Book Review: The Road

This story is deeply disturbing, gripping, painful and wonderful

Read it

Dear Spotty Chop you were 45 months old yesterday

When I have been picking you up from school or Nannie and Papas you have been throwing your arms around me saying I’ve missed you so much all day today.

We have been playing Chaotic. We stand in the library, “spin” the locator, you tell me what land we are in and then we choose what monster we are going to turn into. Then…WE FIGHT

I see big problems ahead between you and your dad. You two are very alike and I think may kill each other. I will be in bed with the covers over my head, call me when you are done.

We have been trying harder to eat as a family at the dinner table instead of in front of the TV. You are not thrilled, but I think with practice we will get better. We used to eat at the table all the time. I don’t know why we stopped.

You won’t eat squash

You love to kiss our eyes

You now say “sorry my bad” correctly, but we have no idea where you got this from. Uncle Paulie taught you to say “Peace out” so maybe we do know…

You have been calling your daddy “sir” and saying things like “yes young man”.

You are constantly on our ass if we say a “bad” word. This actually makes me happy. You have been saying damit a lot, but when I told you that it would make Nannie unhappy you started to say gramit. You are using it pretty consistently which tickles my funny bone.

You have been thoroughly entertaining Nannie and Papa. When Nannie forgets things you have been saying “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOUR BRAIN?”

You have begun to notice a few words out of context. Which means? You will be reading in no time. This is so incredibly awesome to me. I can not wait to begin reading longer stories with you.

When daddy plays video games with you and he is having a hard time with a section you climb behind him, wrap your arms around his neck, lay on his back and tell him “I’ll protect you”.

You like to show a lot more independence when it’s just you and your daddy. You brush your teeth and get undressed all by yourself. You also actively seek out your daddy to play with, you sometimes tell me to go away.

You told Nannie the other day that a kid in school kicked you. Nannie was OUTRAGED. “Who would dare kick my Spotty Chop? Why did he kick you?” You said you didn’t know. Nannie kept asking and eventually you said “well maybe it was because I PUNCHED HIM HARD”, when Nannie said that was not nice and she was not pleased you told her, “well maybe I was lying.”

You are having night terrors again. Not as bad as they were, but we are spending one or two nights with you screaming and crying and being un-consolable. I really hope you grow out of this. I know you don’t remember it, but it makes me sad.

You have pretty much stopped taking naps for us. You still take them at school and sometimes for Nannie. The good news is that you are falling asleep around 8-8:30 and your daddy and I have been able to spend some time together.

I can’t wait to see how you handle X-Mass this year. Love ya tons!!!

A brain by any other name…

The other night Spotty Chop was getting ready for bed when I realized he was wearing big boy underwear.

“HEY, you can’t wear those to bed wack job” so he pulled them off while I turned around to grab a pull up.

“LOOK MAMA” he yelled as I turned around. He was pulling at his scrotum.

“A brain!”

I struggled not to laugh, in my head I’m thinking, well, ya, it’s wrinkly like a brain, but how do you know that?

Boy Toy was snickering “yes son, soon enough that will be the only brain you think with, but for now we call it a ball sack”

“NO IT’S MY BRAIN…MY BRAAAAAAAAAAAAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn”

And we wonder why boys are the way they are…

Book Review: Myrren’s Gift

The Quickening Book One
Our story starts with death, which is not such a bad way to start a story.

Loyal General Thirsk best friend to King Magnus gets wacked saving the Kings life. Magnus promises to treat Thirsk’s children like his own. (Actually better) Wly at 14 is now the General of the Legion (tradition) and has an instant antagonist in Celimus, the King’s son. Celimus is everything that Wly is not, flashy, handsome, sly, cruel and an all around shit. King Magnus was hoping that Wly and Celimus would become as close as Thirsk and he were and that Wly would be a good influence on him. Not so much, Celimus drags Wly down to the dungeon to see a young girl tortured into giving a confession just to see Wly squirm. Wly gives the girl a sip of water because that is all he can do. He goes to see her put to death and with her last breath Myrren gives him a gift of sorts, she asks Wly to keep her dog.

Things only get worse from here.

Celimus beheads Wly’s best friend and brother in law and then forces Wly’s sister to carry the head to the dungeon where she will be staying until Wly comes back with an agreement from a neighboring kingdom. Of course Celimus has planned on having him killed, what he didn’t figure on was Romen the mercenary. There are twists and turns and beautiful strong women and not so strong. Throw in a smidgen of magic, crazy kings and a situation that was….unexpected and you have what I hope to be a good series.

So…how you doing?

We have been having a swell time over at the beloved homestead. I worked from home last Thursday and around 1:00 pm I was talking to my boss who was in London, suddenly all the lights went out and my phone died. So I did what any normal person would do and said “hello hello? Are you there? Hello????” Spotty Chop came to tell me that the lights were out. So I wandered around the house making sure that it was all the lights and not just a blown circuit or something. I called up the electric company to see if they knew what was going on, and they said they would have a crew out right away.


I made another call to a co-worker on the crackberry, explaining that I had no electricity. As I was talking I realized that my new black out curtains really blacked out. I couldn’t see a Frelling thing. So I went towards the window. Unbeknownst to me Spotty had been playing with Boy Toy’s surveyor crap and had left the tripod in the middle of the floor. My foot got tangled. I fell. I yelled. My co-worker laughed. I took aspirin, and a few hours later I realized that I wrenched my back something FIERCE. Called Boy toy to see when he would be coming home. He said in an hour, so I told him what happened and that I needed to take a Vicoden.


1 Vike rarely does anything to me, but if I am home with Spotty I prefer having Boy toy around just in case. However as it takes at least an hour for me to notice that I took the frelling thing I felt confident that if anything were to kick in, he would be home. As I am waiting for him to come home I grab candles. Unfortunately all I can find are Yankee candles, ordinarily not a bad thing, but with darkness coming on I needed lots of candles, and wouldn’t you know that none of them were the same scent? So I don’t have enough candles, it is getting progressively darker, even with the blackout curtains open and the flashlight that I kept out of the camping bin expressly for a situation like this isn’t working, I tried changing the batteries but no luck. So I hobble downstairs and open the cabinets with the camping bins, did I mention that I was using a tea light to light my way? I put the tea light down and reach up (over my head) to grab the camping bin that I think I want. It is pitch black except for the TINY little tea light over in the corner. As I muscle the bin down something smashes me in the face. It is a queen size air mattress. I fall back and almost take another tumble, but this time with 20 or 30 lbs of camping crap on top of me. I may have cursed a bit. But I found a light, and our lantern. Which I know is propane and can’t be used in doors, but at this point I didn’t give a rat’s ass and figured we could open a window worst came to worst. I drag everything upstairs and realize that the house is still too frelling dark. So I get out some cake and bread pans and start lining up tea lights on the mantle and wood stove. Both of these are behind an iron gate so I do not need to worry about Spotty. I had just lit about 40 of them when…the lights came on. YEA. So I go around the house blowing out all of the candles. Boy Toy comes home, and about 4 hours after the first Vike which has done less than the aspirin I decide to take another one. This one settles the back pain down. BUT…WTF my right hand starts to hurt. I am up half of the night because my hand is ACHING. I REFUSE to take another Vike. They are not pez, I have a limited supply that I keep on hand for the kidney stones. Plus as an addictive person I am constantly questioning when I take them “Do I need it? Or just want it?” Boy Toy reminds me that I did fall, which is why my hand hurt, but for Frell’s sake. I took two Vikes, my hand should not hurt!
Why am I telling you this? Because my point was actually that we have not had internet since a week ago Thursday. But then I got distracted by my tale of woe. But the cable guys were out last night and…YEA internet

Thematic Photographic 24 - Rows

Every time I think I am getting closer to normal, something else pops up, which means blogging, both posting and viewing has been few and far between (unless you of course were playing with the scheduling feature of Blogger). But I will once again rear my ugly head to join in Carmi’s thematrical oddity of ROWS.

As luck will have it, there are rows in that there project. So once again by the skin of my teeth I can participate in what can be considered the highlight of the week for many folks .

This is Boy toys hat. I have mine (that totally needs to be redone as I had not picked up needles in awhile and there are several “soul holes”.) Spotty has his and he looks friggen cute as a button in it. I will try and get a group shot once Boy toy’s is done.

I really enjoy knitting. Folks on the train seem to be fascinated and will often ask me what I am making. I had one elderly woman ask if I enjoyed the Zen like tranquility that knitting seemed to convey. I do! I like letting my mind wander as my hands are busy. But I also love when I am following a pattern and my mind has no room for anything other than the knit. Sometimes that really comes in handy. I love the feel of the yarn, especially the expensive stuff. I love the smell of hand dyed yarn. I have only used a few hand dyed skeins, but the smell is divine. There is nothing better than the sound of the needles.

My mom’s friend bought me a pair of stainless steel needles that I especially love, the sound of them is very hypnotic, plus if you heat them up over a gas flame they can be used as a deadly weapon. Boy toy actually looked up from the Bruins game last night to say “don’t you need to get started on the Santa hats for X-Mass eve?”

Do you see why I need deadly weapons?

To knit or knot to knit…

I’ve started knitting again. I stopped for a long time after I had Spotty Chop. I could just never find the time or the energy. I made him a napping blanket this year, kind of a “congrads you are going to a new class”. The Friday before he was to start class I apparently left it on the train with only 5 rows to go. No one has ever turned it in. I was very discouraged. (FRELLING PISSED!!! I AM STILL RANTING OVER IT!!! WHO THE F WOULD STEAL KNITTING???!!!????)
My roomie loved to knit, she loved to dye her own yarn. She was earthy crunchie like that. Her favorite thing to knit (besides some diaper soaker thingy) was socks. I have a fear of the sox. I am not sure why, it just seems too complicated ( I also have a fear of the mitten, but that is another post.) I have a friend who is also a big sox maker (I think it might be a cult) she is going to show me how to do the sox thang when I am ready.
Anyhoo to honor the byotch I have started up again. And although it is like riding a bike, it’s also like riding a bike drunk. Your fingers don’t always remember where they belong (I was no expert knitter, perhaps I was intermediate…) So I made myself a hat, it’s cute, but before I started I couldn’t get the right gauge. It pissed me off so I just started the damn hat…and it’s too big. Not so big that it is un-wearable, but big enough that I changed my needles when I started Spotty’s. That’s right. Family hats. Look upon my work and weep. I haven’t decided if I will tear my hat out and redo it. I may, may not. I have a few other things I would like to get done. Hat for Boy toy (just the start of making my boys miserable). A baby hat for a co-worker, a blanket for my baby bro (but it’s a wedding gift so I can deal with this next year), a scarf for my boss, a scarf for me (can you have enough? This won’t be for warmth, but for fashion…I am a slave to fashion…) and a Christmas stocking cap. Boy toy’s family has an X-Mass tradition where we all have a picture taken wearing Santa hats. I want a VERY SOFT hat. I am determined.
So prep yourself, there will be knit snits to be read in your future…I’m just sayin

You just call out my name…

We spent the weekend with some college friends. Had a great time. The Other made some kick ass grub. Non Lady brought some great munchies. We had husbands, kids, dogs, great conversation, knitting, man projects, girl crushes, batman, robin and neighborly neighbors. It was like being in the dorm again. I miss these guys a lot. I am really bummed that it took loosing the Roommate to make us realize that we needed to get off our asses. But I think everyone had a good time, which means that it will be that much easier to say “hey let’s get together”.

The Other and I are still planning our Viking funeral for the Roommate. We have big things planed for this, so big we may even need to skip the whole “kill the daughter and burn the house down” thing. I will keep you posted.

Who's afraid of the big bad...postcard?

Guess who is back? Our postcarder has just left Italy, where there seems to have been a lot of food porn, for a more sedate Netherlands. They have also started knitting, which is great...who ever they are. We have let a few friends in on what's going on, they are so into the mystery that it brings us back to the feelings we had when we got the first...WTF and OH MY GOD HOW FUN.

Where oh where will they go next?

Book Review: Briar Rose

A retelling of a classic fairy tale. It starts out simple enough a grandmother “Gemma” telling her granddaughters a story; a princess, a castle, a prince, a kiss that wakes her. Only one grad daughter takes the story to heart. “Becca” and doesn’t mind the retelling of the tale, no matter how often. Becca is now 23 and works for a newspaper. Gemma is in a nursing home suffering from dementia. When Gemma dies, all that is left is a wooden box with several pictures and some paperwork.

What follows is a mystery unraveled, and a story not normally told. For Gemma was a Jew during the holocaust. Held in Chelmono an extermination camp.

No woman ever escaped from Chelmno.

This is a dark tale and worth reading.

Dear Spotty Chop you are 44 months old today

What have you done that has made me giggle?

We were at one of your classmates birthday parties and when you showed up all the kids that were there started screaming “SPOTTY, IT’S SPOTTY, Hi Spotty hi!!!” as you ran over to play with them. A little while later a late comer came and you were the first to see her and you started yelling “Katie, Katie, you’re here. LOOK LOOK everyone Katie is here!!!!” I loved seeing how well liked you seem to be, but I actually loved to see the enthusiasm you show when you see friends more.

You LOVE to make cake with me. I love how you first dip a finger in the batter and the second my eye is diverted somehow your entire hand is in the batter. You make everything taste better.

We went to a wedding in Jersey. We stayed on the beach. Every morning you and I would wake up and go off on an adventure. It was a beautiful weekend the sun shined, the sand was warm and your mind was full of games. We chased the waves, sometimes the waves chased us. I always seemed to forget to put our bathing suits on, but we ending up doing some “swimming” anyways. Someone had dug a large hole that became “ours”. We played pirates and set out pirate traps which (clam shells we had gathered). You told me to spread them out around the hole and when the pirates stepped on them we would hear them yelling “ow ow my feet hurt”. You and your daddy used the hole to cook. You made alien soup and gave it out to the pirates. You took naps with me and slept on top of your dad. At the wedding you met your 2nd cousin j2. He is 6 and a great kid. The bride’s parents had thoughtfully hired a babysitter so that everyone could enjoy the wedding. You and j2 hit it off well. My favorite part of it all was seeing you and j2 on the dance floor at the end of the night encircled by a bunch of drunken marines in full dress dancing your hearts out and having these guys playing air guitar and high 5ing you.

You have been incredibly clingy when I have dropped you off this month. Not sure what that is all about, but there is a lot of drama when I leave. Luckily we have Grammie who has tasks for you to do in the office, so you are happy to see me go. When we are leaving people (Grammies, Nannies and Papa’s, Moo’s) you tell me you are sad because you miss them so much.

At Moo’s house you have a routine, first you play the piano, then you socialize for a bit, then you want to be upstairs in the attic playing. You may want someone to play with you at first, but then you generally will send whomever (sorry Freak Show) away so you can play by yourself. I am glad you have been able to spend more time with them lately.

We have been having lots of races inside. We run from one side of the house to the other. You don’t seem to ever tire (which totally sucks for me as I apparently really need to exercise). We have been playing Caraboo and CandyLand and a silly Star Wars game that I got off of a lunchable. It’s a battle game using cards. I believe this is the “first hit is free” crack that will slowly drag you into the world of game play…not that your father and I ever played games like that…

You weren’t really into Halloween this year. That’s not quite true. You had a blast talking about it, and decorating the house, and putting on costumes, but when the big night came and we got dressed and went out to get candy, you only went to a house or two and then decided you wanted to go home. I don’t know if you were scared, tired or what. I tried to convince you to try a few more houses and I think you would have gotten over whatever it was you were feeling, but you just didn’t want to go. So I took you home and you had a blast handing out candy in your underwear.

You are the wackiest kid around, and I love you tons!

Buffy - Season One

Can you believe I never watched this? I bought this as a filler, didn't really think I would like it as much as I do. This is the perfect show when you are feeling down. Have you watched it?


Xander: I kinda had a problem with the math.
Willow: Uh, which part?
Xander: The math.

Cordelia: Willow! Nice dress! Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears.

Buffy: Who are you?
Angel: Let's just say... I'm a friend.
Buffy: Yeah, well, maybe I don't want a friend.
Angel: I didn't say I was yours

Buffy: I didn't say I'd never slay another vampire. It's not like I have all these fluffy-bunny feelings for them, I'm just not gonna get way extracurricular with it.

[After finding out that vampires exist.]
Willow: Oh, I need to sit down.
Buffy: You are sitting down.
Willow: Oh... Good for me.

Giles: So, all the city plans are just, uh, open to the public?
Willow: Um, well, i-in a way. I sort of stumbled onto them when I accidentally decrypted the city council's security system.
Xander: Someone's been naughty.

Willow: You're the Slayer, and we're, like, the Slayerettes!

Xander: I laugh in the face of danger! Then I... hide until it goes away.

Xander: For I am Xander, King of Cretins. May all lesser cretins bow before me.

Joyce: Look what I found. It's my yearbook from junior year. [finds her picture] Oh, look! There I am.
Buffy: Mom, I've accepted that you've had sex. I am not ready to know that you had Farrah hair.
Joyce: This is Gidget hair. Don't they teach you anything in history?

Xander: First vampires, now witches. No wonder you can still afford a house in Sunnydale.

Buffy: Hot dog surprise. Be still, my heart.
Willow: Call me old-fashioned, I don't want any more surprises in my hot dogs.

Cordelia: I don't know what to say, it was really, I mean, one minute you're in your normal life, and then who's in the fridge? It really gets to you, a thing like that. It was... let's just say I haven't been able to eat a thing since yesterday. I think I lost, like, seven and a half ounces? Way swifter than that so-called diet that quack put me on. Oh, I'm not saying that we should kill a teacher every day just so I can lose weight, I'm just saying when tragedy strikes, we have to look on the bright side. You know? Like how even used Mercedes still have leather seats.

Giles: My calculations are precise.
Buffy: Nuh! They're bad calculations! Bad!
Willow: Buffy has a really important date.
Buffy: Owen!
Giles: All right, I-I'll just jump in my time machine, go back to the twelfth century and ask the vampires to postpone their ancient prophecy for a few days while you take in dinner and a show.
Buffy: Okay, at this point you're abusing sarcasm.

Giles: If your identity as the Slayer is revealed it could put you and all those around you in grave danger.
Buffy: Well, in that case I won't wear my button that says, 'I'm the Slayer, ask me how!'

Buffy: If the apocalypse comes, beep me.

Xander: [to Cordelia] Y'know, hey, I don't know what everyone's talking about. That outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker!

Buffy: You want Xander, you've gotta speak up, girl!
Willow: No, no, no, no. No speaking up. That way leads to madness ... and sweaty palms.

Jenny Calendar: [to Giles] Oh, I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!
Giles: Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box.
Jenny: That's TV. The idiot box is TV. This [indicates a computer] is the good box!

Principal Snyder: There are things I will not tolerate: students loitering on campus after school, horrible murders with hearts being removed... and also smoking.

Willow: Once again I've been banished to the demon section of the card catalogue.

Xander: Well, the Hellmouth, the center of mystical convergence, supernatural monsters: been there.
Buffy: Little blase' there, aren't you?
Xander: I'm not worried. If there's something bad out there we'll find, you'll slay, we'll party!
Buffy: Thanks for having confidence in me.
Xander: You da man, Buff!

Ms. Miller: But has Shylock suffered? What's his place in Venice society?
Willow: Well, everyone looked down on him.
Cordelia: That is such a twinkie defense. Shylock should get over himself. People who think their problems are so huge craze me. Like this time I sort of ran over this girl on her bike. It was the most traumatizing event of my life, and she's trying to make it about her leg! Like my pain meant nothing.

Jenny: The part that gets me, though, is where Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. She's so little.

Buffy: I may be dead, but I'm still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you.

Buffy: Sure! We saved the world. I say we party!

Thematic Photographic 22 - Night

What better way to get back into the swing of things that participating in Carmi's latest theme ? I've missed several themes in the past few weeks. But I am feeling like I want to be part of the human race again. Wander over and check out the comments at Written Inc. You will see a lot of great photos, a bunch of interesting sites and you may even find a friend or two.

Here is my contribution.

Waterfire is one of our favorite events. I have written about it several times and I don't know if I ever really convey how insanely cool it is to be there, surrounded by the night, fire, people and music. Next year I vow to learn more about aperture so I can take a better photo. But then again if you have ever been there, this fuzzy, blurry kind of un-earthly quality actually sums this event up nicely.

Thank You

My girlfriend was buried yesterday. It sucked. But I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and kind words. I know I haven’t been around much, I have tried to pop in to see what folks were writing, but then wasn’t up for commenting. But thanks to the crackberry I got emails when folks said “thinking of you”. It was much appreciated. I hope to get back into the swing of things next week. I will be popping in to see you and say hi.

I leave you with what my friend and I sang to my roomie (as we were the first to the funeral home yesterday and no one was about) as our parting gift to her (after bitch slapping her urn around, “who the fuck does she think she is leaving us?”). It actually helped the hurt, and as it was unplanned, has brought “the other” and I closer together.

Good Bye Roomie

My college roommate died today.

I went to visit her this morning after I dropped off Spotty Chop. Funny thing is I almost didn’t. My kidney stones were making themselves know and I thought “well I have the day off, maybe I should just stay home”, then I thought “she has frelling cancer, that hurts a bit more, shut up and get your ass in gear.” So I drove to her house. When I got there the nurse was getting ready to get her up for a shower. Her mom told me to run in and say hi. Her hubby was in the room working. I gave her a kiss and said hey, I thought I would read to you (I used to read to her before we fell asleep back in the day) and she said that would be nice, she would like that. I told her to take her time, I wasn’t going anywhere. I went back to the kitchen grabbed the kids and started to play. I kept playing when I heard folks yelling for each other. I ran to grab the little dude (2) when he ran out of the room and out of the corner of my eye saw her on the floor. I kept the princess (5) busy playing camping even though she wanted to go potty. And then the nurse came and said she would watch the kids if I wanted to go in. I didn’t get what I was seeing. Everyone was crying. She was just slipping away.

Be at peace my friend.

God better Frelling enjoy the sox you are knitting for him

I love you

Thematic Photographic 18 - Kids

Well, thank god for Blogger dashboard. I have been so preocupied that I forgot all about the theme ...luckily I have a photo or two kicking about...

our first nap together

first halloween

first birthday

camping

London

Riding with Dada

I'm so tired

Thomas

swimming

cutting down a tree

Xmas at nannie and papa's

my current desktop

This morning...love ya Spotty

Dear Spotty Chop you were 43 months old yesterday,

I found out yesterday that my girlfriend has only weeks to live.

Her babies will not remember her and it is killing me to think about it.

I love you so much and every second I spend with you means so much to me. It is a feeling that can not be expressed in words. You have brought such joy into my life that I can’t remember what life was like without you. You will know what I am talking about when you have your own child (or not, who knows what choices you will make, but please believe me when I say that having you has been the best thing that EVER happened to your father and I and we wouldn’t trade it for anything).

You have done fun, funny and frustrating things this month, but to be honest with you I can’t remember a thing. All I want to do is hold you tight and never let you go.

Pink in October

You may have noticed a little change...I'm going PINK in October. I saw Hayley Townley, Breast Cancer Survivor Extraordinaire at Carmi's (isn’t that where you meet everyone?) and she is going pink for October. As I have friends and family that have either kicked cancer’s ass…or unfortunately been kicked in the ass, this is something that I can really stand behind. How about you?

Thematic Photographic 17 - Angles

Once again I am late. I wasn't going to post because I had nothing to say/show, but on my way to bed last night I looked to the right and saw...

Thank God for Spotty Chop.
if you want to see interesting photos, go see Carmi and and the fun folks that participate.

WaterFire, dirt and snuggles

We had a lovely weekend that just passed.

Saturday I had my car detailed. OMG if you had seen what it looked like (think toxic waste dump topped off with cookie crumbs) and what it looks like now (CLEAN and does not smell of milk). I had the added bonus of thinking it was going to cost me $299 (and willing to pay every dime) and instead paid $99. Such a treat, I can't stop running my hands over the dash. Spotty Chop had fun playing with gramie and grumpa while I sat around watching SG1 (season 6) waiting for my car to be done. We then got ready for Waterfire. Moo, Freak Show and Cheese Please joined us in our wandering. As an added bonus Moo brought us homemade peach habanero preserves (insane on cheddar) and a marinade (which is new to me and I can’t wait to try).

If you have never been to WaterFire and you live near (or near enough) you really are missing out on a great evening. The Providence Rivers are set ablaze, wacky but good music is playing over loudspeakers. And the people! People are everywhere, young, old, and everything in between. I think what I like about this event best is how people behave. If this event was in Boston you would have drunks weaving their way in and into folks causing problems. In all the years I have been going to this I have never seen that here. It is something you can take your family to, or your date, or hell yourself. There are pockets where street performers are doing their thing, we happened upon Peruvian musicians, a group doing the Chinese dragon dance, another group doing some traditional Jewish dances. We rode a boat on the river and got up close and personal to the art. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this. It is something I look forward to every year.

Sunday Spotty Chop and I hung out at Target, snuggled on the couch, read books, ran outside, played with play-doh, took a tubbie and watched a movie. Pretty typical but the snuggling was sublime.

Thematic Photographic 16 - Nature

Carmi's theme this week is nature and although I seem to be infatuated with Spotty Chop I do on occasion enjoy taking picutes of other things.

Here is a little something I found while camping. I think it fits the meme. Or at least it fits me and the meme.

BAD Mama

So over the weekend I was putting Spotty to bed, that side of the house was dark and quiet. Spotty said he was really really thirsty so I said I would get him something and to stay in bed. I went to the kitchen and got him a glass of water and out of the corner of my eye I see him “hiding” I quickly turn to him and yell “get your ass back in bed sir” and he runs of laughing. As I stomp towards his bedroom I am aggravated because fuck, can’t he EVER just stay in bed for 5 seconds, then I hear him cry and in my head I’m like “serves you right you little bastard, you should have stayed in bed.” But then the crying doesn’t stop and the tone changes so I am running trying to find a light switch. Why is his mouth red I wonder as I scoop him up into my arms, why are there little red droplets in my hair as I walk towards the linen closet to grab a face cloth and watch as the whiteness quickly turns red. Shhhh baby mamma got you as I stumble over things to get to the kitchen and get him a freezer pop.

Yes my boy bit through his lower lip. No we did not go to the ER because his lip stopped bleeding fairly quickly. Yes, I feel like the suckiest mom on the planet because I did not run to him immediately when he cried.

Why I love Freak Show

There is nothing freakshow likes better than getting email from me.

Here is a fun and quick way to stay in touch. Let's see how many I getback...Four, Four, Four, Four...
A) Four places that I go to over and over: shut up, stop sending these emails and die in a fire
B) Four people who e-mail me (regularly): no one will email you if you keep sending this garbage out
C) Four of my favorite places to eat: no one cares what you eat, how much or when
D)Four places I would rather be right now: GO GO there now spare us your bullshit emails
E) Four people I think will respond: Are you sorry I'm responding yet?
F) Four TV shows I watch: Oh great, you've got a DVR! who cares?
Replace my answers with your answers and sendit to a bunch of people, including me. It's SIX questions. Take the time.
Fuck you

Book Review: Blood Bound

Mercy Thompson Series, Book 2
What do you do when your vampire friend calls you at 3:00 am and says he needs a favor and then shows up with a silver studded leather dog collar? If you owe him a favor you go into your bedroom and change shape. Some girls will do anything to intimidate the bad guys.

Favorite quote when they meet the bad guy. “After all the build up, the vampire who opened the door was almost anticlimactic, like expecting to hear Pavarotti sing Wagner and getting Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd instead.”

Once again the werewolves and vampires have a problem, this time with sorcerers and demons. So what do they do? Well they call for Mercy (hahaha, never mind). This book is more violent that the previous. Lots more death. LOTS more. Sexual tension also is running high,from pretty much every quarter. It’s vampire vs vampire, werewolf vs werewolf, vampire vs werewolf and then the real fighting begins.

Mercy also shows a talent we haven’t seen before. But damn does she have a wicked sense of humor

Still digging the series, the books are short, under 300 pages and I am looking forward to reading the next one.

Thematic Photographic 15 - Closeup

Carmi's latest and greatest is "closeup". I will admit i am pretty sucky at closeups. I want to take great shots, but often I don't succeed. That of course doesn' t stop me from trying. I have 2 shots for you. The first is...NOT SPOTTY CHOP! I will wait while you pick yourself off the floor. I was fooling around with the macro function on the camera and I came up with this

There is a reason that closeups often involve flowers. They don't move. They just sit there and flower. These are the flowers that surround us when we are camping. Perfectly simple, no drama.

And what would a photo post be without my boy? My mom does not like this shot, but I do. He is guzzling down his chocolate milk in a box and I can never have enough photos of his eyes. My girlfriend calls him blueberry eyes.

My Top 10 Fantasy Men

I stole this Meme from Annie.

I don't know if there is edikit in stolen memes, if they are like mimes and you either love them or hate them. Or if I just wanted to think of HOT, smoldering, dripping with manly maness men.

Sean Connery – I don't give a rat's ass if he were old enough to be my great-grandfather. This man makes me want to purr

Ben Browder – I find him to be a FINE specimen of a man…especially in leather…and with a gun

Bruce Lee – My dad was a huge fan. He used to take my brother and I to see his movies all the time. I think I wanted to do the nasty with him before I knew what the nasty was.

Will Smith – He makes me laugh, and I think he would bring that to the bedroom. Nothing sexier than a man that can make me laugh. I am a bit wary of the whole Scientology thing…but that's really his bizness.

Robert Plant – Have you seen this man in jeans?

Avery Brooks – NO hair. With hair he turns me cold, without hair? I would chain this man to my bed and NEVER let him out.

George Harrison – I think this may be the first man I consciously wanted to sleep with.

Sting – lasting for hours…

Brad Pitt – I never saw the attraction until he hooked up with Angelina and they started their own family and then I saw Mr. & Mrs. Smith. He is just yummie

Adrian Paul – When Highlander the series was on let's just say that Boy Toy has N-E-V-E-R been luckier. I mean, my lady bits tingle just thinking of the man

Y.O.D.A

II have no idea who created this, but when I need to laugh I pull this up

Y.O.D.A
(Tune to the Village People's "Y.M.C.A")

As sung by master Yoda, on meeting Luke Skywalker

YOUNG MAN, I saw your ship come down. I said
YOUNG MAN, now it's muddy and brown. I said
YOUNG MAN, put your weapon away, 'cause I
*MEAN* *YOU* *NO* *HARM* *I* *SAY*
YOUNG MAN, There's no need to feel fear. I am
WONDERIN', tell me why are you here? How you
GROWIN', from this food on the plate, I say
*WARS* *DO* *NOT* *MAKE* *ONE* *GREAT*

You must be here to see Y.O.D.A
You must be here to see Y.O.D.A.
He's 900 years old!
He's so strong in the Force!
Do your Jedi Diploma course!

You must be here to see Y.O.D.A
You must be here to see Y.O.D.A
Come and get yourself clean!
Come and have a good meal!
Pretty soon now, the Force you'll feel!

YOUNG MAN, you fell out of the sky, into
SOMETHIN' brown that smells like a sty, and this
TIN CAN started swimming and then, he got
*SPAT* *OUT* *LIKE* *SOME* *THROAT* *PHLEGM*
YOUNG MAN, Welcome to Dagobah. He is
COMIN', master Yoda not far. I'll be
HAVIN' this bright thing that ain't hot. It is
*MINE* *OR* *I'LL* *HELP* *YOU* *NOT*

You must be here to see Y.O.D.A
You must be here to see Y.O.D.A.
He's 900 years old!
He's so strong in the Force!
Do your Jedi Diploma course!

You must be here to see Y.O.D.A
You must be here to see Y.O.D.A
Don't just stand in the rain!
You're all covered with mud!
come and sample my homemade crud!

OLD BEN, Are you listenin' to me? I can't
TRAIN HIM, he's so reckless you see! Like his
OLD MAN, he's so angry but brave! Betcha
*HE* *SCREWS* *UP* *AT* *THE* *CAVE*
YOUNG MAN, If you start will you end, or be
GOING, off to save all your friends? To be
TRAINING, needs commitment and work, if you
*WIMP* *OUT* *THEN* *YOU'RE* *A* *JERK*

You gotta stay here with Y.O.D.A
You gotta stay here with Y.O.D.A
You should stay here and train!
You don't have to save Han!
If you do so, you'll lose your hand!

What my boss sent me this am

She came in from NY today and sent me this email:


Not sure why I thought of you….hmmm

Live your life in such a way
That when your feet
Hit the floor in the morning,
Satan shudders and says....

"Oh shit... she's awake!"

Thematic Photographic 14 - Faded

I seem to have a hard time getting my photos up in time for Thematic Wednesday. I am working on it though. I have enjoyed everyone's ideas of faded this week and I am sure you will be shocked to see....photos of....Spotty Chop!

This is what faded looks like after a full day at Clark's Trading Post:

which turns into this

and this

Dear Spotty Chop you are 42 months old today

You have suddenly started hurting me when you are angry or upset. I hope you grow out of the phase quickly because I am starting to get cross. I know this is happening in part because you are trying to claim your independence and while I can appreciate it I don’t like having my hair pulled, or being punched.

What I can appreciate is how much fun you are. You can be excited about new books and want to sit on our lap and read for hours. You constantly want to “fight the bad guys”. You leap, twist and thrust. You daddy can simply say “ whip-cha” and you will come running from wherever you are and whatever you are doing so that you can battle. You love the drive-ins. I can’t wait for next year so we can take you more often. You are becoming more adventuresome. While we were camping over Labor Day you would walk down paths by yourself that you wouldn’t do over the 4th of July. You have no fear of the dark and enjoy wandering around the campground in the pitch black. You have also started to take photos. I love seeing what you find interesting.

You are definitely enjoying your daddy more. You are sad when he is not around and at times don’t want to be with me at all. I love seeing the two of you with your heads put together. You may be playing a game, reading a book or just watching TV. You two also push each others buttons and quite frankly sometimes I would like to kill the both of you. Then again, you both know how to push my buttons, you better not be doing this on purpose.

I wouldn’t give you up for the world. I love you kiddo

Thematic Photographic 13 – Watery

We went camping last week up in our usual stomping grounds, Franconia Notch. During the weekend I found myself wondering what theme did Carmi choose? I was taking the most random shots just in case what I shot matched the criteria for one of Carmi’s fantastic get-togethers.

Although this shot is kind of hard not to take in the White Mountains.





While I was busy taking photos of this (anyone recognize where I am?)





I noticed we were going past this


and thought “he hasn’t done water yet…oh look he has a bomb…"




I felt very Carmirific in my multi-tasking, seizing the day type of approach this trip.

Crappers

I wanted to write about the fantastic time we had at 6 Flags (no dada, its 6 Flags New England…) or our annual Labor Day camping trip that we extended. But instead I am writing about my best friend’s dad and how he passed away over the weekend and how much I think this sucks. It sucks for my friend whose kids are now going to have to grow up with out a grand-pa who loved them almost more than life itself (his wife co-owns the title of being the most loved woman in the universe. She shares the title with my mom). It sucks for my friend’s family who will miss him and his goofy ways (to know him is to…for CHRIST’s sake don’t mention goosing or butts around him…love him).

It also sucks for me, not only will I miss him and the ridiculous “Cheese loves me best” game that Boy Toy and he would play whenever they saw each other. Or the fact that no one would ever mention to him that Boy Toy and I live in sin, I am not sure how Spotty Chop was explained and I don’t want to know. I was so worried about disappointing him with that. Worst is this is making me face my own parents mortality which is something I just can’t do. I am in awe of Moo’s poise and composure in this situation. I can’t even conceptualize my parent’s death without falling to pieces.

So good bye Mr. S. It’s been fun knowing you. Thanks for putting up with me and allowing me to be in your daughters life. I will miss you.

Firefly

Now if you had watched this I wouldn’t be done watching the series already…

Mal: We are not gonna die. You know why? Because we are so...very...pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die. Huh? Look at that chiseled jaw!

(Wash is playing with plastic dinosaurs.)
Wash: (as Stegosaurus) Yes...yes. This is a land, and we will thrive. We will rule over all this land, and we will call it...this land. (as Allosaur) I think we should call it your grave! (as Stegosaurus) Ah! Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal! (as Allosaur) Ha ha ha! Mine is an evil laugh! Now DIE! (as Stegosaurus) Oh no, God, oh dear God in heaven...

Inara: So. Would you like to lecture me the wickedness of my ways?
Book: I brought you some supper, but.… if you'd prefer a lecture, I've a few very catchy ones prepared. Sin, and hellfire… one has lepers.
Inara (smiling): I think I'll pass.

Simon: What happens if they board us?
Zoe: If they take the ship, they'll rape us to death, eat our flesh, and sew our skins into their clothing. And if we're very, very lucky, they'll do it in that order.

Mal: [to Jayne] Now, you've only got to scare him.
Jayne: Pain is scary.

Mal: Well, what about you, Shepherd? How come you're flyin' about with us brigands? I mean, shouldn't you be off bringing religiosity to the fuzzy-wuzzies or some such?
Book: Oh, I got heathens aplenty right here.
Mal: If I'm your mission, Shepherd, best give it up. You're welcome on my boat - God ain't.

Zoe: You don't think that changes the situation a bit?
Mal: I surely do. Makes it more fun!
Zoe: Sir? I think you have a problem with your brain being missing.

Zoe: Planet's coming up a mite fast.
Wash: That's just 'cause- I'm going down too quick. Likely crash and kill us all.
Mal: Well, [if] that happens, let me know.

Mal: It sounds like the finest party I can imagine getting paid to go to.
Inara: I don't suppose you'd find it up to [the] standards of your outings. More conversation, and somewhat less.… petty theft and getting hit with pool cues.

Mal: It would be humiliating, having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man.
[He lightly stabs Atherton.]
Mal: Guess I'm just a good man.
[He repeats the poking.]
Mal: Well, I'm all right.

River: They weren't cows inside. They were waiting to be, but they forgot. Now they see sky, and they remember what they are.
Mal: Is it bad that what she said made perfect sense to me?

Jayne: "Dear Diary: Today I was pompous and my sister was crazy. [flips page] Today we were kidnapped by hill folk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever."

Mal: Cut her down!
Patron: The girl is a witch.
Mal: Yeah, but she's our witch. [cocks gun] So cut her the hell down.

Inara: So… explain to me again why Zoe wasn't in the dress?
Mal: Tactics, woman. Needed her in the back. Besides, them soft cotton dresses feel kinda nice. There's a whole… airflow.
Inara: And you'd know that because…?
Mal: You can't open the book of my life and jump in the middle. Like woman, I am a mystery.
Inara: [laughs] Best keep it that way. I withdraw the question.

Mal: Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back!

Book: If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of Hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.

Mal: I would appreciate it if one person on this boat would not assume I'm an evil, lecherous hump.
Zoe: No one's saying that, sir.
Wash: Yeah, we're pretty much just giving each other significant glances and laughing incessantly.

Kaylee: Bye now. Have good sex.

Simon: My God. You're like a trained ape... without the training!

Mudder (singing): He robbed from the rich and he gave to the poor / Stood up to the man and he gave him what-for / Our love for him now ain't hard to explain / The Hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne!

Simon: How did… how did you know? River, did you…?
River: "Day" is a vestigial mode of time measurement, based on solar cycles. It's not applicable.

Inara: What's going on here?
Kaylee: Oh, well, let's see. We killed Simon and River, stole a bunch of medicine, and now the Captain 'n' Zoe are off springing the others got snatched by the Feds!

Book: You're moon-lighting as a criminal mastermind now. Got your next heist planned?
Simon: No. But, I am thinking of growing a big black mustache. I'm a traditionalist.

Mal: [to Inara] Ah, the pitter-patter of tiny feet in huge combat boots...

Zoe: Is there any way I'm gonna get out of this with honor and dignity?
Wash: You're pretty much down to ritual suicide, lamby-toes.

Book: This is precision work. Sharpshooters. From the look of these wounds I'd say a 54-R sniper rifle. Laser sights.
Jayne: You do a lot of shootin' there at the abbey, Shepherd?
Book: Rabbits.

Zoe: I understand. We have no choice. [deadpan] Take me, sir. Take me hard.

Mal: Yeah. That went well.
Inara: You call this going well?
Mal: We got the goods, didn't we?
Inara: Yes, but-
Mal: Then I call this a win. What's the problem?
Inara: Shall I start with the part where you're stranded in the middle of nowhere, or the part where you have no clothes?

Jayne: What'd y'all order a dead guy for?

Mal: You wanna explain to me exactly why you got yourself all corpsified and mailed to me?

Jayne: Don't much see the benefit in getting involved in strangers' troubles without a up-front price negotiated.
Book: These people need assistance. The benefit wouldn't necessarily be for you.
Jayne: That's what I'm sayin'.
Zoe: No one's gonna force you to go, Jayne. As has been stated, this job is strictly speculative.
Jayne: Good! Don't know these folks, don't much care to.
Mal: They're whores.
Jayne: I'm in.

Mal: I'll introduce you to the rest later. They're good folk.
Jayne: Can I start getting sexed already?
Mal: Well, that one's kinda horrific.

Kaylee: Look, they got boy whores! Isn't that thoughtful? Wonder if they service girlfolk at all.

Kaylee: Everyone's got somebody. Wash, tell me I'm pretty.
Wash: Were I unwed, I would take you in a manly fashion.
Kaylee: 'Cause I'm pretty?
Wash: 'Cause you're pretty.

Mal: Inara, think you could stoop to being on my arm?
Inara: Will you wash it first?

Mal: Well, lady, I must say — you're my kinda stupid.

Wash: Little River gets more colorful by the moment. What'll she do next?
Zoe: Either blow us all up or rub soup in our hair. It's a toss-up.
Wash: I hope she does the soup thing, it's always a hoot and we don't all die from it.

Mal: Girl knows things. Things she shouldn't. Things she couldn't.
Jayne: What, are you— are you sayin' she's a witch?
Wash: [sarcastically] Yes, Jayne. She's a witch. She has had congress with the beast.
Jayne: She's in Congress?
Wash: How did your brain even learn human speech? I'm just so curious.

Simon: So you're a bounty hunter.
Early: No, that ain't it at all.
Simon: Then what are you?
Early: I'm a bounty hunter.

Simon: You're outta your mind.
Early: That's between me and my mind.

Early: Where'd she go?
Simon: I can't keep track of her when she's not incorporeally possessing a spaceship — don't look at me.

I friggen loved this show…

Enough already

I want people well and I want them well RIGHT NOW. My corner of the universe is sick and I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit.

My friend’s dad went in for hip surgery a few weeks back and has been in ICU ever since with trouble breathing and just not coming out of the drugs that had filled his system well. He was not the dad that we knew and loved. The docs seem to keep punting him out of ICU when he gets “stable”, but then they don’t listen to him when he tells them he is feeling like he is getting sick again; no one seems to be giving him the care that he needs/deserves. We want him WELL enough that he can go somewhere else

My parent’s neighbors (the folks we grew up with). Their youngest son has a boy a month older than Spotty Chop. If you can believe it he is even MORE active than Spotty, always running, playing hockey, very athletic. Well he has spent the past several weeks in ICU as well. He has meningitis, not sure what kind, but now this little bundle of unharnessed energy can not sit up without assistance, he can not walk, he doesn’t talk and will not eat. They have a feeding tube in, but he is showing no interest in the world. We need him better and back to normal NOW.

Finally my college roommate. She went in to have 60% of her liver taken out on Thursday and when they were in there they felt it might be best to take out most of her liver and 2 lymph nodes as well. She will meet with an oncologist soon and start chemo. She hasn’t been feeling well and is her weight is down, with the original surgery she was going to loose another 10. I need her to gain weight and fight the good fight, she has a loving husband and 2 kids under 5 that need her. Before she went in for surgery I explained that Boy toy is on “the list”. The YOU WON’T DIE UNTIL I TELL YOU TO DIE list. And I would be more than happy to put her on the list.

The rest of you folks out there. Stay the fuck healthy will ya?

And thank you to all the Gods and Goddesses out there that are keeping Spotty Chop safe, happy and well.

I am an equal opportunity prayer, whoever will help me get the job done gets a shout out.

Thematic Photographic 12 - Colorful

I have been out of the loop and feeling grumpy about it, but i don't seem to be the only one. Carmi has decided to kick those of us wearing our cranky capes in the cranky pants by putting up a photo that is so colorfully delicious that I just had to stop what I was doing and post myself.

I was playing with a photo editing program and although the photo was colorful in and of itself. I thought this captured the magic of Spotty being chosen to be part of a Disney show when we were down there.

Book Review: Phantom

Sword of Truth Book 10

The only thing Khalan knows for sure is that she is the slave of the Dark sisters. Big problems occur when the sisters drag Khalan to an inn to pick up Tovi and the last box of Orden. The inn keeper can see and remember who Khalan is. The sisters act as dark sisters are wont to do. Commence death and destruction.

Shota shows up with the seer Jebra to make Richard understand what he is fighting.

I kind of stopped caring; I still do not understand why we wasted so much of the book on getting Richard to “understand”. He’s never not understood. Having Jebra tell of the horrors of the order is stupid. We get it WE GET IT!!!! If the rest of the book is like this I am going to start kicking things.

There is a new witch woman who has taken over Samuel and wants Shota’s territory.

Don’t we have just one more book? Shouldn’t we be wrapping crap up?

Samuel also stabbed Chase and kidnapped Rachel. I think Samuel is due for a smack down.

I was going to say this book was totally boring me and rehashing crap that has been rehashed before….but then…we get to see what’s going on with Rachel and I TOTALLY did not see this coming.

Camping at Pine Acre’s with a 3 year old

Last weekend we went camping with Moo, Freak Show, Hippy Chick and Cheese Please. We went somewhere OTHER than FransTed. I know…crazy! Pine Acre’s is only an hour away from us and Boy Toy does not have the same vacation that he once had. We have been trying to find a place closer by so that when the mood struck we could head out for a night or two and not have a huge production. We may have found the place.

Pine Acres is LARGE lots of RV sites. There is a separate tent section all have water some with electric (WTF). We were at the furthest end of the campground located at the top of a hill. Spotty Chop loved walking down the hill to explore the campground. Want to guess if he enjoyed walking back up? The campground has a pool, kidding water area, playground but best of all? A giant lake where you can rent row boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boats and barracudas (bike on water thingy). We had a great time in the paddle boat. Spotty Chop loved jumping off into the water. Moo pointed out that there were wild blueberries around the lake and on the islands so we ate as many as we could pick. Spotty and I swam in the pool and played in the water area. Freak, Cheese, Spotty and I also attended the campgrounds 40th birthday. We got cake and ice cream. Spotty and I spent some time in the game room (think mini version of chuckie cheese). Spotty really had a great time for himself. Freak Show cooked great food for us, Hippy and Cheese kept Spotty entertained, and then we kept each other entertained with Mad Libs.

This place also had 3 different grades of cabins we didn’t peek in, but if you like that sort of thing, or haven’t tried camping before they sounded really nice.

I will leave you with a Mad Lib

Words:
Adjective – Smelly
Plural Noun – mushrooms
Noun – poop
Part of the body (plural) – butt cheeks
Part of the body (plural) – ears
Noun – asshole
Verb ending in ‘ing” – running
Adverb – sheepishly
Noun – school
Noun – butt
Plural noun – drugs
Color – pink
Noun – dad
Plural noun – bananas
Noun - wood
Noun – flame

ANOTHER CLOSE ENCOUNTER

I wanted to tell you about a SMELLY experience I had yesterday. I was walking down a path which leads from my house, when three MUSHROOMS from Outer Space cam out from behind the POOP. I couldn’t believe my BUTT CHEEKS. My heart stopped. I wanted to scream at the top of my EARS but couldn’t because I had lost my ASSHOLE. I was very close to RUNNING when one of the creatures SHEEPISHLY held out his SCHOOL and shook my BUTT. These were friendly, but strange looking, DRUGS. The one who was PINK had a gigantic DAD on his head and had four BANANAS sticking out of his WOOD. I wonder if all this was a figment of my FLAME.

Holy Christ on a Cracker Batman!

I was having a bit of a crappy weekend until I popped into my blog late Saturday/early Sunday. Apparently I am not just writing to amuse myself; I have been told that I may be interesting to others.

I have won my first award!

This has definitely blown me away and tickled my funny bone. Barb, who has been so generous with her comments and support, is the one that surprised me with this. She has multiple blogs that you should check out when you have a second. I usually find her at Picture this, at last! where her photos blow me away, but then there is Made for Keeps and The Family Branson . Damn girlfriend, working overtime aren’t we?

As for the award? It is the Este Blog premia el arte y la creatividad .



So not only is it an award, but it’s a language lesson as well.

You wanna know what it means? Go see Barb she took some Spanish.
Ich spreche Deutsches aber sehr schlecht.

Here are the rules for this award.

1) You must pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award, based upon creativity, design, interesting material, and that also contribute to the blogger community.

2) Each award must have the name of the author with a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.

3) Award-winners must show the award and put the name and link to the blog that awarded it.

4) Award-winners and the one who has given the prize must show the link to the Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5) These rules must be included in your post.

Well, how do you pick 5 blogs that are kick ass? Personally I panic, procrastinate, and then pass out.

Here they are

1.) one thing I HATE about today – Annie’s web designs makes me happy, I think it’s one of the best out there. She also has issues with MORE-ONS and rat fink bastards. What’s not to love?

2.) Blogger Buster - Amanda writes a blog to help other bloggers make their blogs look and perform better. Because of her I found "suck my lolly" and the design I now use (although, she has 125 new favorites...)

3.) Project Rungay – If you have never read the snark kings (or should I say Queens) Tom and Lozenzo, RUN, do not pass go. I can’t start my mornings without them.

4.) Another Roadside Attraction – Rue makes beautiful things. She also has a beautiful family and an interesting take on life. Did I mention she takes a mean photo as well?

5.) Editorial Anonymous – Is a blog written by a children’s book editor. She not only gives great insight into an industry that seems very mysterious to me but gives great advice.

Here’s to more great blogging! (Or even mediocre rambling…)