Another Blonde Moment

A few months ago, I was over at Blonde Blogger's, and she was having a contest for the coolest aprons and cookbooks from Another Blonde Moment. I didn't win anything, so I decided to order myself the apron in the picture. I didn't get a confirmation about the order, so after a few weeks I emailed. I got an email response from Debbie, one of the owners, that yes, she'd received my order and would be shipping it soon.

A bit more time went by, and I still didn't have my apron. I decided to give Debbie a call. She has the most delightful Southern accent! She told me that she'd suffered a serious blonde moment. She was cutting up some foods and also sliced up her hand. She had to have surgery to repair it because she'd also sliced some nerves. I wasn't in a big rush for my apron and told her to wait until she was feeling better.

A couple of days ago I got a notice from SingPost that there was a parcel I needed to collect. When I got there, the queue was so long I almost had to stand outside. There were only 3 people working the counter. I spent a full hour just to collect my parcel!

Message to SingPost... Hire some more people to work those counters!

After I collected the box, I saw "Another Blonde Moment" on the return address, and I couldn't wait to open the package! I love getting packages in the mail, don't you?

Once I got the box open, I saw that she'd not only sent me the "Will Cook For Highlights" apron that I ordered, she also sent me a copy of each of her cookbooks: "Any Blonde Can Cook: Two Hundred 69 Ways To a Man's Heart", "How to MEAT a Blonde, Brunette or Redhead: A Dating & Cooking Guide", and "Any Blonde Can Do It!". These are the cleverest cookbooks I've ever seen! Oh! and she included some catalogs, and now I want to order some of the Blonde Floozies.
I just checked my order and saw that I only paid $7 for shipping and Debbie paid $37 to send all of these goodies to me! I owe you big time Debbie! Thank you so much.

I was going to put a picture up of me wearing my new apron, but something's wrong with my USB port again. It's either Windows (which wouldn't surprise me a bit) or a hardware issue. I've got some investigating to do. This has also messed up my "This is Today" thing on Flickr. Stupid USB port!

My Saturday

So, I got my new elliptical cross-trainer this morning. OMG! It is the Rolls-Royce of cross-trainers -- so smooth, and it's going to kick my ass!.

After the delivery, assembly, and very short educational tour, it was time for my hair appointment with Esther at Casey's. This was our first meeting, and I told her I wanted to have my hair "lightened-up" and "trimmed". I even demonstrated the technique used by my previous stylist, Arthur. He would take some of my hair, twirl it around, and then scrape the scissors blade over it to thin it out. When it's styled, it's "phfoofier" (yes, that is a word because I said so). Esther did a great job! (Picture taken with camera phone because WHH has our good camera so that he can get lots of pics of my "bouncing baby boys" in the U.S.)

I went to an Italian restaurant for a calzone, glass of wine, and to read my new book, "A Tragic Legacy" by Glenn Greenwald. I was so absorbed with the book that I didn't hear the waiter approach. When I saw him next to the table, I looked up at him quizzically. He said, "Madame are you a doctor?" "No", I replied. "Well, ma'am, what is your occupation then?"

I just looked at him because I couldn't understand why he was so interested in my occupation. I finally said with a smile, "Tai-tai". He laughed at that and then said, "I've never seen you here before. Are you studying because you just read, read, read?"

"Oh, my husband and I come in here all of the time (I made sure that he saw my wedding ring). I know you've seen me before because I've seen you. I'm just reading this because I'm want to." I showed him the book, and he thought about it a bit before saying, "where are you from?"

"I'm American, and no I did not vote for President Bush either time."

He looked around a bit to be sure there weren't any other customers that needed attention before asking, "Ma'am can you tell me why America wants to make the rest of the world do what they want?"

"I hope that you understand that Americans are not bad people."

He smiled, "I know all Americans are not bad, but your country is pushing their ways on us. Why must we always listen to your country? Where did you get that book?"

"That's a very good question that I don't think I can answer. The nice thing about being an American, though, is that people can still write scathing commentary on our political leaders and I can still choose to buy and read it." I told him that I bought the book from Borders and showed him the sticker. He said, "Oh, that is too much for me."

"When I'm finished reading it, I will give it to you."

"Ma'am, only if it is a gift from your heart."

"Yes, it will be a gift from this American's heart."

A Fun Contest

I discovered So A Blonde Walks Into a Blog today via NYC Watchdog's Smorgasboard Sunday (I'm a bit behind on reading blogs). The Blonde is a 35-year old mother of three, a freelance writer, and correspondent for an online news service. The first post on her blog is a contest for "Another Blonde Moment" prizes. I need to win those cookbooks and the apron. I love the apron!

Debbie Thornton is the owner of Another Blonde Moment featuring her cookbooks "Any Blonde Can Cook", "Any Blonde Can Do It", and "How to Meat a Blonde" along with some of the most fun and creative accessories I've ever run across!

Here are the titles of sections in "Any Blonde Can Cook"...

Four Play, A.M. Spirits, Souper Nooners, Cream of the Crop, Enter Courses, and Happy Endings

I just ordered the "Will Cook For Highlights" apron! Go on over to Another Blonde Moment and order some fun gifts or treat yourself! Be sure to check out So A Blonde Walks Into a Blog too. Yes, she's blonde, but she doesn't fit the stereotype at all -- she's an excellent writer.

Cool T-Shirts and a Fiery Crotch(ular area)

The highlights of my week arrived Thursday from Dave at Blogography and Karl at Secondhand Tryptophan!! When I saw the packages in our mailbox, I was elated!! Yes, I think elated is the right word. See the look on my face?-------->







"I feel pissy, oh so pissy.
I feel pissy and witty and WAYyyy... bad!"

Question: Why do I always have Broadway musicals running through my head?

Tuesday, after posting in my blog, I went shopping with my little trolley, and bought the requisite beer, wine, bread, milk, and chocolate pudding. Once home, I puttered, checked Google Reader for blog updates and comments, and read another story from Bukowski's "Tales of Ordinary Madness" (OMG! What a guy! and RW was published in some of the same magazines!!! I "know" a famous person -- DON'T!HATE!).

I'd procrastinated long enough, it was time to work-out and finish the movie I'd started the day before, "Keeping the Faith". It was a cute movie, but I had problems with the pace of the film -- it was too slow for me. There were several scenes that I would've cut completely. Still, I was completely distracted from my work-out, and that's the most important thing for me. I don't want to focus on the time or the discomfort of working out.

I worked out almost until the end of the movie, and then I walked around the living room in the a/c to cool down and I finished the movie. It was about 30 minutes later that I felt "the twinge", and it wasn't a good kind of twinge. No, it wasn't good at all. I recognized that twinge from about 10 years ago. Sonofa.... I cannot believe this is happening to me again, damnit! Another UTI, OMG! I knew that I would be in excruciating pain within an hour or so.

The WHH has been working on a humongous project and was running late. By about 7 p.m. the twinge had turned into a burning sensation. I called the doctor (I think that's part of a 70's song). The doctor kept telling me not to panic. That was easy for him to say because as he was telling me how he thought I could wait to see him until morning, my "crotchular" area was going up in flames! Yes, it was on FIRE and it is a crotchular area. WHH arrived home just in time to have a conversation with the doctor, and then headed to the A & E (Accident & Emergency) at Gleneagles Hospital to collect some first-aid medicine to tide me over until morning.

I'm feeling much better now, but it has been rainy and dreary here for over a week. I actually enjoy a couple of rainy days, but beyond that it starts to affect my mood. That is, until I wear my Bad Monkey t-shirt or my EYE HEART KAR L shirt. They'll always make me smile!

OK, Maybe I'm Not So Smooth, I Just Thought I Was...

I went to the doctor yesterday for another injection. About an hour afterward, I could feel an odd buzzy/tingly sensation in the muscle on my collarbone -- a very strange sensation, to say the least. I've had a buzz before, but never in my freakin' collarbone! Dr. Tan told me to see Magic Fingers today, and then come back for another injection on Thursday -- then back to Magic Fingers on Friday for his special touch. OK, he didn't say that specifically, but really, that's what he meant.

So, I went to Paul "Magic Fingers" today. He wasn't too keen on me getting these injections, but agreed that drastic measures are needed to get my neck to move without excruciating pain. I still have some knots, but I'm not sure they'll ever go away. I think all of those years of playing tenor sax has pretty much ruined my neck.

Enough complaining... I thought I'd tell you what I read while I was traveling and had no access to the internets.

• The Camel Club, by David Baldacci -- A story about 4 eccentric conspiracy-theorists who witness a murder in Washington, DC. Baldacci gives a lot of background information about the CIA, FBI, NSA, politics, terrorism, but the plot was just a bit too implausible for me. He tells a good story, though, so it's worth reading just to learn a few things. It was very clear that Baldacci is not enamored with the current Administration. So, I have to like it just because of that! I'll rate this one 3 1/2 out of 5.

• Lisey's Story, by Stephen King -- Stephen King has been one of my all-time favorite authors since I read "Carrie" when I was 17. I love King's story-telling, but this story was difficult for me to grab onto. He's usually got me hooked on the first page, but this time I had to delve deeper into the novel by several chapters. He had me then -- writing about what he knows best, a writer and his wife of many years. It's a love-story that transcends time in a Stephen King kind of way. This one gets a 4 1/2 out of 5.

• 1st To Die, by James Patterson -- My sister had read this paperback and gave it to me while I was at her house visiting. This was my first Patterson novel, so I wasn't sure what to expect. He grabbed my attention on the first page. I like it when that happens. The setting is San Francisco, and a psycho killer is on the loose killing newlyweds. Four women band together, (a homicide inspector, a medical examiner, an assistant DA, and a reporter) to try to stop the killer. I liked this one a lot because the author takes the reader through a lot of twists and turns. This one gets a 4 out of 5.

• Killer Instinct, by Joseph Finder -- I think I bought this at the airport in Chicago because I was out of reading material. Finder is also a new author to me, but I particularly liked this one because the main character in the story, Jason, is a sales rep for a multi-national electronics firm trying to get his foot in the door of management. Jason is young, married a few short years to his wife, Kate, and very happy with his work and life in general. Then, one day, quite by accident, Jason meets Kurt. Kurt is good at everything he does and is only to happy to help Jason in his quest for a position in management. I'll give this one another 4 out of 5.

• Girls In Pants, The Third Summer of the Sisterhood, by Ann Brashares -- Our niece, Alex, loaned me this one because, once again, I was out of reading material. This is the third book in a series, the first being "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". I read this one on the beach in Langkawi. It's a teen novel, but well written. This is another story about 4 young women who just graduated high school. They've been friends their whole lives, but now each is off on a new adventure to college in four different cities. I enjoyed this one, and I know our niece did. I think younger teenage girls can relate to the characters in this story because it's not a fairy tale. Each girl has some serious issues to face. I'll give this one a 3 1/2 out of 5.

I am currently reading "The War of the World: Twentieth Century Conflict and the Descent of the West" by Niall Ferguson. I just started it this week, and it will take me a long time to get through it. This book is well-researched and there are so many facts to digest, but so far, Ferguson makes it interesting and understandable.

In conversations with Patrick, he's mentioned that I should check out Charles Bukowski. While I was in between appointments the other day, I went to Borders and bought, "Tales of an Ordinary Madness" -- a book of his short stories. This guy makes me sad, sick to my stomach, and sorry, yet he can make me laugh too. How come I'm just now finding out about him? If you're not the squeamish type, you should check him out.

A Meme

I've decided that I'll do a meme that Don, Looney, and Paula have done. This is the inaugural meme for my blog, and I think it's appropriate since I love to read. Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, put READ next to those you've read, WANT TO next to those you are interested in, AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you've read and can't stop, TRIED next to those you started and gave up on, and leave blank those you don't care to read. I'll put a short editorial next to some of those I've read.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) - READ
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) – AGAIN AND AGAIN all-time fav
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien) –
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) -
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien) -
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown) - READ (not so good)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)-WANT TO
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden) –
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Rowling) -
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King) - AGAIN AND AGAIN (another fav)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte) -READ
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien) -
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) - WANT TO
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) - READ
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) - WANT TO
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) - WANT TO
26. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) -
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte) - TRIED
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) - TRIED
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck) - WANT TO
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)- READ
31. Dune (Frank Herbert) -
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand) – WANT TO
34. 1984 (Orwell) - READ
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) -
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)- AGAIN AND AGAIN loved it
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)-TRIED TO
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible - READ although not entirely
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt)- AGAIN AND AGAIN
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck) – WANT TO
50. She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb)-READ
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)-READ
53. Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card) –
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)- AGAIN AND AGAIN another fav!
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald) - READ - excellent
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)-READ loved it
59. The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)- WANT TO I own it
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) - WANT TO
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy) –
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice) - WANT TO
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller) – WANT TO another that I own
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) - WANT TO
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery) –
71. Bridget Jones' Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)- READ
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)-READ loved it
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving) - READ loved it!
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White) - READ
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) – WANT TO
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard's First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley) – READ
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding) –
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck) - READ
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)-READ
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum) -
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton) -
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)-WANT TO
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce) - WANT TO