Boy, and y'all thought we had an idiot running OUR country!

So the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, comes to town and causes quite the hubbub. Apparently most Americans aren't so keen on a president believed to support terrorism just roaming and speaking freely about the US. As one might expect.

But Columbia University gave him an invite to speak and I for one was looking forward to what he had to say. I'm weird like that .... I like to hear the other side .... the perspective generally offers SOME sort of new insight. And generally the more sides to a story you hear, the closer to the actual truth you get.

But in this case, I have to disregard everything this man said because he proved himself certifiable. I mean, did y'all hear THIS quote from him when asked to explain the execution of homosexuals in Iran:

"In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country. In Iran we do not have this phenomenon. I don't know who's told you that we have this."

WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?! Seriously?!!!!!!!!! Who thinks that way?!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHH! How do you communicate with that type of idiocracy?!! I mean, that thinking is SOOO far off the beaten path that all the GPS systems in the world couldn't even help! GAH! Where's my wine?!!!!

A Concert-Etiquette Reminder

Y'all, some things just shouldn't HAVE to be said. You know, like don't try doing a backflip while driving your car on the freeway.

Or don't try trimming your toenails using a chainsaw while blindfolded and drunk.

Or how about, don't go without underwear if you've always got paparazzi trying to snap a picture of your hoo-ha.

You know, common sense things.

So when I was at the BB King concert last Thursday, I was kinda shocked when a strange man decided to plop down on the grass really close to our blanket and then proceed to cuddle the feet of my friend. And when she moved hers in shock, he proceeded to cuddle the feet of her husband. What the bloody hell?? Who does that stuff??!!!!

Of couse, I'm just giggling because of the insanity of it all. Plus, ya know, it wasn't my feet! (hehehe)

But really, I don't care HOW big of a foot-fetisher you are ... don't cuddle with stranger's feet without their permission at concerts. I'm just sayin' is all. You need to at least ask first. SHEESH! ;)

On a less admonishing note, the concert was great! Etta James opened. Man, that chicky is a wild thing. Some of her stories had ME blushing. ME!

And BB King, of course, a legend! It was so great to see him! I took a couple of pictures ... they didn't come out too well ... but I'll share anyway.

All in all, a grand ole time. Foot-fetisher and all!

I am perhaps not so smart

So y'all know how I loves me my dvr/tivo, right?! And am now officially spoiled rotten by it?!

Yep, ain't no way around it. Because you KNOW you are spoiled by dvr/tivo when you are driving in your car and try to rewind the radio. Yep. The DJs were talking and then they started laughing. Only I had missed what they said (due to something shiny I can only suppose) so I reached over to try to rewind what they said.

On more than one occasion.

Sigh.

Send help! (Or rewinding live radio! :))

I do dog tricks

No, not ME. I didn't mean that *I* do dog tricks. (Although I do sit and lay down pretty darned good).

But what I meant was, that the doggie on this here website does dog tricks ... at your command! How cute, right?

Give it a go. I've tried "sit", "down", "shake", "roll over", "beg", "bark", and "dead" so far. But my favorite by far is "kiss". Too too cute!

Yep, it's official, I loves him!

There's a new welder in town!

OMG, I have the nicest friends!

So for months I was lusting after a table lamp at one of my favorite home decor shops. Each time I went in I'd ooh and aah over it. But alas, I knew I didn't have a spot for that lamp in my house so I resisted buying it (who knew I had any willpower at all, but there ya go! Now if only I could harness that same willpower to resist, say, donuts!).

Anyway, I went to that store recently to shop that big sale they were having. And lo and behold, I found my beloved lampshade, only sans the lamp base (apparently it had broken). And the shade itself was only $3!!!!! And so, it goes without saying, that I had to have it!

I didn't really know what I could use it for at that point, but I knew down the road there would come something I could attach it to. Maybe even say, a lamp?!!!!

Only I get home and I start eyeing this funky, metal, floor-standing, older, Ikea(?) candle stand that I had. I set the shade on it, leaned it up against the wall (since the shade wouldn't stand on its own), and By George, it looked kinda cute.

So I mentioned my new treasure (my precious, my precious) to my friend T2. She mentioned it to her husband, aka MacGyver, and he said to give it to him that he could probably figure out a way to affix the shade to the candle holder (apparently they were not impressed with my idea of using several sticks of chewed bubble gum!)

Anyway, he takes a look at it, buys an old lamp at a Goodwill so that he can use part of it, buys tools so he can weld, and voila ...... I now have a lamp-shaded candle holder!! And seriously, it is BEAUTIFULLY done! That man rocks!

Take a gander:

Here's the top of the candle holder before it underwent any fixins'. Just an old candle on it, sitting on a spike sitting in the center of the base.

After some welding and a new paint job ... shazam!!! ..... no spike any longer in the center and the two lampshade prong holders (errr, that may not be the official name of those ;)) welded to the base!!!!!!

I was so dang excited after they gave it back to me last night that I ran right out and purchased one of those new-fangled battery-operated flameless candles (I'm thinking a real candle flame would have been perhaps a bad idea so close to my beautiful silky lampshade!).....

.....Popped the shade prong thingamabobs into the shade prong holders ......

.... and VOILA!:

hmm, this looks hella better in person, trust me. You can't even see the candle glow here nor the detail on the lamp shade. Phooey!

Too cute, right!?! Thanks SO much T2 and C! Y'all ROCK!!!!! I'd have no idea what I'd do without you (and this isn't just referring to a lamp-shaded candle holder either!!!). Love ya!

Comfort Food Recipe #1

Okay, on this day of remembrance, a little comfort food never hurts. And I was watching a tivo'd copy of Ellen last night and they made this recipe! This SOO reminds me of the recipes found in the Sweet Potato Queen books (anyone ever read those?? ... those are a HOOT!). Which means that you will gain 5 pounds just READING this! ;)

Here goes:

It's called (ready to gain a pound and a half right here with just the title???):

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding with Butter Rum Sauce

And it goes a little something like this:

2 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts [oops, here's another two pounds gained just with the first ingredient!!]
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 (4.5-ounce) cans fruit cocktail (undrained) [hey look, FRUIT! That makes this healthy, right?!]
2 eggs, beaten
1 (9-ounce) box raisins
1 pinch salt
1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon [or 3 or 4 .... love me the cinnamon!]
Butter Rum Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cube donuts into a large bowl. Pour other ingredients on top of donuts and let soak for a few minutes. Mix all ingredients together until donuts have soaked up the liquid as much as possible.
Bake for about 1 hour until center has jelled. Top with Butter Rum Sauce.

Butter Rum Sauce: [mmmmmmmmm]
1 stick butter
1 pound box confectioners' sugar
Rum, to taste
Melt butter and slowly stir in confectioners' sugar. Add rum and heat until bubbly. Pour over each serving of Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding.

Yeah, no fat there! It was funny, because Paula Deen was showcasing the bread pudding portion on the show and was all "the best thing about this recipe is that I added no sugar to it ... which makes it a 'sugar-free recipe'!!". (heh heh).

She also said that she prefers only 14 donuts to the two dozen because she likes the finished bread pudding to be a bit moister. Which sounds like a grand plan to me because then that leaves you 10 donuts to bide the time with while the bread pudding is baking! (what??) :)

If anyone tries it out, let me know what you think. I'm probably going to have to hold off on sampling this for a bit, I'm pretty sure my arteries have hardened just with my having typed up the recipe! :)

The Chronicles of Life and ......... hey, where is everybody???

So Friday at lunch I'm listening to radio station 105.1 The Buzz when they announce that they will be at a new-fangled outdoor shopping mall (Bridgeport, to those in the know) between 3:30 and 5:30 that afternoon giving out tickets to that night's Justin Timberlake concert. They also mention that the band Good Charlotte, who was set to open for Justin that night, would be there sometime during that time singing a few songs and signing autographs.

Now, being that I live the lifestyle of the Not-Quite Rich and the Not-So Famous meant that I was stuck at work and couldn't leave to be there right at 3:30pm. Blasted! Nonetheless, I did manage to high-tail right over after work and arrived at 4:30!

I walk in wondering where all the hubbub was at. I expected impossible parking (found one right off) and hordes of people. I mean, seriously, Good Charlotte is a popular band with great music and a number of cds ..... where the f@ck were the shocked-yet-delighted masses of fans pulling out their hair and throwing their panties??

'Twas crazy. Not a pierced nor tattooed fan in sight!

(*insert sound of crickets chirping*)

After much wandering around and querying of the "Who is Good Charlotte???" Folks, I finally found someone who said that the band might possibly be across the street at the new section of the Bridgeport Village! Criminey!

I jog on over and arrive to the sounds of Good Charlotte music!! Yippee Skippee!! And better yet, there were MAYBE 100 people there watching the show. MAYBE!

Without time to question why so few people were there, I join the back of the pack watching the performance and video'd this for all y'all:



How cool, right?! I was sooo jazzed!

Now normally I would have more video for you, but as un-luck would have it, that was the only song I got to see! Right after recording this came the sounds of "thank you and good night!". I was all "seriously"??? (*insert sound of much foot stomping and cussing*)

Sigh.

Still happy I took the time to go though. I was going to hang out to catch autographs but being that I didn't have time to swing by my place to grab their cds beforehand I had bupkus for them to sign (just ANY piece of paper isn't my thing). Plus without a wing-man, I'm pretty wussie when it comes to asking for pictures with the band members. Of course, my internal rationalization wasn't that I was a "wuss" per se, but that I needed to be across rush-houred town to meet up with a friend by 5:45. So, ya know, otherwise I would certainly have waited in line with my Big-Girl Pants on and asked for a picture.

Uh-huh. (If y'all believe that then I've got a bridge to sell ya!)

Instead I have the following two pics. The first while the band was still on stage, and the second as they were walking into the Verizon store to sign autographs. (seriously, they are there ..... it's just a "Where's Waldo")

Regardless, yay for Good Charlotte! Very cool of you guys to take the time to perform before the show for this promotional event. I'm not sure where all your fans were though .... I'm still baffled by that. Perhaps your song title "The Young And The Hopeless" is more fitting than y'all thought. ;)

A breath of fresh air!

With all the disheartening news online lately, I thought y'all might enjoy this very uplifting story! Seems a Mystery Gardener did some free yard work for a Red Cross building when nobody was around ... and no-one knows who it was. How awesome is that??

Story here.

That reminds me of the Nick Cage movie "It Could Happen To You" where his character spends his lottery winnings randomly and anonymously helping people. Just simple things like offering up free tokens to people heading into work on the NYC subway! Seriously, how fun would that be?

Ellen DeGeneres just did something similar on her show yesterday where she took over duties at a toll booth in NYC and let people go through for free (well, they had to sing or something first ... but still ... that saved them $6 (btw, $6 per trip through the tunnel??? HOLY HELL!))

Love it! So thanks Mystery Gardener for stepping up and doing this Random Act Of Kindness. I thought for sure that you'd be stepping up to take credit once the story hit the papers ... but nope, you haven't! Which makes it simply perfect! Thank you!