Why?

Your Mafia name is
Nina "The Fox" Fioricelli"

"Leave the gun.Take the Cannoli"

[go find your mafia name:

http://blogthings.com/whatsyourmafianamequiz/ ]

Things I thought about today:

-I wish I had a picture of my last nerve,laying flat on the floor,with police "crime scene" tape around it.

-What would be nicer and more Christmasy,waving that jaywalking bitch ahead of you across, or running her over and pleading temporary insanity?

-I celebrate christmas,and all pirate-type holidays.If you don't, so friggin what? I don't have a problem with people celebrating their thing, I just have a problem with them shooting,stabbing,or maiming each other.

-If ONE MORE PERSON asks me when I'm gonna dye my hair,they are gonna get a rude surprize.

-Stuff a live chicken in your underwear [You have to know Steve Martin and SNL to understand that one,but it's been a recurring theme of my day.Don't ask why.]

-WHY does laundry detergent have to poof up and gag you ? [the powder kind]

-Getting iced out of your truck first thing in the morning sucks.

-Repeat 100 times:

"This too shall pass".

-Why do mens socks weigh so much more than womens,and why can only women lift them?

-WHY is it so damn hot in here?

-FTW: WHY is the container that holds my baking chocolate morsels almost empty,when I put a honkin big bag in it to start the holiday baking,and havent used it yet? I'd really like to know. I'm sure certain people will deny any knowledge.Not that it will do them any good.

P.S...in a stunning reversal,STEVE just tripped over MY sneakers,left in the middle of the hallway to make a point. hehehe. He wasn't carrying a cello or a laundry basket,though.

Morons

Talked to Steve about blogging, when he got done laughing at the link embedded in the title of Saturdays' blog entry. I never realize how much I blog, i.e, how long each entry is.For me, they just kinda jump out of their hidey holes at blog time. He says when I get started, he thinks I'm just *gone*. I don't want to tell him what I just did, or he'll *know* I'm gone, so I'll tell you. I was playing earlier, which means I was wearing a headset. I hope you remember the trauma one of my oldest plants and I suffered,when I kept a shuffle and the headset on and ran downstairs.

[http://gail-dish.blogspot.com/2008/10/green-tea-and-tater.html]

So I have determined that I will NEVER stand up until I've taken off the headset. Well,it's very windy here today, and something must have blown down outside,there was a loud crash [unlike last nights loud crash,which signaled a car fire on the thruway right in front of the house] I jumped up,and instead of taking the headset off, I took my glasses off, which immediately rendered me blind, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong! I musta stood there for at least thirty seconds before the lightbulb came on for me. OMG, you think they'd teach me SOMETHING in moron school! It's like that for me during the holiday season, [CRS ! CRS is here again] I seem to have 3 or 4 tracks running in my head all the time,- if I'm not really concentrating on the task at hand,my mind leaves the room :X Oh,DONE trying to make sense of it,except I stood there laughing my ass off at myself.

Here's another thing that made me lol today.You know I wouldn't be me without my cello or a book, right? And you know how I LOVES me my Amazon. I don't know if you love you your Amazon,but they will make recommendations of items for you to purchase based on past purchases.This does NOT work for me, as I buy a lot of gifts there, and do not share the interests of a lot of the recipients of said gifts. So I sign in today. All I can see are books recommended for me,YAY! I see wrestling [bought those for Tony a Looong time ago] a Chilton [a large auto manual for gearheads, Steve doesn't need any more of those], Teach yourself classical guitar bks 1,2 &3 in one volume [on it's way right now,just don't tell Steve,OK?] and this, this priceless gem:

http://www.amazon.com/Then-He-Kissed-Her/dp/006114360X/ref=pd_sim_k_1

I'll read [or try to read] just about any topic in any genre. I have NEVER turned up my nose at any genre of books, never....except for Romance novels, including Harlequins. I can't STAND how they portray both men and women. Perfect looking, vapid, stupid,moronic liars. Incredibly handsome,but couldn't tell the truth to save his life. Perfect body, she's a lawyer/doctor/indian chief, but can't tell the man exactly where to put it and what to use to put it there when he lies. They always deserve each other. It's the only genre of book I never had in my home when my kids were growing up. I'd like to think I exposed them to a lot of ideas over the years, including ideas I wasn't really comfortable with or didn't agree with, but DAMN those novels are bad! I can't believe Amazon thinks I'm interested. I already requested that Amazon find a way to allow me to turn off "Recommendations", but gee,I haven't heard anything from them :X

~"Have you ever noticed anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a moron." - George Carlin~

~Update: Still haven't found the lost picture. Damn.~

hehehe

Well,going to work after a 4 day weekend isn't the easiest thing, I'm sure you know that. It took all the get up and go I had this morning to get up and go :X Maybe it woulda been better if I hadn't, I kinda shaved off the top of my left thumb......just a little bit, enough to piss me off, but no stitches. Evidently my "First Blood" ought to have happened a lot earlier, one of the ladies who saw it asked if I'd gotten "bitten" before today, and was surprized that I hadn't .SURPRIZE ! So, I came home and did comforting things, -I played for quite a while,and have laundry going [oh yes I DO TOO] and a big pot of turkey soup on to simmer. And if anybody asks, oh yes I did TOO vacuum.

I'm cleaning out my puter today too. I have a file in my favorites called "Don't Forget"... I put things in it that I have no time to file, or don't have a place for, and want to save. I go thru it every once in a while and cull out the obvious "I'll never need it again" type, and came across this site. I LOVE this site. A font of trivia, tailored to your birthyear. Click on your year and there you go. If you click on one of the links on the left, start reading, and forget to stop, you are on your own, don't say I didn't warn you:

http://www.infoplease.com/yearbyyear.html

And another site I LOVE...ignore the ads,just enter your birthday and submit, so much info! It made me sound so psychic and talented ! [Now watch, it'll say that about everybody]

http://www.paulsadowski.com/BirthDay.asp

I thought, Gail, do you really want to make this blog entry on a Monday? You know what will happen to some of the people who follow the links, no one will see them for days. Maybe you should put this off until Friday? And then I thought, hehehe ! [you can see where Boo gets her 'lil Evil Streak ] I think I'll add these links to my list of places to visit on the blog, I don't want to forget them again.

December 1,2008

-Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day

-Cyber Monday

-Day without Art Day [that one just made me sad,WHY would you have a no art day?]

December 2: Happy Birthday Teri!

Astronomy for Dummies

What a great day! I missed playing so much, I haven't been able to play since tuesday. I was supposed to finish the ironing this morning [I think you all know how I feel about that]but I said the hell with it and played most the morning.YAY! Ruby does NOT like to be ignored....she never goes way out of tune, but she was so bad today I had to tune each string a little at a time, I was worried about the bridge. [I have a new bridge, but I am waiting to see what happpens with the current one. I can correct a warp, and shave it a bit where the strings bite it, but there is a suspicious line thru the middle of it,and I'm wondering what it's gonna do next] My concern is that the bridge will crack and the soundpost will fall down. I have a setter and a retriever [like I *needed* the retriever,if the thing falls over, hold the cello face down and roll it around, BTDT,but they came as a set] and I am a'skeered of having to set a soundpost.

We have started looking in earnest for a house :o) :O) :o) VERY exciting stuff. Our families are thrilled for us,we got to bend the homeowners ears for advice. Some of the homes we are looking at were on the market when we started looking months ago. I'm constantly surprized by some of the things people say in their listings. We figure, almost everything is negotiable by reasonable people. We're not looking to pay a lowball price for someones home, and we will not consider listings where the buyer has to kiss the sellers ass to see the property, kwim? Also, we are not considering foreclosures, we do not want to build our dream on someone elses' nightmare. Only bad thing is, it may not pay for me to commute to my job. I have to say,the sucker has grown on me. I work with great people and get to learn new stuff every day.

I'll bet you're thinking,"I wonder what Gail was up to at 3:05 this morning?" If you weren't, go ahead and think it now, so I can tell you. I was looking out my upstairs hallway window, at the Little Dipper. It was GORGEOUS,the sky was so clear. I don't remember last time I went out in the wee hours to look around, [I KNOW it wasn't 32 degrees out] but I bundled up and went out to look anyway. Not for too long,I don't know if the bears are in bed for the winter yet,and I didn't want to surprize one out there. I need to do that more often, I really enjoyed that. I don't think Steve enjoyed the icy feet,but hey, HE doesn't have insomnia, so THERE. I just don't think I'll do it on a work night :o) I suggest,if you have a sleepless night, you should go star gazing. I think I need to buy an "Astronomy for Dummies" book.

[pssssssssssssst,Honey,..click the title of this blog entry.Go ahead you know you want to!]

And here, another old [old] ad...I'm STILL looking for the pic I lost and am too damn stubborn to go get it out of the frame in the hallway,scan it,and re upload it,you know the SECOND I do that it will appear as if by magic @@ But I found this while looking for that, the story of my life.

November:

29th Electronic Greetings Day
30th: Computer Security Day

[Two holidays that weren't around ten years ago]

Bare-Naked Bird

We had a fabulous T day, from the brining of the birds [there was one pic taken, at brining time, that I didn't think I would blog.....it started out with Steves' bird being into bondage,and wound up with the neck being placed in a particular position so as to provide the bird with an amazing appendage.] It's amazing how quickly household chores go downhill when the kids become adults @@ Need I say more? I'm gonna blog it anyway, cover the kids eyes, ...this was ALL the Steves. I had Nothing to do with it at All, I am innocent:

All the kids spent Wed. night here, for our "traditional" chinese take out :o) The kids convinced Steve that it was his idea a long time ago,and it stuck. Hey, it gets me out of cooking, so I'll go along with it.

For us,Thanksgiving an Christmas are not only holidays, but family reunions, and they last all day. Our first family members arrived at 8:30am,and they have the little kids that make the holidays more special. I was Stunned to see my 12 year old niece is taller than I am :o) Lots of family, lots of good food,and lots of catching up. I didn't lose or forget anything,or set anything on fire,and even the onions made it to the table [when Boo reminded me,right AT service time,but better late than never. 3 lbs of onions,all gone.] Hell, I even found the nutcrackers and picks, you'd better buy a lottery ticket !

Here is one of the pics I promised,....the bird I sacrificed to the skin stealers, those family members who are in the kitchen right before service, ostensibly to help,..and they do...but they are REALLY there to steal the skin off of the closest bird:

And the cranberry stuff that no one eats...when I mentioned this yesterday,both T and one of my sisters swore up and down that they ate it, but I didn't see anything on the plates move after service,so I have my doubts.I just consider it table art:

And another pic. Stevie alwas has to do something inappropriate and crude with clementines. An annual thing, subject to availability ;o) Not only did he do this,but I didn't KNOW he did it until I uploaded the images from his pic to my puter,so I don't know if he let the little ones see this. If he did, he'd better start running.I am CRAZY fast for an old broad:

It was a great day, I kinda got tears in my eyes when everyone left. T [the niece who comments here from time to time] was the last to go,and at the door, told me how nice it was to meet me IRL @@ :O) :o) I hesitate to blog any more pics,because they contain family members who may not want to be blogged on, and I forgot to ask everyone here if they'd mind.I'll try not to forget at Christmas,but don't take any bets on it, I'll be busy remembering not to forget something,....Oh ! And an update. I had 3 takers for my "I'll support you" on the National Smoke Out Day. Very cool,and I was MORE than helpful, EVERYone knows chocolate will help prevent you from getting stabby. Was there anything else I was supposed to update on? This past week seems like a blur, I know I'm forgetting something. But I'm sure your familiar with the feeling :o)

November 28th
In a delicious twist of irony, today is both
Black Friday
and
Buy Nothing Day

A-HA !

I Found the $%^^% nut bowl ! Take THAT, Martha!

Mothra Stewart

This clip is from a great comic, it's one of my favorite characters of all time . I'd like to share with you, it's Flip Wilson, doing his beloved "Geraldine", and his "The Debbil made me do it" is my motto. [ doesn't that sound piraty ?] Here's Flip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qAkEA-H_zE

I LOVE LOVE the Sunday paper. I take it,and a huge mug of coffee, straight to bed, and read everything at my leisure. I haven't felt very leisurely lately, there is a LOT of prep to do for the holidays, plus some lucky couple was preapproved for their mortgage, and they need to start packing. Oy. So I opened the paper this morning, and read an article titled "Countdown to Calm", a schedule of what you should do, in what order, to have a prepared, happy Tday. "With this timetable,you can be a happy host on Thanksgiving" O-M-G, I damn near bust a gut laughing at that. The author obviously has never been to my house. There is ALWAYS something undone, something forgotten, but that is what makes Tday, Tday. I read all about how to cook ahead, [Almost done,this is my 22nd year of hosting the festivities, I know EXACTLY what to screw up in advance by now] and the article shows a lovely table, candle-lit, place settings extraordinaire, a Martha Stewart type of shindig. Well,I am Mothra Stewart...the antithesis of the formal dinner host. And my schedule, while it does include cooking type activities, also includes things like :
-Making sure the water will be on [thanks to that landlord who decided to put off repairs, necessary for my whole street, until tomorrow, this is now an iffy proposition]
-make an emergency run to the A&P because you forgot the italian roast coffee beans to mix with the columbian [you dumbass, you JUST blogged about that, CRS rears it's ugly head]
[HAHA, just taught the spell checker "dumbass"]
[But it was a lovely morning and we had a great ride, so maybe that's a plus, I'm confused]
-WHERE THE HELL did the nutcracker set go? EVERY year I can't find the damn thing, and what's worse, is that I just remembered I forgot the nuts. Shit.
-I WILL have you know I remembered the most important things,...the Cassie fudge,and the cranberry sauce [which no one eats, but everyone will comment if I forget, a family joke]

[An aside....Dear Boo and Tina................I just made the carmelized onions. 3 lbs of extremely thinly sliced onions, cooked down the way God intended. I did this for the 2 of you. Please remember this, and that they are in the fridge,....so that they get reheated and actually served on Tday. Dad and Tony won't even come into the kitchen, it "bothers their eyes" , so I went right ahead and got myself into the merlot. Cryin' my eyes out, and it ain't purdy. Feel the guilt yet? No? Hell, I'm no good at long distance guilt, just WAIT til you get here! A few hosannas would also be in order. Now remember, HOSANNAS !!!!]

Then the article actually has an hour-by-hour, minute-by-minute list of what to do leading right up to serving the meal. At this point I'm hysterically laughing, if the author ever showed up in my kitchen on T-day, she'd get a real eyeful:
-The author doesn't mention brining the bird[s] at all. This is a favorite family activity,done Tday eve, with all of us in the kitchen L our A's off, cause Steve decided to make the bird he is cleaning dance, or sing, or tell dirty jokes. He is seriously very funny, and the kids look forward to it as much as I do.
-people trying to pick the skin off of the birds while they rest [I always cook 2 birds, but I'm crazy like a fox...not only are there more drumsticks and wings for those that gotta have 'em...you get to sleep later than if you were cooking a huge bird. 2/ 13-15 lb birds take less time than one big'un, and are fine no matter how many people we've crammed into this place]
-Me sacrificing one bird to the skin pickers, by leaving the tenting askew,and pushing the other bird as far back as it will go on the counter. Stevie does NOT help,-at this point he informs his aunts that his "Favorite Aunt" would be the one who got him the most skin off the birds. I'm sunk.
-Now,you have 2 camps of relatives on holidays......the ones in the kitchen,and the ones elsewhere. I can't say which I prefer,they both have their plusses and minuses. At least the ones in the kitchen do know their way around, they know where things are [ain't too many places to look ] but the ones in the kitchen are the main skin offenders :o) I'll put Steve in charge of getting pic of the bird I sacrificed to the skin crowd, you have gotta see that poor thing.

I noticed that the article didn't have any suggestions about plying the cook with drinks, bribes, or any of the chocolate truffles one niece always brings, oh, that's a serious, major omission. That author doesn't know much about entertaining a lot of people in a tiny house on a shoestring budget, but if I wrote a blog about it,it would read like a comedy article....wait a sec, didn't I just......