Is it weird?

... That when I look up at a monitor in a bar or a restaurant, that I prefer the football people with big bellies? Is that odd?


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Rarely has pulling a lever for a presidential candidate been an undiluted pleasure for me, but...

...if current trends continue, I don't see any candidate I could vote for without the bile rising in my gorge. I think I'll be writing in my preference in November.

*le sigh*

Hungry Ghosts

This lovely group disbanded in 2001, but I'm so glad of the internet, for I have found them at last. This is haunting and lovely. Apparently, there is currently a UK band called Hungry Ghosts, and they are different from this one.





Very nice, like a super-slow tango, or something. Charming.

New favorite toy/ pupdate

You see the pink piggy toy, eyes bulging, quaking with fear, futilely trying to scooch itself to safety under the lap throw on the sofa? Alas, poor piggy! It's doomed! Doomed! Doomed, I tell you! No amount of scooching could save piggy from the rapacious maw of Miss Mandible.

doomed.

Praline chewed piggy for hours and finally decided a game of fetch was what this party needed. She dropped the toy on the sofa by my leg and sat there wearing patience like a statue until I noticed my wee hairy obsessive one sitting, staring at me and awaiting my pitch of the beloved object. This happened over and over, and I would realize she'd been waiting patiently and silently for no-telling-how-long, as I watched a film on the DVD. This one could give seminars on focus.

I will say this piggy gets major points for staying power. Mumsy's little FurGirlie is a ferocious toy de-squeaker(sometimes only taking a minute or two to disembowel a toy), and she has had this toy for over 10 hours without putting the kibosh on the squeak. I chalk this up to the thickness of the hard rubber on the toy-- it actually takes a huge effort for her to squeeze hard enough to make it squeak. Now, it did have two little appendage ears, but we snipped those off when it looked like she was going to eat them, and she's been obsessing over piggy ever since. She finally wore herself out and is passed out in her kennel cab with piggy.

We'll see how much longer this lasts, but it's already a record-breaker, methinks. More pupdates to follow.

A few hours ago...

my sister sent me a text telling me to go to Netflix and watch Mary and Max immediately. I absolutely loved it. Very sweet. Not for kids, though.

Douchebaggery 101

There's a guy who's apparently a famous football player anmed Deion Sanders who announced his divorce online. Problem with that was, well, he hadn't bothered to inform his wife of 12 years in advance of that announcement, and she was, well, surprised.

I don't need to add anything to that at all, do I?

Let's see if there is hue and cry about this, hmm? Surely this is more of an outrage than some guy kneeling when he's scored a touchdown, right?

Shamelessly purloined...

...from Bayou Renaissance Man, comes this exquisite, haunting Macedonian melody, performed by two cellists on one cello.



Gorgeous!

A sweet song about time with family at Christmas

He sings to his jet-lagged baby girl (he and his family live in London but hail from Australia) that she'll won't understand, but with the family she'll be handed round like a puppy at a primary school, and she'll come to understand one day that these are the people who make her feel safe.

This song is incredibly sweet and still manages to be funny occasionally. If your parents did it right, you'll be yearning to spend Christmas with them. My parents did it right, and I had a lovely time with Mom and Dad. I hope your Christmas was as warm and happy as mine was. :)

Amazing Roman aqueducts

Have you looked a photos of ancient Roman aqueducts still standing around the planet? A few are even still functional, after 2000 years, including at least one in Rome itself. Impressive.

Here's a great site that shows examples called Bridges that Babble, and features 15 amazing Roman aquefers. The scale of the architecture is breathtaking, and the skill of the craftsmen who built these water delivery systems is nothing short of exquisite.

I also found this one online at Nerja, on the Southern coast of Spain.

A scene from Greater Redneckia

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Merry Christmas From The Family

This one is endlessly mesmerizing to me.



Feliz Navidad!

David Sedaris on Dutch Christmas tradition

Pup o the mornin' to ya!

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A proper bath.

It seems for weeks and weeks there's been sore little time to really relax. I've been involved in rehearsals or making jam or doing Christmas-related things or trying to get things more organized and I just realized Thursday that it's been absolute ages since I've had a bath rather than the usual shower.

In fact, recently in a store, I took a chance on a little box of bath melts. I was not familiar with the brand, Heyland and Whittle, and I really didn't know the contents of the melts, but the packaging looked quite refined and the fragrance of the contents seemed sweet and heady, so I indulged and sprang the dough. In truth, I spent over an hour worth of pay on this box, so I figured this had better be amazing stuff. Looking at their website now, I see the box of bath melts was comprised of skin-loving shea butter and I paid about half the UK retail value. Not only am I proud of myself for my little splurge, I'm vowing to go back and buy up the lot of what is left in the store. They are that good. I officially have a new love in the bathtub. The English know herbs, and it's no surprise that some of the most scrumptious bath products hail from there. (think Lush and Crabtree & Evelyn).

About Thursday night - I managed to get out of work about 30 minutes early and I tottered off to town. Hit Sam's for some goat cheese (which I love on greens instead of salad dressing) and then a swing by a salon where I allowed myself to be talked into a pedicure. Then back home, managed to have an indulgent evening despite getting some laundry done. Bowl of pasta with pesto and goat cheese on the sofa with the puppies and the latest version of Jane Eyre running and a not-bad(believe it or not) screw-top bottle of Spanish plonk, then it was on to the bathtub to try out the new bathmelts. I expected fizz, but it only melted and made my skin feel softer and smoother. Nice! I used the marigold, btw, and it's shocking how glorious it smells, considering I've always found marigolds to be on the stinky side. :P

So there I was, enveloped in all that lovely fragrant warmth, and occasionally puppies peeked over the side of the tub to give me quick little kisses. It was quite restorative. I feel so much better. I do love the claw-foot bathtub, but I have to say that looking up at the ceiling, its relief burnished with the glow of a candle, I was very happy with my selection of house in general, for all its shortcomings, and it felt very good to have earned a nice bath.

Now into the wild rush of the holiday weekend. I hope you, too, can find a moment for yourself to throw on the breaks and savor something nice all by yourself. Life is sweet.