It was a windy day...
Originally uploaded by Esther17.

For all the vets out there, past and present. This includes my father, who served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars, and whom I respect, adore, and love with all my heart.

Paper bags are in Aisle 7

No Laughing Matter:

''To sum up," Colbert intoned, ''you're left-handed, you're Jewish. But there is something else about you. And this is sort of the elephant in the room that I'm not naming, but as a journalist I feel like I have to name it. Um, you're a little overweight."

Perhaps the words "We're from Comedy Central." should have been his first clue?

Past my bedtime

Ok, so it's about 11:30, and I am finally taking a breather for the evening. Just finished doing about 50 loads of laundry, of which is now sitting on my bed, waiting for me to put it away. I also just inhaled a tuna fish sandwich, and one very delicious chocolate chip macadamia nut cookie. Eating late at night is a bad habit I'm trying to break, but damn all, I was starving. Guess the Food Network wasn't the best choice of channels to be watching. On the other hand, I did decide that I want to marry Tyler Florence, that gorgeous hunk of chef who does Food 911, among many other shows. Someone's got to feed me when I get old and saggy, and who better than a man who has professed to loving bacon, chocolate, and breakfast in bed? 'Night.

Welcome!

My first post on my first blog, hell, my first site, and I'm not quite sure what to say. Posts will be slow here until I get into some sort of groove (i.e. find time to actually post, and figure out what I want to do here).

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the show!