Go Patriots!

Who Needs Pants?

You see a lot of funny and weird things on the T, but today should be interesting...lucky for those who partake in today's "activity" it should be about 50 degrees before this week turns back to the frosty 30s.

The closest thing I've experienced to something like this was one Saturday night before Halloween where PS and I were riding on the B line and some guy was all dressed up for a party in only a bow tie and a THONG--leopard print if I remember correctly. Now of course the T was wicked crowded and I felt kinda bad for these 2 middle aged women who were caught between him and a tight space....but they all took it in stride, and we got a lot of laughs out of it.

BTW it was not a good look for this short guy...but props for putting himself out there I guess.

WCVB TheBostonChannel.com

Hundreds Of 'T' Riders To Go Pantless


A lot of MBTA riders around Boston may be doing double takes this weekend.

Photos: 'T' Riders To Go Pantless

More than 300 people have signed up to ride the trains in their underwear Saturday night in a stunt they're calling "No Pants 2K8." It's a group prank inspired by a comedy troupe that does the same thing in New York.

The pantless riders are supposed to act like everything is normal.

Organizers said they expect to get a mixed-reaction from other riders who may not be in on the joke.

Pants-free subway rides are also being coordinated Saturday in Washington; San Francisco; Chicago; Portland, Ore.; and Adelaide, Australia, the newspaper said.

The Boston-area organizer, Adam Sablich, posted invitation about the event on the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace.

Cute

Horoscope: Matchmaker matchmaker...

I'm not really big on being the matchmaker, though I would try if the pair seemed right...

Capricorn (12/22-1/19)

Have you been contemplating taking on the role of matchmaker? You should. Two people in your life need to get together, and you might be just the person to help make it happen, today! You can't worry about getting in the middle of anything -- you already are in the middle between these two! So see what you can do to be the mediator and make yourself a sort of glue between them. They both have a couple of long-lost connections that you can bring up when the time is right.

Have you ever had any luck playing matchmaker? Or have any good/horror stories from when people tried to set you up?
C'mon and share away!

Top 10 Quotes of the Year: 2007

Remember these?
Take a look at these quotations and see how well you can identify who said them and what the subject was at the time, then click on the title above to see how you did.

1. Don't tase me bro!

2. I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for our children.

3. In Iran we don't have homosexuals like in your country.

4. That's some nappy-headed hos there.

5. I don't recall.

6. There's only three things he mentions in a sentence: a noun and a verb and 9/11.

7. I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating.

8. (I have) a wide stance when going to the bathroom.

9. I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man.

10. I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.

GiL

Another Glimpse inthe Life*...This one is merely snippets of my day. Things I either said and/or heard, not necessarily in order;
*names and/or graphic details withheld to protect the innocent or not so innocent.

-IS it a recycling day?

-I gotta go take a shower.
--They're overrated.

-TODAY I'm going to actually eat lunch.

-WHY are the windows icing up on the inside?

-I have to ask--what's the temperature down there [in SC]?
--It's cold; in the 40s. Where are you?
-Newton, right outside of Boston; it's negative 5 with the wind chill.
--WOW!
-Well we should get a heat wave next week when it gets into the 60s...

-AT my age I should be changing diapers not wearing them!

-OH oh oh--little Ninja bit me!

-ANY chance we could not listen to rap for a while?
--It's them, you like them.
-Fine, but Darla will have to dance until the song is over.

-YAY--coffee!

-TARA got bitten by a snake.

-YOU know they shot and killed that guy at that hospital in MD?
--Oh, really?
-Yeah, he shot someone in the head who's expected to survive I guess.

-I gotta make my next move carefully because he's kicking my ass and he can't win!

-HELLO, this is Dave filling in for Marcie. Here's the number you'll need. I hope you are well. I haven't talked to you in a while and hope you had a Happy Holiday. Call me back at Marcie's number if you need anything.

-OH, that's him? I thought he was black.

-LIKE what do you mean?
--My legs, my butt, my back, my stomach.

-I'M emailing you an even better piece of $hit right now. Let me know when you get it.
--OK
Laughter erupts...
--I love it! This is great! Especially the part where it explains why they "therefore" suck.

-DOES anyone know how to drive?!?!

-I'M so fed up with this, so I'm done now.
--Yeah it's whatever now.

-MILO gets a treat.

-SO what is it?!?!?
--Another boy!

-I stayed quiet, then when I finally gave my opinion I got tackled.

-ARE the stairs slippery?

-WE got one of those big Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cakes from Friendly's; it was so good.
--You know who has the best ice cream cakes? Cabots on Washington.
-Oooh I love Cabots! Their sundaes are the best.

-THAT'S him holding a duck.

-NATURE may provide cures for autoimmune diseases.
--Good ol' nature.
-Apparently sea anemone venom and a compound from a shrub.

-IS Darla all out of her diet food?

-IT'S crazy cold out!

-WHAT are those?
--Chocolates.
-What's in it?
--Chocolate.
Silence. A look.
--Like a truffle.

-THIS is what a wallet with $500 worth of 20s looks like.

-UM yeah, I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with you there. Yeah...my Thai leftovers still translate well.

-BUT you said she's a dirty slut.
--No, I didn't. I said she is a ho. There's a difference.
-OK so you think she's a whore because she [bleep bleep bleep]
--No I said ho, not whore. Whore's worse.

-THE Google headline says Florida even got snow today!

-Oscar...Grey Guy...Oscar--see he knows his name.

-SO I guess it was a recycling day.
--Or they just took it anyway.
-Eitherway it was beginning to be a fire hazard.

-AH CHOO!
--Meow!
-AH CHOO!
--Meow!
-Thank you Milo. Thank you for blessing me.
--Meow.

-I'M so frickin' hungry I'm going to faint.

-WELL their boys better stay away from our poor lone girl.

-YOU'RE a dummy.
Rebutting "dumb" episode ensues...
--So you're a dummy for thinking I'm a dummy.

-WHOSE turn is it for dishes?
--Mine.
-What are you making me for dinner?
--If I'm doing dishes, you're making dinner.
-Fair enough.

-EWWW, this Midnight Cool tastes like licorice.

-YOU would still lose to me.
--Pahlease you think you're the shit.

-HANG in there.
--Thanks I will.

All is Quiet

On New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway...
*again*

The winter weather has continued as December bled into January. The snow picked up shortly after a late breakfast and the departure of our NYE guests. With heavy snow falling we decided to physically introduce it to the cats. Darla was the 1st and didn't seem to mind until the cold wetness got under her fur--then a meow brought her back inside.

Oscar was next and analyzed it a bit until he decided he had had enough and let out a distinct howl.

Milo was the last and the best with it. He didn't howl at all and was very curious. Perhaps it was his long, thick fur that made him not mind it. After we brought him inside, before a stray Logan plane neared, he continued to look up at the ceiling in the hopes of more snow. What a cutie.

I want to be with you
Be with you night and day.

They Say It's Your Birthday...

Well that's what they say anyway. The family from whom we adopted Milo didn't seem to know his birthday, but when pressed (ie me asking them if it was before or after Christmas) one of them thought it was December 23rd, so that's what we're saying.
So HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY MILO!

He was the biggest kitten in his litter, and by far the cutest. His siblings weren't long haired like him and as soon as we saw his picture on Craigslist we fell in love. SD just happened to check the site at the right time because $50 kittens had just been posted a few minutes before and we contacted them right away. When we were looking for a new cat we searched for a while, and every posting we replied to people had snatched right away so we drove there and had the pick of the litter.
He is still pretty big and is starting to out pace Darla. He's the furriest cat I've ever had and even has fur coming out of his ears (kinda like an old man) and jetting out between his paw pads. It's rather amusing so I'll try to get a picture of it sometime. His tail is like a big plume, and sometimes we have to bathe him because he just has too much fur and it's a lot for him to clean on his own...He is certainly a very sweet kitty. When you yell at him for doing something bad he chimes back with the cutest little cry as if to say, "Why?" or "Really?" It's just so sweet.
















I'm glad it's your birthday


Happy Birthday to you.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow No Mo'

I'm definitely not dreaming of a White Christmas!
At least not newly white. We've gotten a record 26 inches of snow this month in and around Boston and we're running out of places to put it! Not to mention my back hurts from shoveling so much. Even though we pay a condo fee every month which is supposed to include "snow removal" they rarely, if ever, come and when they do it's wicked late in the evening and if you're smart you've already shoveled around your car before it freezes over to ice.But then they plow you in so you have to go right back out so you don't get stuck in a snowblock overnight.

The day we got a foot I worked from home and shoveled during my break. It started coming down a little after noon so I went out and brought our empty trash cans to the back and slipped and fell on a layer of ice hidden from the new coating of snow. After that I went in and called out Management Group, and of course no one answered, but left a lovely little message for them informing them I will not be paying any fee if this continues and that people on these two streets are not happy (we share the lot in between). Around 3pm I shoveled the stairs and the spot for the car and when SD came home at 3:15 from his hour and a half commute that under normal conditions takes 15 minutes it looked like I hadn't even shoveled a thing. They finally came around 9pm that night and plowed the lot, but they never do the walkways or stairs nor put down salt or sand. In Boston we never had to shovel the stairs or walkways so our first snow here last year we just left it and it ended up turning into a big 6 inch block of ice--fun times...

Since we park in the back we hardly ever use our front door and I wouldn't bother shoveling that path if it wasn't for the mailman using it. I had a little trouble opening the front door just to get out there and clear it. I did however make sure when I shoveled the front steps to pile most of it in front of the door next door (we share the stoop). No one lives there right now and I wasn't about to throw it 3 feet away. So good luck crappy management group when you try to have an open house and you can't even open the front door! (Bwa, ha, ha! A little evil, I know, but they do suck). The night of the big storm a couple kids from the neighborhood rang our bell to ask if we wanted them to shovel, which was sweet. I should really pay them $125 and tell the townhouse trust to go screw...

Got Sick?

I've had this stupid sickness for a couple weeks now and it refuses to leave me. It's all the rage at work; everyone and their mother is sick with this. Everyone except my husband who never gets sick! My body is trying to shake this and I actually slept a good 11 hours last night...joy to the weekend! I'm not sure how much it mattered, though I'm sure it was good overall, as I'm still hacking up a lung today. Blah.

So the following headline caught my eye, and though I will probably never try this since I HATE cold feet, maybe you will and then can attest to it or not...let me know if you do!

Get Rid of Your Head Cold Fast
POSTED: Friday, December 07, 2007 Powered by BlogBurst
FROM: Green Health Spot - A naturopathic doctor talks about vibrant living and vibrant health with practical tips on reversing & preventing illness and living the good life.

Footbath: Here is a quick trick to get rid of your head cold, fever, cough during the winter season. I've given this technique to many of my patients successfully. I'm not really sure why it works but it does. This is one of those old naturopathic remedies that have been floating around for centuries and it makes many believers of natural medicine.

This is great for a sore throat or any inflammation or infection of the throat, neck pain, ear infections, headaches, migraines, nasal congestion, upper respiratory infections, coughs, bronchitis, and sinus infections.

What you will need:
* 1 pair white cotton socks
* 1 pair thick wool socks
* Towel
* Warm bath or warm foot bath

Directions:
1. Take a pair of cotton socks and soak them completely with ice cold water. Be sure to wring the socks out thoroughly so they do not drip.
2. Warm your feet first. This is very important as the treatment will not be as effective and could be harmful if your feet are not warmed first. Warming can be accomplished by soaking your feet in warm water for at least 5-10 minutes or taking a warm bath for 5-10 minutes.
3. Dry off feet and body with a dry towel.
4. Place ice cold wet socks on feet. Cover with thick wool socks. Go directly to bed. Avoid getting chilled.
5. Keep the socks on overnight. You will find that the wet cotton socks will be dry in the morning and usually the cold or sore throat will be gone.

This treatment acts to reflexively increase the circulation and decrease congestion in the upper respiratory passages, head, and throat. It has a sedating action and many patients report that they sleep much better during the treatment. This treatment is also effective for pain relief and increases the healing response during acute infections.

The Wild Wild West and Red Neck New England

Last week was busy busy. I had two business trips, one of which brought me to my hometown. Good as I am I saved my company money by staying in my parents' guest room rather than a hotel. They didn't even charge me. =)
Since I don't get to see my high school friends that often I got together with some of them Tuesday night in downtown Springfield.
We had reservations at Virtuoso and the food was delicious! We ordered a lot of appetizers, had a good main course and shared some dessert as well. The wine selection was also top notch. The only complaint I would have about this place is that they offer Pecan Crusted Duck Foie Gras.
I know I'm not a vegetarian so maybe I shouldn't talk, but some methods of "fattening up" animals are pretty cruel and what they do to these ducks and geese is horrible! Foie Gras is French for "fatty liver" and the method in which they fatten them up is beyond cruel. The ducks and geese have tubes inserted down their throats and are force fed a ridiculous amount of food a few times a day and then those that don't suffer a frightening death endure disgusting conditions and painful maladies until they are slaughtered for food. So far Foie Gras has been banned in Chicago, California (I think was considering it), the U.K., Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and Israel.

The following investigation gives you a glimpse into this "delicacy of despair:"

Undercover investigations at America's two leading foie gras producers, Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York and Sonoma Foie Gras in California, revealed horrific cruelty. Investigators from GourmetCruelty.com and the Animal Protection and Rescue League found that ducks were crammed into filthy, feces-ridden sheds and that others were isolated in wire cages that were so small that they could barely move. They also observed barrels full of dead ducks who had choked to death or whose organs had ruptured during the traumatic force-feeding process. The investigators rescued 15 ducks, including two who were being eaten alive by rats because they could not move. View video and photographic evidence of this cruelty.

A PETA investigation at Hudson Valley Foie Gras (then called "Commonwealth Enterprises") revealed extremely high death rates. So many ducks died when their stomachs burst from overfeeding that workers who killed fewer than 50 birds per month were given a bonus. In addition to ruptured stomachs and liver disease, many ducks develop foot infections, kidney necrosis, spleen damage, bruised and broken bills, and tumor-like lumps in their throats. One duck had a maggot-infested neck wound that was so severe that water spilled out of it when he drank.

I haven't clicked on the videos cause I think I would cry. If this isn't enough to stop you from partaking in this barbaric "delicacy" perhaps you'll take into consideration your own well being:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Geese force-fed and then slaughtered for their livers may get their final revenge on people who favor the delicacy known as foie gras: It may transmit a little-known disease known as amyloidosis, researchers reported on Monday.

Tests on mice suggest the liver, popular in French cuisine which uses it to make pate de foie gras and other dishes, may cause the condition in animals that have a genetic susceptibility to such diseases, Alan Solomon of the University of Tennessee and colleagues reported.

That would suggest that amyloidosis can be transmitted via food in a way akin to brain diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or CJD, which can cause a rare version of mad cow disease in some people who eat affected meat products or brains.

Amyloidosis can affect various organ systems in the body, which accumulate damaging deposits of abnormal proteins known as amyloid. The heart, kidneys, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract are most often affected but amyloidosis can also cause a blood condition.

The researchers used mice genetically engineered to be susceptible to amyloidosis, which can be inherited.
"When such mice were injected with or fed amyloid extracted from foie gras, the animals developed extensive systemic pathological deposits," Solomon's team reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Sometimes Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, is described as a type of amyloidosis as well.

The amount of foie gras given to the mice would equal about 3 1/2 pounds over five days for humans, Solomon estimates. This may seem like a lot, especially considering that even in France the annual consumption is about half a pound. Yet evidence suggests that it takes very little of the protein clumps to instigate amyloidosis - and that amyloids, rather than being digested, may just lurk about until there are enough to cause disease. "This material can stay in the body indefinitely," Solomon says.

If the danger to humans turns out to be real, Penn's Whitehead admits thinking about "the delicious irony of those who live well doing themselves in with foie gras." This story recalls the days when gout was known as the disease of kings. Gout is caused by a diet rich in meat, so only the wealthy and overindulgent were afflicted.

In any case, the scientists wrote in their paper that "it would seem prudent for children and adults with rheumatoid arthritis or other diseases who are at risk . . . to avoid foods that may be contaminated by [amyloids]."

I'm thinking of writing a letter to Chef Cousin about how much I enjoyed his food, but wish he would not serve this cruelly derived appetizer...

My business trip took me to Mercy Medical Center and it was a successful meeting and presentation. Afterward I visited Tara in Pathology and that was cool to see where she worked. I then went back home and treated my dad to lunch at his favorite diner where he knows everyone, and they serve a clam chowder that's better than most I've had in Boston. I worked the rest of the day "at home" until going out with my mom and middle sister to whom I still owed dinner for her 30th birthday.

After dinner I packed up my things to head to my next trip to what someone dubbed recently, "The Hillbillies of New England."
More on that next time...

#39*

Ah, the holidays...
They're always an enjoyable time of year for me since I'm one of those fortunate people who actually likes their family. For Thanksgiving I celebrate two times over; once on T day and then again on Friday so the Hub and I can spend time with both families. You would think I'm sitting fat and pretty right now, but since I got that aforementioned stomach bug courtesy of my favorite Godchild coupled with my own carelessness (he looked fine--and cute!), I really didn't overeat on Turkey Day. In fact I really didn't eat much at all, but it was still a good time.

The nice thing about married life (both mine and my sister's) besides getting to celebrate with more people, is the extra blessing of different and new types of cuisine (don't worry Mom, I still enjoy your food too!). My sister-in-law surprised us all with a new domestic side and brought some very tasty food: a macaroni lasagna dish and salmon stuffing. Then my sister and my bro-in-law brought some stuffed mushrooms they make together (how cute). The food, or what I tasted of it, was very good.

We've also started a Thanksgiving tradition of an "adults only" friends dinner which was nice as well. We hung out at The Stacks for the afternoon and got to visit with the new baby again. Cameron is a cutie and actually smiled at me a few times. Later on the kids were shipped off to the grandparents and we met up with more friends in North Andover at a nice Italian place. Afterward we went to The Claddagh Pub for some pool and drinks. Brian & I teamed up against The Doc & The Hub and won a best of 3 series.
It was a fun night.

*The title of this post BTW is because I happened to see that the last 2 years I've had this blog I ended up coincidentally having 38 posts each year, and noticed that I just hit that 38 post mark with my last one. Should I be consistent and stop posting I pondered...nah, I guess I can be a little post happy this year. So voila!

Buyer Beware

-Tee hee hee--I'm so cute!

Yeah he looks adorable (and is) but beware the cute factor! I had the fun of hosting this little guy and his 'rents last weekend and he quickly won me over with his silly giggle and cute growing vocabulary. He is especially fond of the word "Mo'!" as in "More Food Now!"

Since I aced pre-school and Kindergarten with my fine sharing skills I ended up splitting a lot of my food with him. I said goodbye to my banana loving friend on Monday morning, worked from home so I could take Oscar to the vet, and come dinnertime really didn't feel like eating much. I forgot to mention that David was just getting over being sick, and according to his parents, creating many diaper explosions.

Tuesday I woke up feeling sick to my stomach and ended up taking the whole day off from work. I can't remember the last time I felt so sick! I don't think I've thrown up since riding some 10 foot waves off the Napali Coast a couple years ago. It sucked. However, it's my own fault since I should have been more careful, but he is just so darn cute...


We took a walk around the neighborhood, and here is the little guy among the leaves, and with his mommy.

All That Remains

My friend Jeanne plays bass in a band and gets to tour all over. They have a bunch of US dates going on (she was up in Worcester last weekend) and she's even toured internationally. She leads quite the life!

Her band's name is All That Remains and they have been nominated for a Boston Music Award for Outstanding Metal/Hardcore Band of the Year. I voted a few times for them and I was going to post earlier this week and ask that you vote, but I guess it's ending today and the winners will be announced on December 1st. Good luck!

A Glimpse in the Life...

Introducing "A Glimpse in the Life..." where I'll post tidbits of my day or funny/strange things I overhear.

Eating Bananas in Pajamas

SD: You done with this? (Points to mostly eaten banana)
PB: No, I'm going to eat the rest of it.
SD: It doesn't look good.
PB: That's just the peel that looks bad, the banana itself is good.

Interlude: SD brings banana and napkin into the kitchen...

PB: Where'd you put my banana?
SD: Oops...uh...the trash.
PB: Hey! Minus 2 husband points for the day!