These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and I think if you take a quiet moment you'll realize how much you truly have in this world for which to be thankful.

I would like to take a moment for some 2005 Thanksgiving shout-outs!

1) To My Love: I thank God for you every day. You're the best person I know in this world, and you make me a better person.

2) My Family: For shaping me into the woman I am today, and for always giving their love, support and home cooking.

3) My Homies: I have an awesome bunch of friends and I wouldn't get by without them (The Beatles song rings true).

4) My Cats: Meow, mrm, meow meow. Mer meow. It's true. Purrr...

5) The Wedding Extravaganza: It was everything I dreamed it would be.

6) Hawaii Honeymoon: Aloha au ia 'oe Hawai'i! Maui Noi Ka Oi.

7) Music: The heartstrings of the soul that come to life through song.

"Close your eyes, let your spirit
start to soar! And you'll live
as you've never lived before...
Softly, deftly,
music shall surround you...
Feel it, hear it,
closing in around you...
Open up your mind,
let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness which
you know you cannot fight -
the darkness of
the music of the night..."
--Phantom of the Opera

8) Hope: The strength that gets you through the dark times, and allows you to smile in the face of adversity.

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul.
And sings the tune
Without the words,
and never stops at all.
-Emily Dickinson

9) Dreams: Always believe in their beauty and chase them where ever they make take you...

10) Good Will: This holiday season, save time for family and friends, but also try taking some time out to volunteer in your community. Share a smile with a child at Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation or serve hungry homeless citizens with the Greater Boston Foodbank.

Special Shout-Out to The Big Guy Upstairs!

Although not specified on this list He is everpresent in all aspects of life. I am most thankful to God for providing me with life and love, and Jesus for spreading that message to us. So those are my major/basic thank yous...

What wlll you give thanks to this year?

The Devil Wears Prada

And so does the new Pope?
I was flipping channels today and on CNN Headlines News they covered a most intriguing story--the Pope has been wearing the latest Red Shoe fashion trend! WOW! So shocking.

PRADA POPE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 21, 2005 -- The devil isn't the only wearing Prada. Pope Benedict XVI is generating a reputation as a man of the designer cloth - thanks to his penchant for wearing lipstick-red Prada shoes.

Have we really stooped down to such a superficial level? Aren't there more important things to focus on about the Pope than his choice of footwear? It's apparently all the buzz and Prada cannot comment on the story or verify if they are indeed their brand of shoes.
Perhaps CNN should do some more research and see if these shoes might have historical meaning...but instead they showed a clip from the Wizard of Oz and compared this significant style watch to Dorothy's ruby slippers. One quick source writes:

I have noticed that Benedict XVI IS wearing the red papal shoes. He has gone back to the tradition of wearing them. These shoes are also supplied by Gammarelli and are made of red leather. They have been worn by popes since the times of the Roman empire.
Next speculation focuses on his possible designer shades:

According to the scuttlebutt from Rome, the new pope is also turning heads by wearing Gucci sunglasses.

Watch out Tyra! The Pope might be the next top model.

There She Goes...

There she goes again.
Ah the lovely Gale Norton. I really don't follow politics enough to know many no names, but Grizzly Gale is becoming a common name in my political database of knowledge. I'm guessing she hates animals (never trust anyone who dislikes animals), and/or she has some financial stake in logging, cattle, or oil like good old Bushy.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton said Tuesday that grizzly bear recovery has been a success because of cooperation between state and federal governments, along with biologists and conservation groups. She added, though, that the Bush Administration would like to see the law focused more on recovery efforts than on penalizing landowners who find endangered species on their land. Paraphrased as, "Let's lift the ban on killing Grizzly Bears!"

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Don't Lift Protection for Yellowstone Grizzlies

Subject: Do Not Remove Protection for Yellowstone Grizzly
The Yellowstone grizzly bear is an irreplaceable part of America's natural heritage, a symbol of the independence that defines the American character and an icon of all that is wild and free. Since it was first listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, the grizzly bear has made a strong recovery. But, since then threats to their habitat have only amplified, and sprawling development, oil and gas drilling, logging, roadbuilding, and off-road vehicles are crowding grizzly bears out of the last pockets of wilderness they need to survive. Without strong habitat protections in place, the long-term survival of the bear requires the safety net of the Endangered Species Act.

There is still more work to do to ensure the Yellowstone grizzly's long-term survival. I urge you to keep federal protections in place to ensure the long-term recovery of this magnificent species.

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Too many threats remain for the Yellowstone grizzly without the Endangered Species Act in place. Management plans for the National Forests surrounding Yellowstone, where many grizzlies find their homes, have yet to be finalized, and managing the Yellowstone grizzly after delisting will cost state and federal agencies an estimated $3.4 million dollars per year-over a million dollars per year more than current funding levels.


Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Address



So what are you waiting for?!?! Go do some good in this world.

God Show Me the Way-

Because the Devil Tryin' Break Me Down.


I need to recruit all the soldiers...
All of God's soldiers.

So I've met a lot of God's Soldiers lately, and they are all very nice and fun to grab a beer with at the Pub after a delcious spaghetti supper. They are a welcome change of pace from the unpleasant parts of life when The Devil Tryin' to Break Me Down. Singing in the choir has been a blessed release, and meeting peeps like Sister O. et al. has been inspirational to say the least. As a result I'm learning not to struggle as much with life's problems, but to stand strong and remain peaceful in their midst. It is exactly what this tired young soul needed.

In other news: check out Kanye's latest album; c'est tres bien!
For now let's rewind to his debut hit--my favorite song of his...

To the hustlas, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
(Jesus walks with them)
To the victims of Welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
(Jesus walks with them)

Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know He hear me when my feet get weary
Cuz we're the almost nearly extinct
We rappers are role models we rap we don't think

I ain't here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I'm just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that's the way yall need Jesus

So here go my single dog radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tapes
But if I talk about God my record won't get played Huh?

Well let this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope it take away from my sins
And bring the day that I'm dreaming about
Next time I'm in the club everybody screaming out

Jesus Walks
God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me)
The only thing that I pray is that me feet don't fail me now
(Jesus Walks)
And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs
(Jesus Walks with me)
I want to talk to God but I'm afraid because we ain't spoke in so long...

And Now For Our Feature Presentation!

Ladies & Gentlemen!

The moment you've all been waiting for...
The wonderfully fabulous, highly unattainable, Beautiful Beer Maid Sophie!

She definitely had the best costume this Halloween, but the competition was steep.
Honorable mention include:

*The Sexy Johnny Damon aka My Husband
*The Looks-More-Like-a-Supermodel Martha Stewart
*The Aussie Cowgal ft. Kanga
*The Overly Excited Hawaiian Tourist ft. Hula Hello Kitty
*The Doc as The Overworked Resident

and who could forget?!?!?!

*Simba as the Embarassed "Too-Fat-to-Fit-in-the-Made-for-a-Small-Dog-Costume" Lion
*Darling Darla as The "Too-Cute-for-Words" Ladybug.




In the end the Beer Princess won all the votes with her beauty and endless supply of alcohol. Everyone put in a good effort, but there can only be one Big Kahuna.




Just wait until my Hawaiian Hula Princess costume arrives...I'll wear it everyday, and when you try to tell me that I'm crazy and should really let Hawai'i go and face the fact that I live in Boston now and it's cold, I'll just laugh in your face and Hula around you. I'm sure the coconut bra will keep me warm...

Welcome to Tahiti

I perchanced upon Kate Jackson's Pointy Universe once after spending time on my Eastie HomeGirl's Blog and it has some amusing stuff. My favorite post was by Vito the Pug. I'm sure he and Simba would get along swimmingly.

Here is an excerpt from one of her most recent posts:

Random Quizilla

Nothing wakes one up like a Red Bull and a pop quizilla. The Pointy Universe will feature these random 5-question brainers from time-to-time. Feel free to post your answers in the comments...or not.

1) Why did Theo really leave? We'll probably never know the real reason. But it's much easier to stay true to your principles and believe in your future success when you have as many options as Theo has. If we walked away from our "dream jobs" the day we discovered we were smarter than our bosses, we'd simply be unemployed idiots, not visionary renegades. It helps to be rich, brilliant and hot, hot, hot when you're seeking higher purpose and meaning. The only thing I'm seeking is a moment in the day to take a shower.

I'd like to take a moment and reveal the true insider information that only a foxy girl like me could dig up. Theo is making plans to go to Tahiti for a year long vacation, and his best friend, Penny Lane, has been requested to accompany him.

Now I know what you're thinking: Don't you have a job and, more importantly, a husband to tend to? Well, yes, which is why I will soon have to quit my job Theo-style, and only fly there on the condition that my favorite husband can come along. If you don't hear from me all winter it's cause I'm bathing on the beach. Ah, it'll be sweet...


For those of you who don't have a young, rich friend like Theo to whisk you away for a year, and you still want to quit, I would suggest you check out Noah's Blog on the 10 best ways to quit your crappy job.

Personally, I loved 7 and 8, but if you do plan on doing this please take Kate's advice and try to have an escape plan. I wouldn't want you to become an unemployed idiot.

Bonne Chance and Bon Voyage!

C'est L'Halloween!

ou c'etait l'Halloween, but that's not how the song goes according to Madame Baker-Farnsworth (my middle school french teacher, may she rest in peace).




It snowed on the Saturday before Halloween this year. I love the feel of a first snow.





Darla, easily fooled as always, thought she could swat the snow outside our window. Simba was embarassed to be related to her as she gave the DiRocafella family line a bad name.






Meanwhile...










Simba hated his Lion costume and was embarrassed once again. He did get plenty of (cat) treats for putting up with this trick.

The secret is out: I married Johnny Damon! Cha-ching!







In other news: Darling Darla loved her Ladybug costume...





so much she fell over with delight!

Hamlet R.I.P.

Lord Hamlet is a prince, out of thy star. (2.2.141)







Thou comest in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee: I’ll call thee Hamlet.(1.4.39)

Dear Hamlet,
You were a good hamster, and lived to a ripe old Yoda-like age.
(July 2003-October 30, 2005) We'll miss you.

The rest is silence.
Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince,
And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! (5.2.349)

La la la la la laa, laaa la la la laaaa

Question: Can anyone explain why Smurfette was the only female smurf???



I never quite figured that one out. She was a little young for Papa Smurf, but he is the Big Papi and she is the only female...
Some insight if you please...




On another Smurf note: I visited the master's blog and finally found out what my "Smurf Name" is and it's pretty interesting:


When I type in my new name I get...well, let's just say I think Ms. Fette would have had some competition if I were a cartoon character. I'll let those who know me find that out if they'd like.

My maiden smurf name is "Radioactive Smurf," must be the whole mineral substance thing combined with my chemical romance.

A Simba Story

Hi, my name is Simba and I'm an alcoholic...








What have we here?














Score!
















Gimme that!













True love...
















Slurp!













No, comeback!













Mine!












Mmmmm Beeeeer!





















And he lived happily ever drunk.







*Disclaimer: No cats were harmed in the making of this story. Nor intoxicated over the legal cat limit.

Will the Real Slim Brady Please Stand Up?

Where's Waldo? Can you guess which Babe is the real Slim Brady?








1) Furry Babester
2) Bambino Drool
3) Sunflower Babe
4) Baby Cry Cry

The first correct guess will get a prize valued up to $5...
Hurry limited time offer! Void where prohibited.

*************************Hint: There is only one...*************************

WELCOME BABY STACK!!

The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. The magical stork flew in today, which makes me THE ALL-KNOWING WINNER of the Stack Attack Pool featuring a much anticipated hit from the Baby Bomb Boom also known as Brady Michael. Yes, I called it--a baby boy born on October 12th. Maybe I should also call some Powerball numbers for $250 million...$$$...ah to sleep perchance to dream...

What will I do with my newfound wealth? Go to the bank and set-up a healthy savings bond in Baby Brady's name. Let the college fund begin...another BU Boy like his father and fabulous friends? I'm sure he'll be wicked smaht!

CONGRATULATIONS YOU THREE! I'll see you tomorrow at the hospital. Mr. Burns has a softball game, but even though he's the captain he'll skip it for this.
Note to Mom: Don't let The New Bride hold your baby--she might never give him back!

"Every child born into the world is a new thought of God,
an ever-fresh and radiant possibility."
~ Kate Douglas Wiggin

With Warm Wishes and Aloha,
Penny Lane & Sgt. Pepper

I (still) Love That Dirty Water

Boston you're my home!

So the end has come for our beloved home team, and being swept was a shame; but what our world needs now is a little love coupled with 5 healthy doses of perspective...

Photo taken by Princess Bride

Perspective #1: 95 Ws

The 2005 season housed a winning team, and a record of 95 wins is nothing to squawk about when reflecting upon this disappointing end.

AL STANDINGS:

Team.......W---L

Red Sox....95-67
Yankees....95-67
Blue Js.....80-82
Orioles.....74-88
Dev Rays...67-95

Perspective #2: Eight is Great!

Only the 8 best MLB teams make it to October baseball, and our boys achieved that feat yet again this year.

Perspective #3: What a Wonderful World in Off-Season Baseball

Decisions, decisions...this winter will be more interesting than a hatch-opening series premiere of Lost. Why? Because we lost and now Theo (if he's resigned) and his stat analyst cronies will have to kick it up a notch in preparation for another comeback year.

Perspective #4: We'll always have last year...

A blissful hard-to-describe-feeling that sings the tune of joy, relief, disbelief, love, pride, gratefulness ...the list goes on and on...but it can be most accurately summed up in 2 words--THE BEST.

Perspective #5: Now we can focus on that other great sports team...

The Patriots!

Go RED Sox!

ELIEVE

OSTON don't despair, the fat lady hasn't sung yet--though she was walking around her kitchen topless again last night (damn humid weather). Lately, in my apartment complex I've seen worse things than the Fat Naked Cat Lady though...bleh.

I digress. I think everyone can admit that even though we wore the "We Always Believed" buttons last year after the Greatest Comeback in Sports History, that was a lie. We cried, sighed, and died from all the senseless heartache, especially at the gloves of the Evil Empire. I'm wearing my Believe pin again, and haven't crawled up in a little ball yet. Rally Monday was great. Even though I didn't win playoff tickets, I did get on TV (NESN/Jumbotron, NBC, and NECN). I was a little skeptical about Game 1 since Millar joyfully announced he was the new poster boy for Jack Daniels, and then peer pressured Papi into having a shot with him. Those idiots...



Hopefully, this picture, taken by yours truly a couple of weeks ago, will inspire that faith we all held onto last year. I admit I've been going to Fenway more than Church on the weekends; but if you really believe and "keep the faith" then I'm sure God understands--heck, His Only Son is playing centerfield, He probably missed Church too last Sunday!

So get out of work early today, have a beer, and root, root, root for the home team; if they don't win it's a shame. BTW, anyone going to a bar? The Greatest Husband in Boston History has been given tickets for todays game from work. Yep, that's cool, isn't it!?!? Not when you can't take your jealous wife. Hopefully, I'll sneak in somehow with my innocent face, and secret connections...

Wake Me Up When September Ends

Back to life, back to reality...


Floor to ceiling windows from the reception hall overlooking the Pioneer Valley.

It has been a whole month...

I'm not sure when September began nor how it ended, but it was the best time of my life thus far. Sometimes I think it was a dream and I just woke up from it now that September has ended. Luckily, I have friends' and professional pictures from the wedding to remind me that it was indeed wonderful and true. The nice rock on my finger also helps to remind me that this marriage thing is real.

Now Hawaiian pictures are another story...please cherish the few I already posted because the other 302 died in a terrible accident. It is too gory to discuss, and too emotional. I guess the Hub and I will just have to go back to the islands. The mainland is only cool right now because of October sports. In Hawaii you can watch the Red Sox over coffee and breakfast in bed since they're a lazy 6 hours behind. I could get used to that...I'm afraid if you hear I'm going back to take more Hawaiian pictures, you may never see the likes of me again. But don't worry, I won't forget to write...

With Aloha,
Princess Buttercup