Tuesdays with Moon: Café du Rat Mort

While walking through a parking lot by a local Mexican restaurant I noticed a dead rat. He was a fat, ugly, brown rat and didn't look as if he were hit by a car but dead none the less. Let me add, I don't like this restaurant and if I were to create a scenario it would be: the rat ate there, was ignored by the wait-staff, and dragged his body outside where he expired. Since I saw none of this we'll just have to suppose.

On to the next death. On the same day, while walking in my neighborhood, at the foot of a small retaining wall I saw a dead mouse. I did examine this closer, because Disney has done such a good job; mice are much easier to look at, and he looked as if he'd fallen and died of a broken neck because his head was at such an unnatural angle with a little pool of blood coming out his ear. Other than his death he looked rather healthy.

These were two observations. I can't say the last time I've seen a dead rodent in town but to find two on the same day was creepy, to say the least.

Editor's note: Café du Rat Mort was a real café in Montmarte frequented by artists in the mid-to-late-18oos.

No more calls, we have a winner!

Great new! My sister, one third of the Peanut Butter Etouffee food blog, won the recipe contest this month in Cook's Country magazine. You can read all about it on PBE.

We are all very proud of her.

Multi, the on-top dog

Lil bird's dog, Multi doesn't care where he sits as long as it's on top of you. This is fine in the winter but the summer can be a challenge. If you crave some sort of contact then he's the dog for you. I've thought he should be one of those dogs you take into hospitals and nursing homes: Dog for Rent.

Editor's note: I thought I'd done a good job on the eyes but evidently didn't. It was such a cute snap I hated not to use it. I apologize to no one other than Multi.

Thinking of an addition?

Train tracks slice through industrial areas most of the time but on occasion there will be a house or two visible from my window as I head downtown Los Angeles. I have to wonder which was there first and it's hard to determine in some areas. Did the land owner hold out hoping to get more money from the railroad or did they purchase the land for a song?

In any case there are some challenging neighborhoods in Los Angeles. None so creative as a property I saw somewhere between Glendale and Burbank. In a fairly tidy lot was an old California Mission style bungalow probably built somewhere around the early '30s. A typical stucco structure, vaguely Moorish, with red tile roof. Its current color was more of a Curry meets Mustard than the original pale yellow or warm cream but I'm sure in ten or twenty years it will fade to something less blinding. That in its self was remarkable enough but what was parked on the same lot really made be sit up and take notice.

Steel shipping containers, the kind you see loaded on rail cars and ships, are now sold to the public though I can't say I've ever had the need, nor the space, for a huge steel box with a lock. And evidently you can add windows and door and paint them any color you wish because parked next to this house was a 20 footer painted the same bilious yellow complete with its own window and a door. Now the nice touch is they painted the top of the box to match the red tile on the bungalow. I seem to find a surprise every time I travel to LA.

Tuesdays with Moon

This was an official No Gas Tuesday but last Monday could almost qualify. That day I walked about three miles the got on the bus to come home. It's way too hot to be hoofin' to far around here. I did eventually drive my car but only a short distance to the market. Tuesday, I was true to my challenge and ran a few errands sans the automobile. I must be diligent as I was reminded by one of my neighbors she reads my blog and I'd hate to get caught. Plus, I try to be true to myself, if nothing else.

Anyone who's been to a Panera Bread Cafe knows why I want to walk there. Man, there's a bunch of calories just lurking inside and since it's only about three miles it is within my range. The morning was still cool so I decided instead of getting the bus at the corner I'd walk. It was a very pleasant morning and, though I thought it was nice, I never saw another person walking until I got to the shopping area. Shame. They, the general lazy-ass public, don't know what they're missing. It's so easy to be snide when you are actually doing something physical--for a change.

Only about a block away from the house and I realized neglecting my hat was a big mistake. I get tired of the baseball cap but if I don't wear something I usually burn my scalp. My hair is short to begin with and of late is getting a little thin on top. What I need is a little brimless cap to wear but don't think it's proper for a woman to wear a yamaka. Mervyn's and Target had nothing so I headed on to Panera's for a yummy Asiago cheese bagel, ice tea and the morning paper. Life is great when you have time.

The rest of the trip was quite uneventful, did some shopping, only one bag to carry back, and then caught the bus home. I relish the last leg of my trip as the bus is air-conditioned and never crowded and usually someone to chat with. This day I met a young woman with halting English but a desire to communicate. She had a need to practice her English. With my very limited Spanish we accomplished a conversation. She cleans houses, has two boys and is from Guatemala and before her stop neatly wrote her name and phone number on a little slip of paper in case I'd need her services. I love this country.

Our ancestors came from other countries, Scot/Irish and Spanish/Maltese, and I'm sure there was a time in their lives when they thought it better to leave their native country and make a better life for their families knowing how difficult that would be. I always wonder if I'd have the guts to do just that. Would you?

Getting help from a billionaire

This is interesting. A Texas Oil Billionaire, not running for office, wants to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. All the current administration wants to do is lift the ban of offshore oil drilling. Yeah, like we need more of that. We need to get off oil, foreign or domestic and find an alternative. This is a creative country why can't we spend some money on technologies that would do that?

In the coming weeks I'll be watching what ol' T.Boone has in store for a solution. You might want to take a look, too.

Boring guy even puts dogs to sleep

This is amazing.

Water off a duck's back

The Metrolink trains have a fun little arrangement for seating; two facing two. So you are forced to sit and look at two other people or bring a book, computer, or newspaper to keep you otherwise occupied. I was deep into reading my new book this week when Mr D-troit City literally dropped into the seat next to me. I have this magnet.

We picked up this obnoxious soul at the last stop. He just flew in and as luck would have it, his not mine, he was going to all the way to my stop. I tried to be ever so nice, I really did. We'd only gone two stops when he'd already insulted women, and the Japanese and was almost finished with his third joke when I told him, with a glare that could freeze water, it was his last.

Changing the subject I asked if he were on vacation. God, I prayed he was. Who wants this moron in the state permanently. He was going to visit "his girl" and called her to let her know he was closely approaching their rendezvous. I then started praying this woman was blind and deaf. Us sisters need to stick together. Should I meet her at the platform and bitch slap some sense into her? Or, maybe she was getting her Karma straightened our for a past sin.

When he told me he needed to ask me something that might make him look stupid I told him how on earth could I think less of him than I already do. Never phased him though the woman behind us laughed out loud. I was sure she'd been entertained by this baboon since he plopped down. He noticed some empty seats and asked should he move and I told him yes because this was my stop and since the train only stops for a few moments the thought of riding with him any further made me want to find a sharp object with which to take my life.

Mr D-troit City was insufferable but I only had to spend a half hour with him think of his lady friend. Now I know why animals, caught in a trap, chew off their own leg.

Camera captures the past

We didn't take any photos when we adopted Buddy, our wire-haired terrorist but this snap really tells his story. Lil Bird found him at a local pet store adoption day and I believe this was what he was doing. Little did we know.

Honestly, Buddy has turned out to be a great friend and we wouldn't know what to do without him.



see more dog pictures

Hey, wipe your footprint

Some people wonder why I complain about oil prices since I drive a hybrid and get a solid 40 MPG in the summer; better when I don't need the air-conditioning. Yes, when you only fill up every two weeks it does insulate you from the near $5 a gallon but driving the Cushman (our little nickname for the Honda and you'd have to have driven one to understand why) doesn't help the delivery costs for everything we consume.

The Cafe of the Getty Center has started something quite interesting. It's called a Low Carbon Diet. This is a committed program by Bon Appétit, a nationwide food management group to lower their carbon footprint. Basically they are will be buying local and reducing the amount of waste. This Palo Alto, CA company has over 400 cafes in 28 states, usually large companies and Universities.

Here are their kitchen principles:

The following food standards have been created for the well being of our guests:

• Menus are written based on seasonality and availability of regional fresh product. Whenever possible, these are produced locally using sustainable and organic practices
• Turkey breast and chicken are produced without the routine use of antibiotics as a feed additive
• Hamburgers are made with fresh ground chuck from beef raised on vegetarian feed without antibiotics or hormones
• Other meats are raised without antibiotics as a first preference
• Milk is free of antibiotics and artificial Bovine Growth Hormone as available
• Shell eggs are produced cage-free and Certified Humane
• Vegetarian options are plentiful at every meal
• Healthy menu items are a mainstream offering throughout our cafés
• Salsas, pizza, marinara and other sauces are made from scratch
• Stocks are made from scratch, the day before use to ensure the removal of fats
• Turkey and beef are roasted in-house daily for deli meat
• Tuna is dolphin-safe, packed in water
• Seafood should be purchased fresh when available locally. Salmon is wild caught. We support the Seafood Watch guidelines as recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Olive and canola oils are used for everyday salad dressings, specialty oils for other purposes (i.e. walnut oil or chili oil)
• Trans fats are not used in our kitchens
• All salad dressings are made from scratch. Nonfat and low-calorie dressings may be purchased as necessary
• Vegetables are prepared in batches at the last possible minute and served in the smallest possible batches
• MSG and peanut oil are never used in the preparation of our food
• Mashed potatoes are made from fresh potatoes
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice is used for cooking and sauces
• Cookies, muffins and breads (where possible) are baked fresh daily

Tired of feeling like you can't do anything? Here's a great way to get started in your own kitchen, What you can do. I also love their Top Five Low Carbon Diet Tips and a cool little search page for local, sustainable food in your area. Eat Well Guide. And finally, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has a pocket seafood guide so you know what fish is ocean-friendly and safe to eat. Don't forget to ask restaurants where their seafood was caught or raised and don't buy seafood that has to be flown in buy frozen when caught. Shipping fish uses less energy than flying it into your market, fresh-caught. If you can't see the ocean don't buy fresh-caught.

Mi Doyers

Ever since Vegas I feel like I'm on vacation. Not cooking much so that means not posting on the food blog. Not really doing much of anything. I'm still dealing with a bum elbow so resting it is utmost these days. I do the minimal amount of cleaning; just enough to keep the health department at bay. That leave watching TV which has become a favorite now that the temp hovers around the triple digits.

Neither my beloved or I favor much regular TV but with Tivo, (or what we call, what did we do before this?) we can watch the few things we like. The Dodgers are pretty high on that list right now and as we slide headfirst into the All-Star break they are in a battle for first place. Hopefully the break will give everyone a rest and maybe a little batting practice. Ethier can only do so much and let's face it, the old man, Kent is getting more fragile each game. He still is a force to be reckoned with; let's hear it for the old guys.

Fire in the sky causes problems for all of us

Happy Fourth of July. Always a fun day but filled with some angst for me. One, the doggies; they do hate all the noise and two, the fireworks. Someone gets hurt because when you combine fire and things that go boom with the inevitable consumption of alcohol you've got problems.

Now I'm not saying we don't set off a pretty spectacular display ourselves but we get the safe and sane varieties legal in the county ( just not our city) and safety is of the utmost importance. We hose down the cement area next to the pool, have water and fire extinguishers at the ready and only one responsible person lights off the fireworks. It's been a tradition but we won't this year. The Arnold our Gov wants a crackdown on fireworks so our little city will fall in step with some pretty stiff fines. You can understand why, just go on YouTube and search "fireworks accidents", such a bunch of idiots in this country. Thanks for ruining it for us.

Tuesdays with Moon

Today was a very busy day to be without a car. To make an 8:00 a.m. physical therapy appointment I needed to leave the house by 7:15. I was wonderfully cool and I almost hated getting on the bus but I knew if I walked the three miles by the time I got there I'd be a sweaty mess and I had other things to do afterwards.

My former watercolor teacher called me a few weeks ago and asked me to join a class she was starting on the first. I planned to just go and register and not paint; I'd drag my materials next week. When I got there late, because of my other errands, I found she isn't teaching a class and there weren't any other students. She is a bit on the flaky side and must have forgotten who she'd called. This didn't surprise me but did disappoint me. I was looking for a kick in the butt to get back into painting and now I've got to motivate myself which won't happen because I've got my hands full just keeping on track with "no gas Tuesdays"!

Babylon, where the whores are.

Vegas proved to be very entertaining. We never saw one show except for the traveling performance of the Human Comedy. God, it's a great place to people watch. If I only post what went on last weekend I'd have material for the rest of the year.

1. It was pride weekend so we weren't the only women staying together
   
2. Sure, I'll have another
3. Fast food with a Daiquiri Bar
4. Is vomit in the pool considered a party foul?
5. Why is it light outside?
   

It had been six years since the four of us all got together and we had so much to talk about we never had time to drink or gamble, or get into trouble.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

You know what also stays in Vegas? Your money,that's what but I don't plan to go crazy. I've gotten that gambling bug out of my system lately. Most likely because I do not have much of an income. Retiring early means two things, you're young enough to have fun and since you actually aren't old enough for Social Security you better have that fun on a budget. I'm not complaining because if I wanted more money I could, perish the thought, go back to work. I've been stashing a few bucks away every week so I can at least enjoy giving some money to the casino.

If anyone is looking for a desktop calendar for July they'll need to be patient. I've taken a leave of absence from this blog until July 1 and not sure if I'll even get one up then. Good news, I'm getting back with my watercolor teacher and should produce something in the next few months. It should be good to be back with my artsy friends, again.

So wish me luck, 31 black is my number and maybe I'll have a photo of Vegas for the July calendar.

Tennis anyone?

In February of this year I did something very stupid. Some believe I do stupid things just so I have fodder for this blog and I'm trying to deny this but these events just keep popping up. I've spent more time in therapy this year than a Hollywood starlet, and that will be the last time anyone compares me to a starlet, I promise.

So what's my new round of therapy for? My old elbow that I keep injuring. I did it a disservice when I couldn't use my right broken wrist and now am paying the price with a case of lateral epicondylitis flareup , which to some people is tennis elbow. After a particular nasty two weeks I finally got to see the Dr and he shot me full of cortisone which made me feel I want to go out and pitch 12 more innings and play Roger Federer a few sets. That stuff is amazing. Too bad you just can't order it up for all sorts of situations.

For the time being I feel great and every morning I wake, try my arm, and bless that Dr Needle for all this good work. Like every thing else this should wear off and I'll be back in the same situation and Dr Needle says I might have to go to Dr Knife which I'm trying to avoid because Dr Knife's real name is Mr Pain.

It's crazy not to be cool!

While downtown last week I neglected to add this little tip on beating the heat. It was so frightfully hot I had to call short my trip to Pasadena.

In LA we have a some what efficient subway called the Metro; how original. Now this is by no means perfect but I've been a rider since it opened and I love it. I just wish it would go to the Westside or closer to me but hey, baby steps, we've only had a traffic problem since the 40s.

Where we do become original is in the names of the trains. Each Metro train is given a color designation and the train to Pasadena is named the Gold line. We also have Blue, Red, Purple, Green, and I can't imagine what would be next; the salmon pink or maybe taupe or how about the plaid line. It is LA, after all, and we are a rainbow of color here on the west coast.

We also have the Orange line which is a bus traveling in it's own roadway and only stops at a few stations. This has been a great success with only one drawback, cars can accidentally get into this roadway with some pretty serious accidents. If you read my sister's blog, she has an article from Dave Barry about Miami's famous bad drivers. If bad driving were an Olympic event Miami might just edge us out for the Gold but LA would most definitely be in the running for Silver.

Back to my new hint to beat the heat. With the temperature breaking into triple digits I found myself in the need to cool down. I'd been to Pasadena walking about and was now back at Union Station waiting for my train home. It would be at least an hour and a half in a crowded, non-air conditioned terminal and I was getting pretty dopey with the heat. I prompted me to get a big cup of ice and some soda to cool down. When I'd finished the soda I found munching on the ice was quite refreshing. I also found when I dropped a cube, quite by accident, down the front of my dress it was even better.

This turned into one of the ah ha moments--necessity being the Mother of Invention--I needed to cool down! Off to the Ladies Room to pack my foundation garments with sufficient ice chips to see me through the next hour. Boy, did that work. They slowly melted, made my dress a little damp, and with the slight breeze, cooled me down to somewhat normal temp. It was either that or soak my head in the sink, I needed to cool down, folks. Don't judge me.

Here are some rules to follow when trying this new method to stay cool.

1. This might only work if you are wearing a dress.
   
2. Always wear loose fitting clothes.
3. Always wear a print, less likely to show the wet areas.
4. Find a vendor that has ice in chips not big cubes.
5. Don't really give a damn if people think you odd for putting ice down your cleavage.
   

Trust me, I was the most comfortable person in the terminal at that time except the woman with the shopping bag on her head, I bet it was wet.

Tuesdays with Moon

Here I am again with "no gas Tuesday" and lots to do. I started out early though the temp will not be breaking records today it was reported to sneak into the upper 80s. It was only 78 when I started out this morning. I made three stops this morning and was only gone two hours. That's good even if I was driving my own car.

Walking in the morning, when it's cool, is very enjoyable. I enjoy the freedom of not wearing a coat or jacket. I do wear some sort of head protection as my poor old head sunburns something horrible. Right now it's a baseball cap but that gets a bit warm. I remove it as much as I can in the shade and think some sort of scarf might be an alternative.

There's a bus stop just a half-block from my door but I usually choose to walk to the one that's about two miles down the road. This morning I walked a bit farther to the shopping center, Target, Trader Joe's, and the sort, then got on the bus for my next errand. While waiting for the bus a photographer for a local "free" paper asked if she could take my photo for a story about increased bus participation. She also asked me a few questions about why I take the bus and being me, I told her all about my "no gas Tuesday" plan; she was surprised but pleased and snapped a few shots while I was boarding the bus. I hope she got my good side.

Doing my civic duty

Los Angeles is in one of the nastiest heat waves I've seen in a while. It was 110 on my patio but I had the luck of going downtown where it was only 98; like a vacation in the Arctic.

To get to the court I can take a variety of different modes of transportation with my favorite being the Metro-link. The station had oodles of parking, is only fifteen minutes for my house, and when I get on it isn't too crowded. The train is air-conditioned with comfortable seats though the leg room must be a challenge for someone tall. There are four seats two facing front; two back so if you're paired with a tall person it could be uncomfortable. With Ipod plugged in I'm content to listen and close my eyes from time to time. If I have a seat mate wanting to talk I'll respond but I can take or leave the morning conversation.

The hour trip last week stretched into better than an hour and a half and this didn't surprise any of the regulars. Seems there was an entry door problem. Some wouldn't open; some did so I boarded the car that did. For me, problem solved. The conductor seemed to have some issues so he fussed for about ten minutes at each stop and that made us late. I'd really intended to have breakfast at Philippe's so no harm for me, I just switched my plans to lunch, which was quite tasty I might add.

The photo at the top of the page is one of lil bird's doggies, Max. You've seen him before. Him and his "brother" Multi are staying with us while the kids are on vacation. Max love to be in the middle of things and since he looked quite important sitting on my desk, not unlike the architectural lions outside some buildings, so he'll be my snap for this post.

Tuesdays with Moon

To prove last Tuesday wasn't a fluke I didn't use my car again today. Posting about this means I'd have to be accountable to someone and I wasn't sure if I could live up to a challenge but here it is, another Tuesday and I've succeeded getting things done with public transportation and my own two feet. I logged about five miles and two buses and let me whine a bit, it was 92 sunny degrees out today.

Every time you start to feel smug about an accomplishment reality smacks you in your face. Getting on my final bus I stepped aside so a woman with five bags full of groceries could board. It then dawned on me she was using the bus because she had to not because she thought it stylishly green to do so. I hung my head in shame. Not that it's wrong to give up your car for a day from time to time, nope that's what we all should do. Riding the bus is a great reminder we need to control this runaway price increase in oil if for no other reason than that women with the five bags of groceries.

Graphs I can understand

I never was good at graphs but this one explains it all. Not all on Graph Jam are as funny but ever so often they hit the mark.
more graph humor and song chart memes

Why do the good ones go too soon?

NBC's Tim Russert died today.

Russert quote:

The best excercise you can do for yourself is lift-up someone else.

I like that.

This site is so free

Lil bird found this site and posted this on our food blog, Peanut Butter Étouffee. Like anything else, it can be addictive but at least you are helping someone. We throw away more food than some children get in a year so check it out, learn something, and feel good that you wasted a bit of time for someone else.

While you're there, check out some of the sponsors, they are the ones footing the bill.

Free Rice is a sister site of the world poverty site, Poverty.com.

FreeRice has two goals:

1. Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.

2. Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is made possible by the sponsors who advertise on this site.

Whether you are CEO of a large corporation or a street child in a poor country, improving your vocabulary can improve your life. It is a great investment in yourself.

Perhaps even greater is the investment your donated rice makes in hungry human beings, enabling them to function and be productive. Somewhere in the world, a person is eating rice that you helped provide. Thank you.

Why'd ya wait so long?

I love the title of Scott McClennan's book, What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception. Why the hell didn't he say something then? That would take real guts, screw this job, this career, this life--tell it all while it was happening.

I can dream, can't I?

Lady-in-waiting to the Princess

On this non-productive day you actually couldn't say I did nothing but I wasn't very productive. Now, ask me if I care; nope. I princess-sat with our little darling. This happens from time to time to even the most organized. A last minute change in the babysitting lineup and I was home. Glad to do it.

Now if you listen to the video you might think it's just gas, but look closely, the princess is givin' you the raspberry. Not bad for under four months.

We did find out something about this grandma, she is seriously challenged in doing the diaper change. No, I don't mind the stinky kind I just have trouble getting these new ones, with the tabs, on correctly. I laughed at the thought of doing the cloth diaper and pins as I did for my daughter. Then there was that little bit about her laying on the tail of her undershirt and then that needed to be changed. We made it through the day with only a few costume changes.

We played and talked and watched a little TV; she seems to like Don Imus which is odd, not many do. Our lunch menu was limited her a bottle; me some crackers and then, the stress of modern day life being what it is, she was off to nap. The only thing we didn't get to do was take our walk. Ah, well, next time.

Bobby, we hardly knew ye

If you wonder why some Baby Boomers are cynical just remember what we've been through. The answer to the 60s seemed to have been assassination

• John Kennedy-November 1963
• Martin Luther King-April 1968
• Bobby Kennedy-June 1968

Don't forget to throw in Cuba, Civil Rights, and the Vietnam War. The 60s was a hideous decade; there was always some sort of conflict. How we treated minorities, women, and the soldiers returning from a war. No wonder Tune in, Turn on, and Drop Out was popular. It was depressing just to turn on the news and listen to the body count.

Bobby Kennedy gave some of us hope that we could pull out of the 60s with him being elected president. On June 5th that hope was changed into one more violent static of that decade when he was shot and killed. The news of this was just one more numbing event of the 60s. The only thing good about the 60s was the music.

Carpinteria is a small town on the California coast about 15 minutes south of Santa Barbara. It has be one of my favorite places to stay. And for sure, the most beautiful sunsets I've photographed.

If you'd like to use this month's calendar as your desktop pattern for your computer please use the following instructions. If you have any questions you can leave a comment or email me at mooncrazy.debono@gmail.com

• Click on appropriate link. large calendar, 1024 x 680 or small calendar, 800 x 500
• PC users-right click or Mac users Control click, the image and select "Set as Desktop Background"

The calendar is now your background and all your files or shortcuts will be floating on top. You can rearrange them but not the background calendar.
Don't want it once you've selected it?
PC users:

• Select Start, Control Panel, Appearance & Themes, Change desktop background.
• If the image is distorted, select "center" under Position.
• To remove, select none and apply.

MAC users:

• Select System Preferences
• Desktop & Screen Saver
• Select a new image
• If the image is distorted, select "center" from the pull-down

What Happened: it's just a scarf

Crap! The inmates have finally taken over the asylum. Rachel Ray's scarf in this add looks, to some, like the headgear Muslim extremists wear so after some conservative bloggers raised enough ruckus Dunkin' Donuts gave it the dunk.

The linked article goes on to say how celebs in the past have inadvertently caused problems with clothes that have a statement in a language they don't understand. I have seen this with just normal folk but we don't have the press watching every step we take.

Last week I saw a family of four on vacation from an Asia country. Nice, mom, dad, younger sister and about a 12/13 year-old boy. These folks didn't speak English but they were quite. Doesn't bother me they are spending money here. They were all conservatively dresses but the lad was wearing a brand new t-shirt that said "Heavy Fucking Metal" in huge letters across the front. I had to laugh, the kid might have known what it said but I can guarantee his parents didn't. Should I have been insulted and told them this would offend some? Don't think so, I've seen lots on t-shirts and don't take offense.

If you want to be upset about Ray wearing a scarf, go right ahead but I also hope you are outraged about being lied to by our current administration. Good grief, even Scott McClellan, one of his long time people from Texas, is speaking out. Better yet, while you're questioning her sense of style, what's up with those eyebrows?

Missing anything?

This is another funny video. If you've ever been troubled by these little thieves you'll get a kick from this one.

Yet another one equally as funny.

Is there a goldmine in my desk drawer?

When I pulled out a few items at the back of my desk drawer today I thought I might have found a goldmine. To be honest, and I would, it would be my daughter's gold I mined. What did I find? An old baseball card from 1982. Remembering how much some old autographed cards were valued on the Antiques Road Show I got real interested.

I only slightly remember how this card came to us. I think she stood in line at a local shop to get Steve Sax's, then with the Los Angeles Dodgers, autograph on his card. First thing I did was check the 'net and though this is his rookie card, he came to the Dodgers half season in '81, it wasn't worth much. Closest price I could find was about twenty dollars and it would all hers if she had the notion to part with it. Not exactly enough to retire on.

Yes, ranting about gas, again

It's very difficult to have a discussion with some who agrees with you. The conversation usually goes something like:

Statement of a fact: blah, blah, blah.
Answer: Yeah, yes, your damn straight it is.

My beloved and I, in general, have much the same politics so most of the time I just take note of what he says because he can be quite humorous at times and profound at others. Take this morning when a news report mentioned a loophole in a law that restricts drilling off our coast. An example, China could drill off our coast where we couldn't and they cursed the "tree huggers" for getting laws such as this enacted. It does sound stupid and probably right because some of our legislators have lettered in stupid. I'll check this one further but people, you are missing the point. Drilling for more oil isn't going to change anything because that oil will run dry, in time and we'll be in the same sinking boat. We can not continue to pass on this problem to the next generation.

We had the chance in the 70s with that gas crisis and what did we learn? If you look at the number of gas sucking as apposed to gas sipping vehicles on the road you could assume we learned nuttin'. Does anyone need to drive their kids to school, outside of Iraq, in a Humvee? I think not but there they are at the pumps sucking down gas.

In the 70s did we invest in a better public transportation system? Nope, Amtrak and Greyhound almost went under for the lack of riders. How about the Metro? It's only recently it's ridership is up. Maybe the threat of $4 a gallon is hitting home. I know it makes me question that trip to the market to get one item.

Find at least one day you can, take alternate form of transportation, car pool, ride your bike, or walk but we have to reduce our dependency on gas. Also think of investing in some green technology companies.

Magical moments

Our darling daughter has a blog, Maltese Parakeet and from that we've nicknamed her lil bird. She's the only one and parents couldn't hope for a nicer kid. Not going to college wasn't an option and she got her degree then went on to put herself through law school and is an accomplished professional at her job.

When she was little we could pridefully boast about her accomplishments because we did have something to do with them. She spoke early and I'd like to think it's because I taught her but more likely it's because I chatter on incessantly. I will take credit for teaching her to read and for her love of reading. She was read to every night until she was old enough to take the book herself.

When she was nine I taught her to do laundry and balance my check book. No, I wasn't that lazy, it was summer and she was bored. She wasn't much older when she picked up a camera and as a teen she became quite accomplished on her own. It was about then we could no longer brag about what we'd taught her and switch to feeling good about what she was learning on her own. That was a magical moment.

As a parent, those moments are etched into your collective memory like first steps and first words; lots of "firsts" associated with kids. The one I'm thinking of today is one filled with all the emotions; joy, sadness, pride. Our goal was to raise her to think on her own. We felt independence was the most important thing we could give her and the day she got her driver's license and drove away, alone was that goal coming true. She was beginning a life on her own; that was our magical moment.

Thanks, lil bird for all you've given us.

Oud Babbies

The software I use to track how many visits come to this site is quite interesting. Among many of the statistics are how people find your site and many come from the search engine, Google. Another stat is where the visitor is from and I get visits from all over the world. Last week's had to be the funniest.

The visitor was from Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. Since I don't get many from that part of the world I looked into how they found me. Yep, Google. A few years back I posted about a friend, From the mouths of old babes. When I clicked on what the Saudi had Googled--boy, I was surprised--I'm too old to be shocked. Old Babes is X-rated photos of older women. Ha, bet they didn't expect to get to this blog.

Save gas; visit locally

If you are planning a trip to the Getty Center, and you should this summer, you'll have a wonderful selection of exhibits on view. It looks like August 26 to 31 would be the prime days to visit if you wanted to see all of the following for a truly great attractions for the summer.

Maria Sibylla Merian & Daughters: Women of Art and Science
June 10–August 31, 2008
This show should be great for kids, she was a painter of insects and flowers. Who doesn't like to see a big bug?

Bernini and the Birth of Baroque Portrait Sculpture
August 5–October 26, 2008
Bernini, the genius of Rome and stone, and a few of his contemporaries will be on exhibit this summer. Can't wait. Bernini was a womanizer, drinker, murderer, and all around fun guy but he did create work like the Ecstasy of St Theresa.

Faces of Power and Piety: Medieval Portraiture
August 12–October 26, 2008
Early Medieval portraits from the Manuscript's collection. Delicate jewels in miniature.

In Focus: The Landscape
August 26, 2008–January 11, 2009
The landscape in photographs from all the big guys in the Getty collection, twenty-five of them including--Gustave Le Gray, Alfred Stieglitz, and Robert Adams--to name a few. I'll be spending my free time here.

I don't know when there were so many at the same time which is good if you want to pack your summer with a bundle of great things to see. With gas prices going through the roof don't travel so far, visit locally. Did I forget the Central Garden? With Huell Howser's visit I'm sure we'll get visitors just wanting to see our beautiful garden.

Holy Smokes!

This was sent by a friend. I had to post it because I didn't want to clog up a whole bunch of bandwidth. You will want others to see this, it is very funny.

When you watch a second time, I know you will, notice that he looks at the ceiling. I'm sure this is in his kitchen. Love to hear how he explained this one.

Editor's note: This was just too funny so I Googled it and found the original on YouTube. This guy had made a few other videos, this one the funniest. There was a long list of comments about it being fake, how he did it, the lights coming on after the boom--but I really don't care--it's still funny.

Montana: Oro y Plata

My sister Doodles and husband, the Gypsy Caravan, are working in Montana this summer and having just arrived, they posted a few photos. You have got to head over to her site and check out more of the scenery. This is the view out the back of the trailer.

Hell, it's only 1,700 miles up there, why not head there for the summer. Ours should be a hot one here.




Ed note: their state motto, Oro y Plata means Silver and Gold.

Needles up: daugher becomes teacher

Mother's Day was yesterday and I'm very lucky to have such a thoughtful daughter. She asked me what I'd like to do on my special day and my request was for a knitting lesson. Lil Bird does many things well but she has turned into quite the knitter. She knit her Aunt Doodles wool socks before they headed out to the Great Northern Summer Experience. This would have made her Grandma Ann very proud as she was the knitter in the family.

Our dear friend has breast cancer and with the thought of having chemo, and the possibility of losing her hair, in the back of my mind, I wanted to make her a hat. Just in case. My darling child arrived Sunday morning, dogs in tow, with a wonderful present of knitting paraphernalia and printed out her favorite "easy" hat pattern from the 'net. She has a great site, Crazy Aunt Purl. She's a bit wacky and always funny.

We sat down and got busy with the lesson only to break and make a yummy pasta lunch. Check out a future blog on PBE about our lunch.

You see the hat, I finished last night after Lil Bird left and no, I wasn't up until mid-night. I finished by 9:00 pm. Under her tutelage I created a great hat and hope to make more. There is a children's cancer center at UCLA and I know they'd love to have hats donated for the kids.

So my Mother's Day was filled with yarn and needles and chit chat. That's what happens when you knit. It was also filled with cooking with my darling daugher. We even had some time for shopping and attending to the ears of one of the dogs. I didn't mind. I love them both. All in all it was a very special day, indeed.

see more cute dogs and puppies

When lil bird was braces-on-the-teeth age we spent a fair amount of time at the orthodontists' office which meant a longer than desired amount of time in the waiting room. To pass the time she'd read whatever was there and her favorite book was a cartoon graphic of what not to do with your retainer.

I hope this made her laugh today.

All the comforts of home

Being retired doesn't mean you can't take a few days off. From what I'm trying to figure out but my darling and I headed to the beach on Sunday for a few days. We wanted to stay right on the beach at Rincon, dry camping, but problems with our trailer made us settle for the RV campground. No view of the ocean but just a short walk.

We also like the main street of Ventura for the antique shops and small eateries; Cajun Cafe being one of our favs. An extra plus this trip, I found a shop that sharpens knives and I just happened to have two of my favorites. This guy does them while you wait and he did a great job. I'll be taking more each time we visit.

Using the full hook-ups gave my darling time to fuss with his new satellite dish. I was surprised but pleased when he got it working. We were missing a few channels, the one carrying the Doyer's game, but we muddled through. With the weather a bit dodgy we didn't spend as much time outside as we normally do so the addition of PBS was ok by me.

So why do retirees need time away? Seems like I don't read as much as I like and I got into a book I'd wanted to start. I was thrilled to do the crossword puzzle every morning from the paper and let's not forget the nap. I could take one at home but don't so an afternoon nap after a long walk on the beach was perfect.

Can't wait for the next trip.

May Desktop Calendar

This is a funny little frog that my sister found in a plant she brought home from the nursery. She quickly snapped a photo and I translated it into a pastel. It is one of my favorites and now hangs in my office. I hope you are enjoying spring as much as I am.

If you'd like to use this month's calendar as your desktop pattern for your computer please use the following instructions. If you have any questions you can leave a comment or email me at mooncrazy.debono@gmail.com

• Click on appropriate link. large calendar, 1024 x 680 or small calendar, 800 x 500
• PC users-right click or Mac users Control click, the image and select "Set as Desktop Background"

The calendar is now your background and all your files or shortcuts will be floating on top. You can rearrange them but not the background calendar.
Don't want it once you've selected it?
PC users:

• Select Start, Control Panel, Appearance & Themes, Change desktop background.
• If the image is distorted, select "center" under Position.
• To remove, select none and apply.

MAC users:

• Select System Preferences
• Desktop & Screen Saver
• Select a new image
• If the image is distorted, select "center" from the pull-down

My blog IS my bastard child

As always, I've been chastised for neglecting my blog. My only excuse is: this is not a publication, nor a job. I do it for the fun of it and if I'm busy with other projects, it will take a backseat for a while.

Eliminating any unnecessary visits to my site is quite easy; use a little free app like Bloglines. Just sign up and it will alert you to new published content on a variety of sites, doesn't have to be just blogs and it will make your life trouble free. Well, trouble free except for:

• the war in Iraq
• global warming
• price of gas
• the current regime
• coming election
• the state of education in California
  

Good grief, last year California ranked 40th in the nation. A little reminder for those of you graduating last year; we are a nation of fifty states. Take the time and read the last link. If that doesn't put a damper on your good mood, I'd love to take what you take.

Oh, and I have pickles for anyone who cares to come by.

Nothing normal here

This is my new custom-made window seat for my office. It is quite the multi-tasker. It holds my wine cooler, cook books, and two bottoms. I love it especially since it was made by my dear brother-out-law while there stopped here on their way to Jellystone. They'll be working up in Montana for the summer, but true to his word, he made my new seat. We were sorry to see them head off but they will have quite an adventure this summer.

We hope to get back into a somewhat normal pattern. What with my wrist injury and my beloved's health problems it has been non-stop doctors. I hope I don't see the inside of a waiting room until July--that's his next office visit. I promise to be quite careful where I step, too.

What is faster?

Why is waiting so difficult for me? Christmas, nine months of pregnancy, retirement; waiting on those things always make me itch. I'm the type that will open mail walking in from the mailbox. Can't wait that extra twenty seconds it takes.

Maybe it's the Internet that's made us so ready for instant gratification. Computers getting faster; have we ever said they work too fast? Instant communication. What, wait until someone gets home from work to talk to them? Nope, it's call their cell, they'll take time to answer. It is a bit productivity killer in the workplace.

I blame the food industry. Microwave cooking, fast food and instant pudding has made us a nation if impatient people. Bake a potato?

Waiting, it can make you a little nutty.

Looking back

When I have a lot on my mind I either post too much or not at all. I'm in the "not at all" stage right now. It's not that I don't like to post it's when I find it a chore I don't sit down and write. So, for now, let me just look backwards.

What I said a year ago and the year before.

It's amazing that the Imus thing took place a year ago. He is back on the air and I still enjoy hearing his guests, most of them. The ones I don't enjoy I have the power to turn them off.

Ode to the election

There once was a voter in flux
and her wallet a bit shy of bucks
with gasoline prices high and the real estate dry
her job's to find a candidate that won't suck.

Good Luck, y'all.

Vote for a great candidate

moar funny pictures


Na, Buddy dog isn't running for any office, though it's a great idea, he wants you to vote for him on I has a Hot Dog. Just click his photo and vote for him. It would mean so very much to the old doggy.

I'm in therapy

This shouldn't surprise some people but it's not the therapy some of you think I need. My wrist is in serious need of some help so my Dr has sent me off to some very kind ladies who twist and knead my wrist and elbows until I break a sweat. It's not at all what I'd expected. I was thinking hot packs and massage but I get series of exercises with some pummeling. They must work because I'm able to leave my brace off for longer periods. No pain, no gain.

After using my left hand/arm/elbow exclusively for some time now has made it quite sore. It really hurts more than the fractured wrist. The injection the bone doc poked me with did little to relieve the pain and for a few days I couldn't use either arm. I felt as though I had flippers. Therapy has at least gotten me back on track.

All of this reminds me that your life can change in a second. For me the time it took for my feet to leave me and my fat ass, as well as right wrist, to hit the floor. But, I keep hearing my mom, "… this too shall pass." and am thankful it wasn't any more serious.

Serious like the car crash last week. This is the second, in as many years, that I've been witness to and both in the San Fernando Valley. Yikes, it's like running red lights is a hobby with those people. Yeah, I know, they happen everywhere. That's why cities are putting up those blow-this-light-and-we-snap-your-photo cameras.

Just the sound of an accident stays with you for a long time. Nothing can compare with the screech of tires, scraping metal and breaking glass and you looking helplessly at this uncontrollable video being played out before you. Bless the human race; before the smoke cleared people were running to help.

How late do you have to be to run a red light.

Who knew?

Volunteering at the Getty Center gives all of us docents the opportunity to meet new people from all over the world. On a recent encounter with some lovely guests from outside the US my docent friend Dolores was asked a question.

Visitor: Was J. Paul Getty Jewish?

Dolores: No, why do you ask?

Visitor: He had a lot of money and Jewish people are always rich.

Dolores: Well, I wish someone would have told my father!

She's quick, that Dolores.

April Desktop Calendar

There's a twist to this month's calendar photo. It was taken by my darling and quite talented sister, Doodles. I'm still unable to draw so rather than skip a month I'm using a photo she took recently. I love it so much I'm also framing it for my living room in a space I've created. Thanks, sis.

Do check her blog for more photos and her posts about living full-time on the road.

If you'd like to use this month's calendar as your desktop pattern for your computer please use the following instructions. If you have any questions you can leave a comment or email me at mooncrazy.debono@gmail.com

I've changed the sizes a bit and removed the large image and replaced it with something a bit smaller, 1023 x 680.

• Click on appropriate link. large calendar, 1024 x 680 or small calendar, 800 x 500
• PC users-right click or Mac users Control click, the image and select "Set as Desktop Background"

The calendar is now your background and all your files or shortcuts will be floating on top. You can rearrange them but not the background calendar.
Don't want it once you've selected it?
PC users:

• Select Start, Control Panel, Appearance & Themes, Change desktop background.
• If the image is distorted, select "center" under Position.
• To remove, select none and apply.

MAC users:

• Select System Preferences
• Desktop & Screen Saver
• Select a new image
• If the image is distorted, select "center" from the pull-down

WH Press Briefing March 20, 2008

Well that was weird, I posted this a few days ago and it just popped in, three times. I think I've straighted it out. I'll let it speak for it's self. I hate Cheney, this current administration, and anyone else who thinks they can bamboozle the American people. (If you can use "bamboozle in three different conversations today, you will the grand prize.)

Who or what is art?

Question: Is that Art?
Answer: No, he only looks like your cousin, Arthur.

Question: Is that art?
Answer: Who the hell can answer that!

Being at the Getty Center I'm exposed to a wide range of art. Even though we are better know for our painting collection, the 9th through the 19th century, we've collected much more in the ten years the Center has been open and have some modern pieces. For one, the photo collection has grown immensely and now includes some prints from 2006, Luc Delehaye. We also have some very contemporary exhibits like the new works of Tim Hawkingson which seemed a big hit last year.

Sometimes I look at different art movements and wonder if the artist thinks, "… wink, wink, let's just slap some color on a canvas, add a huge price tag and pass it off as art to prove these suckers will buy anything with a famous name attached." But, I like Richard Serra's fluid bands of steel and Chuck Close's portraits. Can't understand conceptual or performance art.

All of this art is making my head swim. How to look at it, how to appreciate it, how to understand it. I found a website that does explain some of the art movements, Modern Art
but does little to help how to understand it. None the less, if you too are confused about what is art, check this site.

So why the angst? California Video is just open at the Getty Center and even though I'm not crazy about the exhibit it is the very beginning of an art movement assembled together to view and study. This experimental venture into video did not exist before 1968 and continues today with a piece created for the show. In 100 years people will look at this collection and because the Getty Center has conserved this block of work and will be able to see it from it's inception. I do have to remind myself how the Impressionist movement was quite radical during it's time.

Check the website for the exhibit California Video and you might find something that inspires you, or puzzles you, or just starts a conversation about art. And maybe that's what the artist wanted in the first place.

Does everyone have an idiot uncle, too?

Is your hate well placed with Obama's minister? What about Jerry Falwell's diatribe about immorality and anti-Christian's being responsible for 9-11? If you want to hate someone we've got plenty to hate. I hate the current administration for dragging us into this now five-year war costing four thousand American lives and one-half a trillion dollars. Imagine the country spending that amount of money here on education, infrastructure, or jobs. Someone has gotten rich on this conflagration and it isn't the soldiers fighting there, nor I doubt, the inhabitants of Iraq.

Two of my uncles are such bigots I wouldn't walk across the street to visit them let along fly to Indiana. Why? Because I don't care about them. They fill their lives with such hate it doesn't matter what else they do, they don't exist to me. What I've found about myself is I'm an "insulationsist." I keep close people who believe pretty much the same as I do. That might be wrong but it keeps me happy. I've long since tried to change anyone. They are who they are but I don't have to be around them. So, if I bust your chops for something you've said to offend me, consider yourself a friend.

As the elbow turns

Of course regulars here know I've just recently broken my wrist. Actually, a fracture of the distal radial which sounds so much more official. It has been four weeks and today I saw the Dr for another round of x-rays. It is healing nicely but at least two more weeks in the brace and as much physical therapy. I am looking forward to the therapy because after four weeks of not using my right hand it's as week as a hand in a cast for a long time; or maybe a kitten.

All this non-use of my right hand has caused my tennis elbow to flare up, again. My darling Dr. shot me up with something wonderful, well, for the time being. He told me it would feel good long enough for me to get home and far enough from him because in an hour it would start to hurt real bad and he didn't want to be anywhere near me. Smart guy. So he suggested to go home and take some drugs that way I wouldn't hate him. How could I hate this guy.

And, here is a little fun since I'm feeling a bit drugged, Loldogs.


see more loldogs are funny dog pictures!

Chilling

Twenty years ago on March 16, planes flew over the village of Halabja in Northern Iraq and dropped bombs loaded with the chemicals, tabun, sarin, VX, and sulfer mustard, killing over 5,000 Kurdish men, women and children. Some how being treated with crappy customer service doesn't seem so bad to me.

This info is from a blog called "can of worms." For your edification, class, please read his blog.

Prostitution, a victimless crime?

Are you f-ing kidding me? I am sick and damn tired of hearing some people say, "Why can't you just look the other way about this Call Girl thing ? It's just prostitution and who actually gets hurt. "

Who gets hurt? You think some 24 year old woman decides she has a knack and on a whim puts in an application. Most of the time it's a choice of last resort or, something like this in New York. Have a twelve-year-old daughter/granddaughter? Here's a quote from the article.

Authorities said Davis forced a 12-year-old girl to be a sex slave in 2005, confining her to a house in New York and transporting her to Connecticut to work up to 12 hours a day as a prostitute. He also was accused of recruiting a 17-year-old girl in 2006 with the promise of a cheap apartment, but when she arrived, investigators say Davis took away her cell phone and locked her in an apartment.

The bastard, in this case, got 23 years but don't think he was the only one doing this. There's big money and a whole lot of greed involved.

Human trafficking doesn't just happen in third-world countries it happens here in your neighborhood. Ever go to Craig'slist? In one recent case, two Chicago women were charged for selling girls as young as 14 years old on Craigslist. The girls were forced to have sex with 10-12 men per day, and the traffickers made tens of thousands of dollars.

Still think it's a victimless crime? Next time you think that way also try to envision your niece, daughter, granddaughter in that situation.

Meet some of our new feathered friends

This IS a chicken. I had to post this photo that sister Doodles took when we visited the Poultry Show in Bakersfield last weekend. You can read her post for more pix. We got a lesson on fine feathered birds and met some very nice people. None as fancy as this gal, though.

Von's Supermarket-agita for life

Agita, a perfect word in Italian to describe my feelings for my local Von's supermarket. Customer service isn't the perfunctory, Didyoufindeverythingyouwerelookingfortoday? Customer service is where you say to the customer, "I'm sorry you had to come back to the store to correct OUR mistake." I hope we can serve you better next time you return." And of course, this is spoken looking directly at the customer with some sort of, albeit fake, sincerity.

I don't shop at Von's because they have the lowest prices or a sparkling clean market, far from it. I go there because it is the closest option in my many options to by food.

My checker, trying to get done with the day, was so quick to ring me up she forgot to give me a substantial discount on a product I'd purchased, $9.65. I did think my bill was a bit high and putting my groceries into my trunk I noticed the mistake. If it had been any less, I swear, I'd have just gone home but I was irritated by her actions in the first place.

After I waited in the Customer Service line the guy looked at the receipt, looked at the ham, walked to the cash register and gave me my change. No apology, no smile, no kiss-my-ass-I-hate-all-you-people. He then stood there and watched me struggle to put the ham back in my bag. I still do have a broken wrist and a noticeable brace on my right arm. I had to ask for his help.

Mistakes happen, I'm well aware of that, and I'll even go so far as to say I should have been paying a bit more attention as she checked me out but for the love of all that's good, would it have killed them to be a little more cheerful?

Baking in Bako; no, not so much

Back from a few more days of camping. This time it was Bakersfield. Great weather as long as you don't breathe too deep. Yeah, not one of my favorites but favorite people were visited so it's all good. The Gypsy Caravan has settled into that section of the central valley until mid-May when they start their trip North to Alaska. If you sang the song; give yourself five points.

We did have fun; the fellas spent three days at the Nostalgia Drags, sister and moi antiqued, shopped, ate and I gave her the fifty cent tour of good ole Bakersfield.

My wrist is healing but still cumbersome to get things done. I did enjoy the rest for my wrist. We only cooked one night and darling sister did those duties. Now it's back to the real world.

I still owe a post on the previous camping trip to Ventura. We had a ball and I actually do have some snaps so watch for an up coming post.

Be prepared for ...

Unbearable Cuteness!

I know, all babies are cute but our little princess is monopolizing the cute here in the blog-o-sphere.

March Desktop Calendar

Funny thing happened besides my slip-n-fall, I created March's calendar ahead of time. I must have secretly known I'd be out of commission like pregnant women who clean their house before they go into labor. Anyway, here it is and it's even early. Don't get used to it because next month it will, most likely, be late.

If you'd like to use this month's calendar as your desktop pattern for your computer please use the following instructions. If you have any questions you can leave a comment or email me at mooncrazy.debono@gmail.com

I've changed the sizes a bit and removed the large image and replaced it with something a bit smaller, 1023 x 680.

• Click on appropriate link. large calendar, 1024 x 680 or small calendar, 800 x 500
• PC users-right click or Mac users Control click, the image and select "Set as Desktop Background"

The calendar is now your background and all your files or shortcuts will be floating on top. You can rearrange them but not the background calendar.
Don't want it once you've selected it?
PC users:

• Select Start, Control Panel, Appearance & Themes, Change desktop background.
• If the image is distorted, select "center" under Position.
• To remove, select none and apply.

MAC users:

• Select System Preferences
• Desktop & Screen Saver
• Select a new image
• If the image is distorted, select "center" from the pull-down

On a lighter note

Who doesn't like dogs and cats acting all human? I adore I can has cheezeburger. It lifts my spirits.

Things you can't do with one hand

Yeah, I'm still whining about my limited use of my hands. I'm not really a sit-and-watch-TV kind of person. I usually sketch or sew or fiddle with something if the TV is on so I'm about to go crazier than I already am.

Cooking is do-able but a real chore so I'm making casseroles, one dish meals I can pop in the oven. Yesterday I tried to do too much by putting a rubber glove over my brace and for that I paid dearly last night. Seems rubber only kept it dry. Who knew?

So here is my current list:

• open a can, really open anything
  
• slice anything hard
• lift anything hot from the oven (just don't ask)
• hold a newborn baby

Floss teeth was on that list but I found these nifty little "floss bows" that do the trick. For a while I was going au natural until I was asked if breasts can go feral, like cats. So, I've mastered getting my bra on without twenty minutes of rolling around on the bed; though I still need my darling companion to unhook me.

One positive is I'm reminded how much my husband does care for me. Friday at the market, after I closed the car trunk with my keys inside, I believe they fell out of my braced-hand unnoticed, my darling stopped what he was working on and came to unlock the trunk. No scowl, no lecture; just a hug. I must remember that.

Things you can do with one hand

You can type the name Barbara.

Well, with my left hand. Although I am a righty I have always used my left hand for some things. I can use a left-handed mouse with no problem. Typing is a challenge but I am getting better.

I did find out I could shave my legs with my left hand and brush my teeth. Washing my hair is easy but for a while it will have to be air dried. Make-up, nope. Lipstick, unless I want to look like a rodeo clown, will have to wait.

This, I remind myself, is temporary unlike the unlucky that come from the war and deal with far worse than this.

So, there's another thing I can do single-handedly, vote.

Vote your conscience.

Hey, watch this

Here is my new floor in my office. It's cork, a renewable resource. The tree is stripped of it's bark then in 9-14 years it grows back. During that time it does what trees do best, suck up all our crappy air and give us oxygen. So for the Green in me, I decided on cork.

Little did I know what a chore this would turn into.

First Lumber Liquidators might be inexpensive but the customer service stinks! My husband and brother-in-law, not new to any type of home improvement, had a devil of a time getting the floating floor to go together. It was supposed to "click" together with a gently tap of a mallet. The worked very hard and got it down in two days. When almost finished one of the panels did actually "click" into place like the instructions said, one!

So after the installation comes the sealing, polyurathane. Ah, a nice satin finish and now we need to wait three days for it to dry completely. Unfortunately I could walk on it and I say unfortunately because that's how I fractured my wrist. I'd love to say it was because it was too slick but I'd be lying.

When you start a sentence with, "Hey watch this" things only go downhill from there. In my socks, I slid across the floor, then down on my wrist. Jeeze, no wonder it's broken. I'm quite lucky it is only a small fracture and no cast but a removable brace for four weeks. After that the Dr said he'd re-xray then go from there.

This has put my continuing remodel plans back a few weeks. We should have everything out of the living room this weekend, maybe. The walls in the living room look great but I won't be able to hang and pictures for a while. Sigh.

Crack!

That is what I heard as I hit the floor. Right now I'm waiting to hear from the Dr. as to when they can set it. YUP! fractured. Good news, it's my right wrist so i won't have to brush my hair for a while.

Please let it be a cast I can take s shower with.

Pictures to follow. Typing with one hand SUCKS!

Stay tuned because when I can type I'll tell you the funny story how this happened. Let's just say, I'm old enough to know better.

Let the fun begin!

Is this the sweetest baby you've ever seen?

Our darling friends have a precious baby girl. She has a name but for now I'll call her "Princess". They are the happiest parents right about now, though probably not sleeping much.

Do enjoy kids; this is the best of times.

Hey sailor

To help me keep track of my walking miles I got a pedometer on Sunday. I read all the instructions, measured my stride and thought I had it dialed in. It seems like it's about 20% off.

Now if it were on the fat side I wouldn't even bother but it seems to not be counting enough. Huph! Can't have that so I wore in on our dog walk this morning and it said I went 11 steps. Wait a darn minute. It's damn close to a mile that trek we take so I examined the counter thingy again. Seems I've been wearing it too close to the middle of my body and the pendulum doesn't swing far enough. I've moved it closer to one hip and now it counts ten steps if I take ten steps.

I'm also swinging my hips a bit more, every little motion helps. So, if you see me walking down the street I'm really not trying to pickup anyone, just trying to count the miles.

Editor's note: This is unrelated by about a month ago my spell check on Blogger quit working. I apologize for an serious misspellings.

Walking towards a healthier me

For Lent, my sister is not giving up but adding. She has vowed to walk three miles a day until Easter. Now since I like to walk but sometimes need a challenge to motivate me I've decided to accompany her virtually until they get here next week.

Does this mean I've returned to the church? Nope it would take a whole lot of change in Rome before I did but it's more of doing something good for me. My darling companion is riding his bicycle more and I've been cooking lighter. Lent is only for forty days so we'll see how we do. At least it's forty days or exercise.

Social Security to aliens? Bogus!

Maybe on Mars but not here in the US.

Before you forward on e-mails take the time to make sure the information is correct. There are a few websites I use as a source to check rumors such as this.

www.snopes.com and FactCheck.org both are very reliable.

There has been an e-mail circulated recently about Social Security and immigration. It says that the Democrats are planning to give YOUR social security benefits to illegal aliens and for you to add your name to the list and forward it to many of your friends (make sure they are legal) and then off to the President. Check out this link about this e-mail.

It is a distortion of the facts by some Republicans. Nobody's proposing paying benefits to illegal immigrants, not until they become US citizens or granted legal status. And that is the same for guest workers as it is for people like Pauline, a friend that in the past few years has gotten her American citizenship.

The bill in question was passed last May with a bi-partisan majority. During the debate an amendment was offered to change current law to prevent immigrants from getting credit toward future Social Security benefits from taxes paid before they have legal permission to work.

Now here is the interesting part, The Social Security Administration has what is calls an "earnings suspense file" to track the amount of wages that are taxed for collection but not credited to a specific worker. SSA officials have said that the fund takes in as much as $7 billion a year. Where does that money go? It pays benefits to US beneficiaries. So, if you are collecting benefits now, some of that comes from illegal aliens who work, have taxes taken out and get no benefit or would not get benefit in the future.

Really what your Democratic representatives in Congress are doing is the opposite of what this e-mail states, they are protecting SS from retroactive payments.

Now, if your are still reading this, send this to your entire e-mail list. This is the type of information they'd love to have and they'll thank you for sending the truth.

Don't forget to vote!

Let thee without sin

If I'm in line at a market/big box store/confessional I have no problem chatting with people; I'm a friendly person. What I don't like is someone commenting on my choice of cereal/tomatoes/sins.

While stopping by Costco to buy some canned tomatoes the woman in front of me asked as she wrinkled up her nose,

"Do you know how much sodium is in those?"

"Is this a contest," I asked, "do I get a prize if I know?"

"Oh heavens no, I'm just warning everyone I see buying them", she says.

"So, that was a rhetorical question, you knew the answer but you just wanted me to look stupid?"

"Well! if you don't care about your health"

"I do care about my health but I've weighed the benefits of eating canned tomato and getting lycopene along with the sodium or eating frozen processed food and just getting the sodium. By the way, do you know how much sodium is in your frozen chicken breasts? Have a nice day."

People, if you find yourself wanting to help the world/your community/fellowman resist unless it's to vote the Republicans out of office.

Our fifteen minutes of fame

As most of my friends know I'm one third of the contributors to our family food blog, Peanut Butter Etouffee. Our little blog has been selected as one of Blogger's "Blogs of Note." Now this was a total surprise and though we love the popularity, we've had about 250 hits an hour, we are scrambling to get out all the "Thank You" e-mails. If you've never stopped by scoot on over and see what daughter lil bird has written about us.

We shall bask in this light for a while, at least for fifteen minutes.

February Desktop Calendar

February already? Where does the time go. Given my track record for publishing this year I should start on March's calendar today but since it is a leap year, February has 29 days this year.

If you'd like to use this month's calendar as your desktop pattern for your computer please use the following instructions. If you have any questions you can leave a comment or email me at mooncrazy.debono@gmail.com

I've changed the sizes a bit and removed the large image and replaced it with something a bit smaller, 1023 x 680.

• Click on appropriate link. large calendar, 1024 x 680 or small calendar, 800 x 500
• PC users-right click or Mac users Control click, the image and select "Set as Desktop Background"

The calendar is now your background and all your files or shortcuts will be floating on top. You can rearrange them but not the background calendar.
Don't want it once you've selected it?
PC users:

• Select Start, Control Panel, Appearance & Themes, Change desktop background.
• If the image is distorted, select "center" under Position.
• To remove, select none and apply.

MAC users:

• Select System Preferences
• Desktop & Screen Saver
• Select a new image
• If the image is distorted, select "center" from the pull-down

The price we pay

When I'm particularly stressed I have a CD of nothing but rain. Yeah, I know, boring but it honestly isn't. When I'm flying it's my favorite. It's on my ipod and it can seriously put me to sleep in minutes but tonight I didn't even need to plug in. Tonight I have my own rain. At times it's been storming, beating the windows, splashing down into great puddles and now it's a soft and gentle rain.

The rain, welcome to me, has some recently burned out hillside residents up worrying rather than enjoying tonight. Here in Simi Valley we were lucky to escape this fire season and rain will only green-up our hills rather than send them sliding down to crush our neighbors. That isn't to say it won't happen to us next year. With more homes being built in the hills I can't imagine we'd dodge that bullet many more years. But, until then I have my music, live tonight, and I'm enjoying every drop.

January Desktop Calendar

Welcome 2008 and any new visitors to my blog. I always try to get them up before the first of the month but hey, it's been fun New Year celebrating and shopping with my sister.

If you'd like to use this month's calendar as your desktop pattern for your computer please use the following instructions. If you have any questions you can leave a comment or email me at mooncrazy.debono@gmail.com

I've changed the sizes a bit and removed the large image and replaced it with something a bit smaller, 1023 x 680.

• Click on appropriate link. large calendar, 1024 x 680 or small calendar, 800 x 500
• PC users-right click or Mac users Control click, the image and select "Set as Desktop Background"

The calendar is now your background and all your files or shortcuts will be floating on top. You can rearrange them but not the background calendar.
Don't want it once you've selected it?
PC users:

• Select Start, Control Panel, Appearance & Themes, Change desktop background.
• If the image is distorted, select "center" under Position.
• To remove, select none and apply.

MAC users:

• Select System Preferences
• Desktop & Screen Saver
• Select a new image
• If the image is distorted, select "center" from the pull-down