Happy Birthday To My Sister....

Yes, it is Tisha's birthday today. If memory serves me correctly this is her 33rd birthday. So, if you know her....call her cell phone and leave her a message. I'm going to sing into her message machine with great gusto.....she'll want to kill me when I'm done. No, no, she will enjoy me making a fool out of myself. I think Tisha deserves an extra special birthday....simply because of the great funeral debockal of 1999. For those of you that don't know about this...its pretty bad. Our Uncle Randy was killed in a freak accident Aug 22, 1999. Everyone was quite stunned and nobody thought a thing about it when the funeral was set for August 25th. It gave people time to get back for the funeral, ect. Well...the day of the funeral, Tisha made a comment about it not being the way she wanted to celebrate her birthday. HOLY CRAP! I think we all felt kind of bad about it. We were just so caught up in the shock of everything that we forgot. I mean, if we had realized, maybe we could have influenced the date. Yep, and you know how the dates of deaths and funerals stick in your head anyway...well, poor Tisha has to live the rest of her life, remembering that on her 26th birthday, she attended her Uncles funeral. Oh don't worry, I'm not rehashing this for her. She rarely visits my site. The poor kid!

You know, I really have not helped matters any. After all, I am the one who in responce to my Mother telling me she had Tisha so I would have someone to play with....I said, "I would have rather had a dog." Yeah, that didn't go ever well. Well, I was a kid! What do you expect! She was always getting into my stuff.

Anywhozits, if you think about it, give old Pea-dunker a call.

Note to self:

You know how your fabric scissors say "Razor sharp" on the side of the blade? Well, they are, so if you become startled by something and the scissors fly out of your hands, DO NOT try to catch them before they hit the ground. It will result in a deep, painful gash in the tip of your index finger...yes, and it will bleed like crazy before you finally get it under control. Yes, and it will keep popping open because you use your hands a lot. Band-aids don't really do the trick so you will have to run out and get some of that "second skin" stuff and for double insurance, you will have to put a big band-aid over the tip of your finger. Typing will not be so easy because everytime you push a key with that finger, you will feel your heartbeat throbbing in your finger. So, remember, let the damn scissors fall where they may.

Book Tag

I was tagged
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas

"Do you want me to kick you?" said Ford.
"Would it give you a lot of pleasure?" said Zaphod, blearily.
"No."
"Nor me. So what's the point? Stop bugging me."

*I'm going to tag Sue, Miyon, and Tami

Book tag goes like this:
1. Grab the nearest book. Don't think, just the nearest book...
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog (Please include the book and author) along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.
6. Tag three people.

Tooches

I was wrong about Tooches age. He isn't 18 years old...nope, Raine told me last weekend that he is 20 years old. He's getting little white hairs in his fur, his whiskers are turning white. He has some aches and pains from arthritis and he sleeps a lot, but let me tell you, he has moments where you would swear that he is a kitten. He can still smell out a nice piece of meat, he knows when you are trying to watch TV that he can stand in front of you and block the view and that you will pet him until he drools with love. Tooches is the king of the Kitties. If I didn't think Raine would hunt me down and kill me, I would have snatched Tooch a long time ago. I just adore the old guy! 

Ever hear of this company?

I found a decal inside the drawer of the desk I am working on. I did a google search but can't find anything on the W.A. Hathaway Company. I sure get a lot of hits for Berkshire Hathaway though....annoying. I think the next time I am in the City, goofing around, I'm going to walk pass 51 West 45th Street and see what kind of building is there now. I do know that the company made acatalog guide of Colonial furniture in 1922....I could buy it on ebay...and that a women named Dorothy Ross worked for the company in 1950...but that is all I know about it. I may have to change up my search tactics. It's not really that important and I don't think the desk is worth anything...I'm just a curious person.

Project #1 of 3

I've been working hard stripping the desk. I am gettting down to the wood now. It's exciting. I can't wait until I am to the point where I can sand. Who knew that such a cute little desk could have so many layers of paint. Blah! You know, you have to be so careful with that stripping gel. You get even a little drop on you and you feel the burn and not in a good way. I took a brake to work on some of my other projects and in between that I have been working on lunch. I'm making Sue's Meatballs...a favorite around here and Amy's Sour Cream Potatoes......delish!

Project #2

I've been cutting out circles for days. Days and days of circles. I get bored with one color and I switch to another. I figure if I cut them all out now...I can easily take my project with me where ever I go. I'm actually thinking about recruiting people to help with middle step. I have a plan...OH YES, I have a plan. I doubt if I will get that many takers though. Most of my friends are not suckered easily. More later.

Project #3

I'm working on a project for Miyon. Yes, and because I am working on this project for her, I am completely blaming her for my Craftstore shopping spree. I'm not even going to tell you how much I tossed down for all the stuff I bought. I have several projects in planning right now though, I will tell you that. I'm multi tasking up a storm and what I have not started yet, I am planning in my head. My real problem is tend to go overboard. I'm working on simplifying. I'll post the completed project when I am done.

You will never guess....

Michelle put me up to creating a new blog site. Its called "THS Class of 1989" and will be a site for the 29 members of our class to reconnect and hopefully it will encourage us to have a better turn out for the 20th reunion in 4 years. GAG.....no, 3 years.....how is that possible?! Actually only 28 members will be able to attend, we lost Jamie a few years after graduation to a car accident. Maybe for the 2oth reunion we should buy a wreath to put on her grave as a class. I think that would be a nice thing to do, plus I know her Mom would really like that. I've got to go dig out the year book so I can get a class list posted and maybe I will dig up some old pictures. I know I have some from Junior year when we decorated for prom. lol...they are pretty good pics. Oh and yeah, our mascot was and still is an Indian Chief....not very politically correct these days but there is a rumor of a change.

The game that never ends.

There is a reason I don't play Monopoly...it lasts foever! I want to go to bed but the boys are in the middle of a game and they are right outside my bedroom. Guess who is sleeping in tomorrow! ME! Yep, I'm getting up at 8 or 8:30. That will give me about an hour to do things before Sam pops his head out of his bedroom. He's been sleeping in lately. I think it sounds like a great idea. Bet you ten bucks that we get two or three phone calls between 7 and 8. It always happens....ALWAYS! 

Let the mess begin!

I found a little desk on the side of the street the other night...and it was in really good shape as far as the frame was concerned. It is an extremely well built desk. It will fit in my bedroom perfectly and I'll finally have a place to do my letter correspondence. AKA snail mail.....which, I do every blue moon. Seriously, I do. Anyway, The paint was chipping off in a few places so I decided it was going to have to go. I'm stripping it off and then when It is done I am going to sand it and paint it. I think I am going to decoupage the top of it and then put a glass top on it. It has two drawers that fit in the front but I had removed them to take the paint off. When I am completely done, I will let you see it. Don't expect it anytime soon though. I still have to decide what color to do first. Then I have to get a hold of my Mother and make her dig in my craft stuff at home for a couple of things I need. She is going to love this.......NOT. It seems like I am always making her look for things. Hey, I delegate with the best of them.

ouch!

This is what happens to your shoulder when you carry a very heavy bag around the city. Note to self: Do not do that again. It hurt.

My friend Raine...

Yes, my friend Raine....well, really Lorraine and she spells her shortened name without the "e" but I prefer the "e" on Raine....so she suffers with my added vowel. Anyway, she went to San Francisco with her hubbie the infamous Christopher...aka Kissiffer. She was kind enough to bring me back something other than the Rice A Roni that I was teasing her about....though I would have cracked up if she did buy me a box of that stuff. Anyway, she bought me these really cute blue ball earrings....they match a shirt I have, so they will get lots of wear. She also bought me a gift backage of assorted See's Candies. OMG..the Chewy Nut Bar is to die for....but do not fear, I choose to live. There are also some assorted chewy lollypop things on sticks....and they are sooo goooooood and they last forever. I have not tried the candy sticks yet..but all in due time...all in due time, my friends!

Oh yeah, before I forget...when I was waiting at the train station to pick Raine up, I was working on a project. I thought I saw a movement to my left so I glanced over but didn't see anything unusual, that is when Raine opens the passenger side door and says BOO! She scared the holy crap out of me. I seriously jumped.....she got me.

1 outta 3, that is pretty bad!

I went our for lunch with Raine yesterday at our favorite....The Cheesecake Factory, yummy. Luckily it was quiet for TCF standards but that may be because we were seated near the back corner. While we were there I let Raine open her birthday presents early. I had the worlds worse luck picking them out. I bought her the Nigella Lawson cookbook titled "How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the art of comfort cooking" I knew that Raine was a fan of her artistry. I bought the book months ago. When I was at her apt watching the cats, I scanned her cookbook shelf by the kitchen and was happy that I didn't see it. Well, come to find out, she did have a copy in her bedroom and I never went in there. Oy Vey...so depressing...0-1.
Then she opened her second gift. It was a do it yourself guide to the movies. You can keep track of what you have watched and write your own review with a star rating included. I knew it would be something she would like....well, guess what?! She already had it. Dang it! 0-2. Not looking so good, is it. Raine said it was OK, and that atleast I knew what she liked. One left to go.    I gave Raine a set of the Nigella Lawson cream colored measuring cups. They look like actual tea cups and they are so cute. Well, you have to have the Nigella measuring cups to make the Nigella comfort food. VICTORY! She didn't have them! So, I was 1-3 for the day, and lunch was on me so I guess you could call that 2-4...but that doesn't sound much better. I tried...I really tried, and the kicker of the whole thing is I actually wrote in the books. I told her to cross out what I wrote in the cookbook and to write "I already have this, yah freak!" and give it to me for Christmas....lol.

We hit IKEA after lunch and we picked up a few things for Raine, then she had to get back home to check on her poor sick hubbie. Kissiffer was supposed to come along but he thought he was getting strep throat. Even though I don't get that....it was best that he rested and didn't spread it to the world.

My friends went to Sturgis and all I got was this picture....

Hey, I prefer the picture to a leather halter top...lol. I'm glad they had a good time.

Madame Tussauds

   I was trying to get Sam to go to the MOMA with me but he wasn't going to let me drag him to any artsy fartsy stuff this week. After we stood on the TKTS line to get our Drowsy Chaparone tickets we had to waste a few hours so we settled on the wax museum. First, let me note that it was expensive. Very expensive. $29 dollars each. Yeah, rip off! Ok, fine we did have fun but I really don't think it was worth it. I totally injured myself getting on the bike next to Lance Armstrong. My hip popped and ouchie, did it ever hurt. Then I had a terrible time getting off that bike. When your hip is hurting and you have to swing your other leg, up and over the bike...well, let me say that my dismount was not very graceful and I about landed on my butt. I think I also pulled a muscle in the process. My hip hurt the rest of the night. At one point it went "POP" again and actually felt better but I have been a little sore for a couple of days. It is getting better, it just needed some time, I guess.

We hit a show again...

 We are on a real roll. Sam and I went into NYC again today and waited in the TKTS line to get tickets to see The Drowsy Chaperone staring Sutton Foster. It was called a musical inside of a comedy and I would have to agree that that statement is entirely correct. We all enjoyed it. We went to Mama Mia last week and it was nothing compared to The Drowsy Chaperone...it was great. If you are in NYC shopping for a show, check it out. 

Paula and Randy would have approved!

 Well, so much for the 2006 audition, perhaps Sam will do better next year. 

Speaking of Babies

My friends Matt and Meri had a baby boy in July and I never posted about it. His name is Roy James Mathies and he was born on Tuesday July 25th at 2:03 pm. He was 6 lbs 10.2 oz. and 20 1/4 " long.

The return of Ylenia!

I have a very sweet friend in Italy who I have not been in contact with for way to long. I had lost her address and found a phone number that would not go through. I tried emailing her but the emails were bounced back to me. I finally sent her sister a Christmas card in the hopes that she would have Ylenia get in contact with me. I didn't hear anything. I kept trying to send emails. I was really starting to get very depressed over the whole deal but I had faith that someday we would be in contact again. Well, I got an email from her yesterday. With wonderful news. She had a baby girl, Rebecca, becky for short, in May. So, she has been very busy. Her sister had a baby girl named Sofia on November 29th 2005. Romina already had two children so she was super busy over the Christmas holidays, I am sure. Ylenia said she has more news for me but she just wanted to make sure my email address was correct before she started writting a long letter. I can not tell you how thrilled I am. Now I just have to keep myself from checking my email every two seconds to see if she wrote back yet.

Wrestle Mania: Kitty Fest 2006

I had a great time watching the two kitties at Raines house, fight, bite, kick, meow and almost fall off the sofa. They were out of control one minute and napping the next. They really are quite cute. Although the little Grey one woke me up at 2:45AM when he knocked over a stack of stack of catalogs and that wasn't such a big thing, it was the deposit the little guy left that sent me in a tailspin. The odor is what got my attention in the dark. It was strong and foul. OMG...I turned on the light and found out that poor kitty had the runs. I tried to get near it but found myself gagging from the odor. It didn't look that bad but the smell. Oy Friggin' Vey...it was the worst thing I ever smelt, worst than the dead cow....oh so much worse. I covered my face with eight layers of paper towels and I still gagged and coughed and sputtered around. It was so bad that I went into the hall and could not stop gagging so I ran to the bathroom where I puked. Now anyone that knows me knows I can't stand to puke. I hate throwing up and I will fight it. There was no stopping it this time. After I emptied my stomach, I went back to the mess and even though I kept gagging the entire time I was cleaning it up, I got the job done. I ended up throwing out two of Raine's Victoria Secret catalogs because of the nasty mess on top of them. Ewwww. That was the worst. I have cleaned up kitty and dog messes, changed litter boxes and even stinky baby diapers but this particular movement was by far the worst smell I have EVER come in contact with. Yeah, even worse that the basement of Chris' frat house, which smelled like a wet chicken coop. What I am trying to say is that IT WAS BAD! Tooches (the chunky old cat was a cuddle hog as always and was drooling everywhere because I spoiled him with petting and neck scratching. I didn't have much choice, he would block the TV if I didn't shower him in affection. Twit the skinny older cat spent most of his time hissing at the kittens and trying to stay out of the same room as them. I had to track him down to give him attention while the kittens were sleeping or he would walk away when they would walk into the room. I looked for 10 minutes before I found Twit curled up in the clothes hamper. He was so cute.

This is too embarrassing.

OK, OK, I'll admit it...this monstrosity is mine...all mine. It is my first ever snowflake. Mom read the directions to me because I can't read those crazy things. It's kind of lopsided and deformed, perhaps because I was talking more than counting....yes, perhaps that is true. I'm going to blame it on my sister, basically because she is a good scape goat. lol,you think I am joking, don't you. I really didn't want to post this picture because it is really pathetic and I have issues with pathetic things that I have created. I know, it is my first ever snowflake. I know it is the first crochet project I did that did not have straight rows like dish clothes do, or scarves. It could have been worse, it just looks like a snowflake that was stepped on or was to close to a heat source. I guess my dream of having one whole tree full of homemade snowflakes just went up in a blaze of glory, yep it bit the big one. Oh hell, I had just found a whole website with a ton of free snowflake pattern links. Who knows, maybe I will keep at it and actually create something lovely....some day, oh how I dream, some day!

Napping lessons by Tooches

 Hey, when you are as old as Tooches you know a thing or two about power naps. So after a long hour of playing, little Greyer settled down for his studies with Tooches. 

6 weird things meme

I've been tagged by Sue! I'll have to limit myself to 6 weird things...
1. One of my little toes doesn't actually touch the floor when I am standing unless I spread my toes a little and press it down.
2. I don't like anyone reading my magazines before I get a chance to...I hate wrinkled pages and finger prints all over them.
3. I can't stand the smell of fajitas when they bring them out on those sizzling hot cast iron plates. It makes me wanna puke and I loose my appetite. I love the taste of fajitas if they are not cooked that way though. Ofcourse, I really can't eat peppers of any kind because they make my stomach upset, even regular green garden peppers, but I do it anyway sometimes.
4. I tend to plan my day out the night before, so if my alarm doesn't go off and I get up late...it totally puts me in a funk because my schedule is shot already. This morning is a perfect example.
5. I found out in July that I am not really near sighted or far sighted, my only correction is for an astigmatisms. See photo.
6. I get on kicks where I write letters all the time and suddenly I'll stop and you couldn't force me to write anyone, even if you put a stick of dynamite under my butt. I do tend to mail a lot of packages though and the guys at my local post office know me by name.

I'm going to tag:
Cindy
Brandy

I think Blue is Grandma's color

I visited my Grandma Martha when I was home. She's in a nursing home but they take really good care of her. Her mind is slowly going but there are good days and bad days. There is a picture of me and my sister on her wall and on a bad day she thinks we are her nieces, the twins. Luckily, I visited on a good day. She knew the picture was of her granddaughters, Annette and Tisha...but she didn't realize that I was Annette. It doesn't upset me. Hey, when I'm 90 years old I plan on being a little looney too, that is if I make it to 90. Hell, I'm already a little looney...its part of my charm.