Another run-down

I am tired. Tired of the political ads that are every other commercial every time I want to watch TV. Tired of Feeling sorry for poor Sarah Palin because the poor girl doesn't have a chance against all these big-time (and at some times extremely hostile) media peoples. Tired of getting up at 6:00 every morning. Tired of seemingly everyone I know (yes, I'm including YOU in here too, Missy! :) ) going to San Diego and it looks like my planned trip is disappearing by the moment (THANK YOU, crappy economy. Thank you so much for saving me from getting away from the frozen tundra in January. Lord knows I would have been miserable parked on the beach whilst everyone here was in their winter coats. You have truly saved my life.)

But! I am getting really good grades in school. I'm not quite sure how to react to it all. I haven't seen a report card with only A's and B's since I was in 7th grade (this was before I hated running and anything else that involved sweating and so I would get A's in P.E.). If this keeps up, I just might make the Dean's list. And then, I will be treating myself to something big. Not sure what it is yet, but it's gonna be big.

So, anyway, the real reason I'm posting is because there is a cool website that is giving away FREE purses for 24 hours in a couple of weeks. I looked, they are gorgeous. And I have not bought myself a new purse in a very, very, long time. Unlike some other people *cough* BSG *cough*. Even though I would really like to win, I also think it would be fun to at least KNOW someone who won. So go to here and enter. Even if you happen to be a boy reading this (really, does anyone even bother here anymore? It's not like I'm posting with any sort of regularity), what better way to surprise your significant other than a handbag that looks like you spent beaucoup bucks on it. I'm not sure about YOUR ladyfriends, but I know in MY house, my significant other would be rewarded handsomely for getting me a purse. So, go enter. Right now. I'll maybe blog again in another month. Or twelve. Whatever.

I am tired.

I Can Haz iCoaster?

When I was little, there was always a very, very, VERY long Christmas list of all the things I wanted Santa to bring me. But there was one year that there was just one thing on my list. The one thing I wanted more than anything in the whole wide world. What was it, you ask? A Cabbage Patch Kid.

Now, most of you are old enough to remember that right around the time when CPKs first came out, there was a HUGE craze for them. You couldn't find them anywhere. This happened to be the year that both my Aunt (she's only 4 years older) and I wanted one. So my mom and grandma both went traipsing about SoCal at the butt crack of dawn every Saturday morning from November on until they found a store with CPKs in stock. My Aunt and I both got what we wanted for Christmas.

Fast forward a few years to the Tickle Me Elmo insanity. That year was the first year that I went Black Friday shopping. There were grown women fighting in the toy isle over who got the last Tickle Me Elmo. There were women pushing and shoving to get in to the store. I seriously heard someone yell "I know where you live!" when someone cut in front of them. It was also the last year that I went shopping in that particular city on Black Friday.

I laughed at the insanity of it all "Ha ha!" thought I, "I am so glad that I am not having to do that. Besides, I would never go through THAT much trouble for my kid."

Guess what? I lied.

Fast forward yet again to this Holiday season. CJ has ONE thing and ONE thing only on his list. "Mommy, I know it's really, really, really expensive and I probably can't get it, but all I want for Christmas is an iCoaster." I agreed with him that it was expensive, but I secretly knew that we would get it for him. I'd seen them everywhere, and so I figured I would just wait until I got my Christmas bonus from work, then go buy the thing. Plus, I started looking on eBay to see if I could find the thing cheaper.

Now that it's time to actually START Christmas shopping, I could not find the damn toy anywhere! And on eBay, it's going for $150! I talked to a friend who's son told him the same thing and he informed me that a certain store DID have them in stock. So I called yesterday. Needless to say, they were all sold out. But I was determined! So I spent most of the day yesterday calling every store within a 150 mile radius. Every single one either had incompetent people in the toy department who didn't know what an iCoaster was, or they were out of stock. Finally at noon when I'd all but given up, I made one last call. Lo and behold, they had ONE left in stock. Ladies and gentlemen, I am now the proud owner of an iCoaster.

Now, there was no violence involved, but I never thought I would have to call ELEVEN different stores to find ONE stupid toy that will just take up more room in my already too small house and probably only be cool for about a week before CJ's done with it. But he will have the ONLIEST thing he wants for Christmas for the love of all things Good and Holy.

So, looking to earn some extra moolah? Find iCoasters and sell them on eBay. One even went for $180. At $60-$80 to buy, it's a pretty good turn around, don't you think?

Ooo look at the pretty!

Do you love it as much as I do? Is it not the coolest blog design EVER?!?!? Did you see the little GR necklace on the uber-hot version of me up there? With the good hair? Zoe at Chic and Sassy Designs is the culprit behind my fabulous new makeover. And I totally love her for doing this for me!

It's amazing what little change can do for my mood. I'm all happy and excited and just keep sitting and staring at my blog. And for once, it isn't because I don't know what to write!

Also, I am officially child free! I just need to get through the rest of the work day and I'll be home free!

It's been so hot here and since our house was built in the stone age, and we have radiant heat (you know, the kind that just comes through little water thingies on the wall instead of vents?), the only kind of air conditioning that we have (or could afford since I do not think it's worth $20 grand to have the central air installed) is window air conditioners. Needless to say, when it gets hot like it's been, they don't work very well unless the area they are trying to cool is made as small as possible. So the kids have been sleeping on the floor in our room. CB would be just fine leaving the doors open and sleeping with the windows open, but I have never not had comfortable air conditioning and while I'm not very demanding in most aspects, I DEMAND to be able to sleep in temperatures lower than 80 degrees. So it will be nice tonight to not have to worry about stepping on tiny bodies in the middle of the night.

Hope y'all have a great weekend! :)

A bit of a quandry

When I first saw the movie Grease, I was about three years old. Maybe older, but "You're the One that I Want" has been ingrained into my head for as long as I can remember. And it's been one of my top ten movies since those days.

For Christmas one year, my mom took me into DC to see Grease on stage. It was fabulous. A little different from the movie, but still fantastic. After we walked out of that show, I swore that if I ever had a chance to be involved, I would try out for a stage version of my favorite movie.

Then we went to see it again this past November. And it cemented my resolve to someday be my favorite character (believe it or not, Rizzo is my favorite)on stage. But, we live in an area where the culture doesn't so much exist.

So imagine my surprise when I saw that the community theater in a town just 30 miles from us will be putting on Grease this summer. Tryouts are in about three weeks. When I think about even getting the chance, I get little butterflies in my stomach. I mean, it's probably a frillion to one odds that I'd be cast as Rizzo--it is a college town with a pretty strong theater arts program--but even to just be a part of it is a dream come true.

But here's where the problem lies: The kids don't want me to do it because it would probably take up a lot of my time for rehearsals and such. I don't know that I have the time to dedicate to it. It's 60 miles round trip, and with gas getting to that dreaded $3 mark right now, one can only imagine what the price will be this summer. So I don't think CB will go for it either. I haven't even talked to him about it.

What do you think? Do I go for it anyway and point out to the kids that there's really not THAT much time taken up? Or do I wait for the chance somewhere else down the line? Word on the street is that the choir director here in Podunk has hopes of starting up a community theater, but who knows if Grease would ever be there?

Guilty Pleasures

So I have a little confession to make. I am obsessed with ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. I know it's odd and no one else that I've talked to watches it (other than my mom, which says a lot about the demographic that probably does watch it. Perhaps I need to frequent bridge clubs to find someone to discuss with.).

AI didn’t do it for me this year (mostly because I’m boycotting in support of my awesomely talented friend The Superstar was passed over by stupid AI producers who don’t know talent when they see it.), so I have turned all my obsessions to this fantastic show. Plus I may or may not still harbor a crush for the hottie that once was known as Steve Sanders. Ahem.

It’s been so long since I’ve actually “had” a TV show. In fact, I can’t think of one since Friends and Sex and the City ended. Because those were the last two shows that made me pause my whole entire life until they were over with. And now, thank you interweb, I don’t have to pause. I can procrastinate at work whilst watching last night’s episode on line.

But I do have a problem with the stupid results show (any results show for that matter). I HATE how they drag the whole thing out way longer than it needs to be. I despise the guest singers and the pointless pimping of their new albums. The best part of the DWTS results is Jimmy Kimmel and his dance partner/custodian Guillermo demonstrating one of the dances for the next week. I die laughing each and every time! Really, they could do all of this in 10 minutes or less. And I know it’s all about the $$$$ and exposure for the network, but it still bothers me.

In other news, I’m finally getting my haircut today. Like, getting a “style” so it’s not just nothing like it is now. Stay tuned for before and after photos. Unless it really sucks, which you’ll know because I’ll go all Britney and shave my head. I will, however, have much better taste in wigs.