"Porn" for Women

Those of you who know me well will know that this is completely "tongue-in-cheek" as I am not the slightest bit interested in actual porn. But I got this in an e-mail and couldn't resist sharing it! (I think it's part of a book.)

For those of you who, like me, are married to charming men who already do many of these things, this is purely silly.

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

More Muggy Monday Musings

Happy Monday to you -- the last Monday in July! Two more days, and it's August. Wowzers! Summer is whizzing by!

The weather has turned decidedly more summery...ie. it's much, much more humid. Still, we've been so blessed with a "mild" summer.

The kids had a lemonade stand on Friday and made out quite well. They wanted to earn some money for our upcoming vacation and had a good time doing it. Edward discovered a state quarter in the monies they earned and came running up excitedly to me, exclaiming, "I have a New Hamster quarter!" I was laughing too hard to correct him. But last night in the car, I explained that it was really New Hampshire. Edward was confused and said, "Remember in that Istanbul song (by They Might Be Giants) when they say, 'Even old New York was once New Hamsterdam.' Isn't that where it came from?" *grin!*

I've changed the video on my sidebar player to a Rocco Deluca and the Burden song, in honor of our going to see them in concert this Wednesday. Yippee!! Speaking of the group, two of their songs have been featured in the new K-Swiss ads. Check 'em out here (click on "TV spots" on the right of the website). They're very good!

Let's see...my countdown to Season 7 of 24...should be roughly 5 1/2 months? Yeehaw!! Back to wings and episodes of our favorite show. I just ordered the first season of The Closer with Kyra Sedgwick. I really, really like her. (She's in one of my favorite Kiefer movies, Behind the Red Door.) I cannot wait to watch it. The third season of Prison Break begins in mid-September. I think that should be interesting...especially since I know how Season 2 ended. Mmm-hmmm.

We had a fairly quiet weekend. Stuart has a bunch of house projects that he wants to finish before too long. He worked on ripping up a 12 X 12 square foot section of our kitchen floor on Saturday. It took him 3 hours! There are 9 -- count 'em -- NINE layers of floor in our kitchen. (You have to love the "idiots" who lived in our house before us -- and by idiots we group together all the former tenants who thought they were clever enough to do house projects.) He still has about 75 square feet of floor to rip up...but he'll keep plodding along. All part of the "joy" in owning a 90-year-old house.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• bumper cars

• fragrant honeydew melons

• cattails and bulrushes

• a weekend trip to Prince Edward Island

• four o’clock tea

* * *

There's something special (warm and fuzzy) about having afternoon tea.

Before I moved to England, I liked the idea of drinking tea, but I don't think I did it often. Then I moved there and was offered a cup every 20 minutes or so. Suffice it to say, I grew to love it!

Funny thing is I really enjoy it in the afternoon only -- maybe a little earlier than 4 p.m. I'm a coffee-drinking person in the morning and early evening but need my "cuppa" in the afternoon.

Emily and I enjoy doing her literature lessons with an afternoon cup of tea...and cookie or two. Both kids even have their own teacups.

One day, I plan to open a tea shop and offer "proper" afternoon teas. I host a Valentine's Tea Party every year and love the pomp and ceremony around it and sharing it with friends. It might be fun to do that daily...for a while.

A teabag and hot water...who knew something so simple would bring such pleasure.

When Life Hands You Lemons...

...make LEMONADE and have a lemonade stand!

We live behind a bank.

Not ideal really. There's an alley/small road between us and their parking lot, but there's a lot of traffic at certain times of the day.

Hmmm....

The kids have been dying to have a lemonade stand. They used their allowance to buy all the necessary ingredients, including the mix and drink cups.

It was supposed to happen last Friday...but we'd just spent three hours at the vet's office and Stuart was coming home, so we postponed it to yesterday.

What a perfect day for them! Hot and humid with a slight breeze.

I baked some chocolate cookies and donated them to their sales table.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the two of them roasted in the sun, serenading the passers-by with sales songs/dances and calls for yummy cookies and cold lemonade. (Salespeople around the world could learn from their techniques.)

It paid off...literally.

Together, they made $29.15.

And learned an invaluable lesson in human kindness and entrepreneurism.

Friday Funnies

We are huge fans of The Muppet Show...and just ordered....SEASON 2!!! Hooray! (Thanks, Uncle Chris, for our Christmas prezzie! Gotta love Amazon giftcards!) The kids don't know yet....

The first videos are two of their favorite segments in Season 1. The one below it is from Season 2 with Beaker -- a new character they haven't met yet... Enjoy!

Staying Smart(er)

You have to love the way companies reinvent themselves.

We stayed at a local Holiday Inn Express overnight for our anniversary back in May.



Their new motto is: Fresh. Simple. Smart.

Pretty catchy, huh?

They want you to "Stay Smart." (It's even trademarked.)

And I have to say we were impressed by all the changes/upgrades they've made in their hotels.

But you can't stretch a leopard's spots into stripes and call it a tiger. The basic structure of the hotel was exactly the same as always. The smell was the same -- that stale smoke/cleaning solution odor many such places have. The semi-sterile environment was the same.

I think they could use softer lighting against warm-colored walls. Put plug-ins in the rooms and a filter air freshener in the circulation system. I'm just saying...

Still...it was nicer than before.

And I guess we did "stay smart" since it was FREE. (My hubby used to do an enormous amount of traveling for his job. One of the perks was earning Holiday Inn points....which can be turned in for many different rewards, among them: free nights.)

Here are some of the catchy/quippy slogans and write-ups for a few of their products.

On the free in-room "Smart Roast" coffee packs: Warning: Consuming Smart Roast coffee in conjunction with staying at a Holiday Inn Express hotel may result in rapid increase in intelligence leading to an alienation of friends due to your knowing the answers to everything and not being afraid to say so.

On the bedding: Fresh. Simple. Smart. We've eliminated our traditional bedspread to literally surround you with freshness. A style we call triple sheeting, but you'll call it really, really sweet...like the bedding usually found in those tall, fancy uptown hotels. You may even be tempted to sleep in, so you better set your alarm now because you don't want to miss out on our warm cinnamon rolls and Smart Roast coffee in the morning.

Check out their online store (click on the bottom right hand logo on the website) for more. Pretty ingenious to makes their products available for purchase.

I guess it is all about being smart...or smarter.

Do you think people still steal the towels?

So Noted

Part of my husband's job requires him to go along with a salesman to assess what a company needs in the way of an emergency telephone/intercom system. That means seeing what they already have and making suggestions for something to enhance or...gasp...change it.

Stuart shared the notes (*grin*) he took during the meeting with the company in Brasil. Since he didn't speak Portuguese, he didn't understand most of what was happening/being said. But he did know what they needed on the platforms....

Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Purr-fect Kitty

Since we knew we were going to bid goodbye to Abigail, I took this video of her yesterday afternoon as a way of capturing her purr one last time.

Tuesday Tidbit Tidings

Happy Tuesday to you!

Since I took a pause in my normal Monday musings to share the sadness our household was experiencing, I decided to do my normal tidbit-update today.

We had a nice funeral for our kitty, complete with prayers, remembrances, and poems from Emily and the vet. We know that all of our loved ones -- furry or otherwise -- are only ours on "loan." We need to love and enjoy them every day! My favorite line in one of the poems: "Remember that angels are not allowed to show their wings on Earth, but there's no rule against whiskers!" She was our gentle, furry "angel." And we'll always remember her.

Stuart arrived home from Brasil on Friday afternoon amidst lots of whoops and dances of joy -- even the dog joined in. We were glad he came home a day early since they were predicting a cyclone in Macae, the area where he was staying. Plus, the following night brought a ground radar failure to Brazil, diverting 11 airplanes to the closest airports, including one in the jungle. (I guess the kids would have gotten their wish for their daddy to see the Amazon Rain Forest.) Yet, there he was at home, safe and sound!

The Tooth Fairy still hasn't visited our house...despite the fact that Emily lost another tooth. Edward still doesn't want to part with his tooth. *giggle* If only we could tell him....

The weather has been kind again and allowed us a few more days of cool weather (read: no A/C!). Amazing for July when we're usually suffering through the heat and humidity... (Of course, I'll probably jinx us now that I'm typing this.) I can hear the PPL employees crying and gnashing their teeth. Perhaps they'll begin doing a heat dance?

Getting closer to the new season of 24...we hope...if the network and critics will let them write and film it. There has been so much bad publicity about this show. "Everyone" felt it was the worst season ever, and the show is going down the drain, etc... Funny how I haven't met anyone who feels that way. (Isn't a popular show allowed to have some "off" moments? I'm just saying...) Oh, well. Down, Susie, down....

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• low airfares

• perfect pool water

• falling asleep in a hammock

• your favorite inflatable beach toy

• sailing

* * *

Growing up outside of Annapolis, Maryland, for a 4-year-ish portion of my life, we lived near a creek (a.k.a. river in PA) that fed into the Chesapeake Bay. Because the creek was so close to our house, my parents (a.k.a. my dad) decided to buy a sailboat.

Prior to my birth, my dad had spent 6 years in the Navy, as an officer on a submarine. He had water in his blood (not literally, of course, or this would be a very different story) and felt he was predestined to be captain of something. (My mom might have felt otherwise.) So he purchased a sailboat and named it the "Kathie B." in honor of my mom -- or to appease her?

I'm not sure we were truly a seafaring family -- my memories are sketchy at best (I was only 5 at the time) -- because somehow we didn't own that boat -- or its successor, the "Kathie B. II," for long.

But I do remember several interesting sailing adventures which included getting stuck in a sandbar, having to balance the boat by running from one side to the next and back again...and being stopped by the "water police."

Apparently, my father hadn't renewed his owner's card on the boat...or hadn't put the new numbers on the sail, or something like that. All I knew was that the "police" had stopped us, and I thought he was being taken into custody.

My famous quote at the time was: "I knewed it. I knewed it. I knewed my daddy was going to get arrested." To which, the "water policeman" burst out laughing and gave a verbal warning instead of a ticket.

Good thing I was such a fan of Adam 12. I know my dad was glad!

Monday (in) Mourning

"Abigail," by Edward, age 6

Taking a pause in my Monday musings...

Life is all about beginnings and endings, isn't it? Knowing that doesn't actually help though.

The beginning of our week isn't starting in the happiest of ways since we've come to the decision point in our dear ol' kitty's life.

Last Friday morning, I took Abigail to the vet's to figure out why she had not been eating very well. We found out she had diabetes among other problems. Since Stuart was on his way home from Brasil, and she was a family member, I didn't feel it was my choice alone to "call it quits" for her. It was something Stuart and I had to talk about together...and I thought there might still be hope for her.

If Abigail were a younger cat with many years of life ahead of her, it would be an easier choice. We'd fight on for her. Diabetes is treatable, and we can do it. But she's elderly -- nearing 66 in fact -- and it's time to bid her farewell.

* * *

Well, it's done. She is gone.

Our hearts are breaking, but we know it was the right -- the kindest -- thing to do for her. Even in death she had the sweetest smile -- with her jutting jaw and curled tongue.

She was smiling...

Perhaps she is chasing our dear long-gone bunny, Wellington? They were such good buddies years ago...

Emily wrote a poem which she read at Abigail's funeral:

Abigail's Resting Poem

We have loved you, but the time has come

To put you down to sleep.

We have loved you throughout your many years,

But the time has come to put you beneath the soil deep.
There you shall rest

Upon your quest

To find a place where you may rest

In Kitty Heaven.

Be with God and rest eternally,

And one day in Heaven with you we shall be.

Saturday Sillies

Okay. Okay...

I couldn't resist posting a funny one this week. Enjoy!

UPDATE

Well, the Tooth Fairy didn't visit our house -- more specifically, Edward's room -- last night. And it wasn't because she forgot or got lost.

Just after we tucked him into bed last night, Edward came downstairs and tearfully told us he didn't think he wanted to give up his tooth just yet. He thought he wasn't ready.

We told him that wasn't a problem...to do so whenever he felt ready...

He just needs to be sure to let us know.

Friday Firsts

I decided to take a break in my weekly Friday Funnies to bring you (drumroll): Friday Firsts.

The event I'm about to list actually happened yesterday, but who's checking...

Edward lost his FIRST tooth.

With Emily losing teeth left and right (she's up to molars now, I'd completely forgotten that he was coming of age to begin this dental replacement ritual.

At lunch yesterday, he complained that his one tooth was hurting. When I asked which one, he pointed to one of his lower front teeth. I suggested that maybe it was loose and ready to come out. He wiggled it and sure enough it was very, very loose.

A bit of pushing and prodding during the afternoon had that baby finally falling out by about 6 p.m. -- during dinner, of course.

He decided to save it from the Tooth Fairy until tonight since Stuart RETURNED today (Hooray! Yay! Yee-haw! See: Happy Dance), and he wanted him to join in on the joy and celebration of his first tooth going under his pillow. Sweet little guy, huh?

Emily promptly told him that since it was his first tooth, the Fairy would probably leave him a golden dollar, card, and book -- as she did for her first tooth. Afterall, she informed him, it is a special time.

Way to raise the bar, Emmypie. *grin*

No pressure, Mommy and Daddy. er, um...Tooth Fairy.

A Tribute

A friend sent this to me. Isn't it beautiful??

Rainbows at Sunset

Life goes by incredibly fast.

I think you really, really see this when you have kids.

One minute, they're so tiny, helpless, and very needy...then they're all grown up and asking for keys. (Thankfully we're not at the "wheels" stage of parenting -- well, maybe bicycle wheels -- but some of our good friends are...and we feel for them!)

I got the following in an e-mail and found it very meaningful. It certainly made me think...

As you grow older:

You learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once, and it's harder every time.

You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You'll fight with your best friend.

You'll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

Don't be afraid that your life will end; be afraid that it will never begin.

Queen's Brogue

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT
• standing on a secluded pier
• an Irish brogue
• a new lipstick
• sprawling in the chaise lounge
• not worrying about tomorrow

One of my favorite-most movies is River Queen, starring Samantha Morton, Kiefer Sutherland, and Cliff Curtis, among others.

Filmed and set in New Zealand, this movie has a "poignant and pithy" story filled with drama and action -- plus, it has a great soundtrack. Rumor has it that the director, Vincent Ward, was very exacting. He wanted the actors to have authentic Irish accents so they went for Irish brogue lessons, and all the men wore real beards. It all paid off because the acting is superb!

I found this video while perusing YouTube, and it gives a good overview of the movie. (You may need to let the whole movie load for better viewing.) The music is not from the movie.

Strip-teaser

Okay. Okay. This isn't quite as professional....but it is kind of hilarious funny. (I apologize to Kiefer in advance for a giggle or two at his expense.)

Ahem...yes.

The video speaks for itself. (Again, you might need to let the whole video load before viewing.)

From Brasil with Love

My hubby has been in Brasil since a week ago Sunday... He's there with his company, doing a site survey of the emergency intercom/P.A. systems on some off-shore oil rigs.

Communication between us has been sporadic at best, due to his flying out to the rigs for several days at a time. No cellphones allowed. *sniff.*

So imagine my surprise when he IMed me on Friday and then again on Sunday!

Last night, he sent me two photos. A (sweet) sight for my sore (missing him) eyes!

View from his on-shore hotel room in Macae, Brasil

On site, my hubby (left) with Nicolau, the sales rep. in Brasil

Memorable Musings on a Monday Morning

Happy Monday to you! Mid-July already!

We had a reprieve in the hot weather with two nice, non-humid days! Hooray! Both our A/C unit and our bill had a rest. Take that, PPL!

<--Found this photo on Penny Keating's blog. I'm a huge fan of Jude Cole and love the fact that these two men are such good buddies. I'm keeping Jude's song on my video player for another week in honor of that.

One of my favorite quotes: "One of the biggest misconceptions about Kiefer is that he got anything easy in his life. He's done it on his own, every step of the way....He's Corleone loyal. We used to have a recurring fight about if one of us killed somebody, would we rat on each other? I'd say, 'That would depend on why you killed 'em.' And he would get really mad at me for that. In his code it wouldn't matter what you did; you would just never rat on your friend." - Jude Cole, best friend - singer/songwriter/producer.

I love that: Corleone loyal!

It's still 6 months until the next season of 24. I'm midway through rewatching Season 6, which we enjoyed immensely. Apparently, they scrapped the Season 7 concept and are "back to the drawing board." Hmmm... I finished the first season of Prison Break and enjoyed that, too. Of course, Season 2 won't be out until the autumn, but I already saw the finale of that one so I'll be okay once the new season begins. I think I'll try Lost next.

Our little countdown clock is speedily ticking away the time until Stuart returns to us. He's having an interesting time on the off-shore rigs in Brasil, but now he remembers why he didn't enjoy working for the service department: being away from us! The feeling is mutual.

We spent Saturday evening looking through old photographs at my parents' house. My mom had accidentally dumped out a box of photos and spent the time cleaning them up, looking through them as she did so.

I always feel like a time traveler when I look through old photos. There's something that is triggered in my memories that takes me back to the time in the photo -- if only briefly. I can remember smells and feelings and wondering at the styles that we so readily accepted...

Last evening, I rewatched Mr. Holland's Opus. (I'm such a sucker for mushy movies!) But it was another chance to "time travel." Since I played the flute in the band, I have lots of memories of our music department. I love how the movie spans Mr. Holland's entire career at the school, and the music is phenomenal.

* * *

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• Adirondack chairs by the lake

• the road to a friend’s house

• brown sugar on fresh pineapple

• fields of wildflowers

• an amulet

* * *

That would be Route 422 East.

My wonderful friend and fellow sappy-movie buddy, Angel, and her family have been so good to us while Stuart's been away, spending time with us, watching movies, having us for Sunday lunch.

And we've discovered so many commonalities that we've decided we were "twins" separated at birth by 3 1/2 years...no hints on who's older. (We were even born in the same hospital in Maryland!)

There's a quote that says something like, "The road to a friend's house is never long..." I'd have to agree. (About 10 to 15 minutes, depending on if you speed...)

*grin*

From the Friendship Page:

"Keep your eyes upon me, keep me in your sight, Help me down the crooked road, lead me to the light. The road I'm on is dark, I'm not sure if I know the way, Yet with you right beside me, I'm certain I won't stray. Protect me from the world, I know we'll make it through, Give me all the strength I need..... Let me lean on you." - Megan Stroup

"Friends are the Bacon Bits in the Salad Bowl of Life."- Pizza Place sign

"Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus

Rated "G"

Hooray! Thanks to Aduladi', I found out my blog is rated "G" -- family-friendly, right? Then how come my kids aren't allowed to read it any longer...

Maybe because of all the "secrets" it contains...about Santa, the Tooth Fairy, and a mommy who eats their chocolate....

What's your rating?

Friday Funnies

Thought this one was funny! Poor little squirrelies. Warning: Do not try this at home. (Okay. Okay. I've intrigued all the male readers out there, who just have to make one of these now....)

"Punkin' Chunkin'" with squirrels....

Enjoy!

Cookie (Monster) Times

I've decided that somehow I must be related to Cookie Monster.

He was one of my favorite characters on Sesame Street when I was little.

And I love cookies.

Hmmm...

Coincidence? I don't think so...

"C" is for cookie that's good enough for me...

I discovered something about myself when I was first married and we had a knock-down-dragout fight conflict: I could sit and stare at the clock for hours while we endured a "Mexican standoff," or I could do something useful, like bake cookies. I did the clock-stare thing a few times and then voted in favor of the cookies.

As Robert Fulghum said in his book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten: Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

When people around me (or I) feel blue...I often make cookies. There's nothing better than sweet, warm, gooey cookies to cheer up a down spirit.

Ooops...there's the buzzer....

Fireworks Fun

I don't know about you, but we missed out on seeing Fourth of July fireworks this year due to the rain -- though who knew a nearby borough would still show them despite the steady downpour...much to the dismay of our kids.

Oh, well. Hopefully next year...

In the meantime, I found this fun and simple craft idea on Crayola.com to create our own fireworks display.

Enjoy!

Fireworks are used around the world to celebrate special occasions. Remember an ahhh-some show, or create your own Fiery Fireworks!

1. With fireworks, communities celebrate in a big way! Not only do fireworks display amazing colors and shapes, they proclaim their presence with loud bangs and booms.

2. On black construction paper, draw a fireworks show with Crayola® Gel Markers or crayons. Fill the night sky with bright color and sparkling light. Show glowing rockets zooming through the dark, and sparks cascading toward earth.

3. In the foreground, include yourself and other spectators enjoying the show. Dress people in clothing for the season and country where the show is taking place.

Curious and Curiouser

"Curious...and curiouser..."

I love that expression from Alice in Wonderland, especially because it reminds me of my 9-year-old daughter. She must be one of the most curious creatures out there. If she was an animal, she'd be a cat...

"Curiosity killed the cat...but satisfaction brought it back."

To her, the world is so full of stuff to see and do and explore...and touch.

Sheesh...I thought they outgrew that sort of thing. She was the sort of baby that put everything in her mouth. And I mean everything.

I feel silly still having to remind her to keep her hands to herself and "just look." She always insists that she is "just looking." For her, looking incorporates touching...like her fingers have tiny eyeballs on them.

Funny thing is: I've discovered that I'm a curious person, too. I think that's why I was drawn into the world of journalism, a place I swore I'd never work. Because I ask a lot of questions...demanding even more answers...I just have to know.

Our midwife thought I was a bit of a hypochondriac when I was pregnant with Emily...I asked so many questions. It was only when I explained that I worked as a reporter and worry more when I don't feel I understand something, that she truly understood me.

I guess I'm just "curious and curiouser"...like my daughter.

Perhaps that's why I peruse the Internet, reading stuff on my favorite actors and movies and shows. I'm just curious to know stuff. The actors' lives are intriguing to me because they live in such a different world.

Speaking of which, I no longer feel "sorry" for Kiefer....not after I read how much he was making on his two-day ad filming campaign...*grin*...and saw where he's vacationing. *sigh*

Curious...and curiouser....

Muggy Monday Musings

A happy "hot and humid" Monday to you! I'm musing to you from inside a lovely air-conditioned house!

A new week filled with new adventures, no doubt. Well, only indoor adventures until the weather cools down a bit. We moved Bonny and Clyde inside until then. Poor buns...it was just too hot for them. Though they protested to being inside by "back-filling" their food and water bowls this morning.

New Jude Cole video on the sidebar. Can't wait until this guy releases a new album...or goes on tour again. Speaking of tours...we received our tickets for the next Rocco concert in Philadelphia on August 1st. Yay!

Stuart is in Brasil this week and next. It's Winter there. He flew over the Amazon Rain Forest but didn't see anything...it was nighttime. Still, he did fly over it. We're on a countdown until he returns. 12 days to go! Whoo-hoo!

We were IMing with him this morning. As I watched the kids hunt-and-pecking messages to him, I reflected on what a technologically-marvelous time we live in. That the kids can sit in our dining room and type on our computer to their daddy in an airport in Brasil. Tres cool!

No new 24 tonight, of course -- 6 months to go!! -- but I've been working my way through Seasons 4, 5, and 6. There's a story thread that works through these three seasons especially. Maybe I'll start over completely once I've finished. I borrowed another new series from the library on Friday: Prison Break. It's very intriguing...and quite good. Season 2 isn't out on video yet... I'm thinking of watching Lost when I finish this one.

I found a little, desktop widget for my computer: a 24 clock that does the show's famous "beep-beep" as it counts the last 4 or 5 seconds before each hour. I love it! It's available on Yahoo! Widgets, if you're interested. As are bunches of other fun computer "gadgets."

Speaking of my favorite-most show, the star is in Brasil at the moment, too. (Stuart said he'd try to pencil seeing Kiefer into his busy schedule...) Actually, it's rather funny to see the translations of the articles coming out of Rio. He's there doing a commercial for Citroen. Granted, I don't speak Portuguese so my translations the other direction would be equally silly, but we were left wondering if they merely put this article through AltaVista's Babel Fish. What do you think?

Jack Bauer, of the series “24 hours”, is in Brazil. The security of the Pan is guaranteed. The actor Kiefer Sutherland arrived yesterday at the River and this was the first meal of the actor, in the Copacabana Palace, where it is housed. It devorou one sanduba. Kiefer is in the River for the party of the Citroen, today to the night, in the Alive River It still records an advertising for the assembly plant of automobiles.

In the door of the hotel, a series of fans waited for the actor. Kiefer must pass some days of vacation in Christmas, Great River of the North.

Kiefer will be filming the commercials with Araceli González - The bold escape of Araceli and Kiefer Sutherland Buenos Aires. - Everything is ready. The pair of the publicity of a famous mark of cars will meet in Brazil for the shooting of the guideline. Araceli González already gave yes and Kiefer Sutherland does not see the hour to know it. Rio de Janeiro and San Pablo will be the scenes of this international bet that makes the mark of Citroën cars, for their C4 model. Next Wednesday dupla will be the encounter of this so popular. Close friends to the protagonist of 24 recognized that the actor is anxious to know his fellow worker. They said to him that one is “one of the women more sexies of Argentina”. He already wants to verify it by itself. On the other hand, Araceli also is happy for being chosen for this advertising campaign. He will travel accompanied by his maquilladora, Mabby Autino, his peluquero, Alvaro Rivas, his vestuarista, Teresa of the Valley, and his representative Alexander Farell, informed the newspaper the Callle. Rumors assure that the one that is not very in agreement with the proposal would be Adrián Suar. The jealousy would have attacked it and would be arranged to travel to Brazil to control the North American. The excuse: the possibility of a new business.

Araceli González (born June 19, 1967 in Buenos Aires, as Araceli Edith González) is an Argentinian fashion model, actress and TV host. After marrying at a young age, she was married for a very long time, having her first child, a daughter, in 1988. She also has a son. Gonzalez was linked romantically to Chayanne when the duo starred in a telenovela. This caused her marriage trouble, and, eventually, she separated from her husband (Adrián Suar) and found work as an actress in Europe. Later on, she returned to Argentina. She now plays Gabriela Solís in Amas de Casa Desesperadas.

Gmorning Carsale - the Citroën of Brazil chose nothing more nothing less than the English actor Kiefer Sutherland, the Jack Bauer of the series 24 Hours, to be the boy-propaganda of the most important launching of the French mark in this year, the C4 Pallas. Actor will participate of writings of advertising campaign of sedã, that he happens in this thursday (5), in Rio De Janeiro, and between days 6 and 10 records the commercial film of the Pallas, that will be propagated in national net, from September. The appositive Citroën in the success of the Pallas and, for this, initiated a program of daily pay-launching of the called model “Box of Sensations”, that already it commercialized about 100 units of the model. The goal of the assembly plant is of vender, on average, two a thousand units for month, totalizing 25 a thousand cars per year.

This photo made me actually feel quite sorry for Kiefer. He looks so lost and tired, doesn't he? I know it's "his job," and he's getting paid the big bucks to be there, but it has to get wearying. I mean, he was filming for the last month or so in Romania then in England for a few days and now in Brasil. I'm guessing he'll be giving each of the 24 staff members a big ol' smooch when he gets back to L.A....just for speaking English.

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5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• fresh produce from the farmers’ market

• wraparound sunglasses

• grilled cheese for dinner

• walking into air conditioning

• curiosity

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When I was about 15 or 16, I worked at a farmer's market on Saturday mornings. I was in charge of opening an antique/furniture stand. It was really fun for awhile because the atmosphere was varied, filled with a mixture of flea markets and fruit/veg/candy stands.

There was a smell when you entered -- maybe a mixture of the produce, breakfast stands, dust, and old treasures?

I usually spent my entire paycheck on old World War II books at a book stand up at the other end of the market.

The market has changed completely -- though the book stand became an actual store -- so I can't take my kids through it to show them where Mommy once worked.

But we still love going to other farmer's markets to buy produce, baked goods, and candy. Our area is blessed by an abundance of such places.

Summer is a great time to buy and eat fresh!

One, Two, Three, Awwww...

Okay. Okay. I really need a pity-party.

My hubby left today for a two-week trip to Brasil.

Sounds exotic for him, right? Well, it's certainly not a pleasure trip -- though we all think it's very cool that he gets to fly over the Amazon Rain Forest and South of the Equator. He's there for his job, and he'll be flying to three different off-shore oil refineries.

He used to travel all the time. To the kids and me, it became second nature to say goodbye to him for awhile. We were sad, but we just got on with it.

Now, we've gotten used to him being home. We kind of like saying goodbye only until lunchtime... We aren't used to saying goodbye for several weeks and "getting on with it" anymore. And I'm glad of that.

I know. I know. The two weeks will fly by. And it's really nothing compared with what military families have to face...

But, in the meantime, I'm going to batten down the hatches...cry a bit...cuddle up on the couch and hug a pillow...eat some chocolate...cry some more...watch hormonal movies...and cry a little bit more.

Tomorrow, I'll start "getting on with it."

Lucky Day?

Happy 07-07-07!

Lucky day, or just fun??

I vote the latter.

Of Roller Blinds and Kids...

While chatting with us on our bed earlier this morning, the kids noticed that one of our roller blinds had a huge rip up the middle. We said that we'll have to begin replacing them with something else -- since after 4 years they're beginning to fail.

Emily mentioned that she definitely didn't want Venetian blinds, to which her younger brother said, "Why would we need Venetian blonds?"

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Wait a few years, bud.

Friday Funnies

For anyone who loved to play video/computer games as a kid in the '80s, you'll love this Scandinavian band, which specializes in playing old computer game songs. We're going to watch for them to come locally on tour -- what a hoot it would be to see them live!

Enjoy!

Happy 4th of July

Happy Independence Day!

Let FREEDOM ring!

"Let freedom ring. And when this happens, and when we allow freedom ring—when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Fourth of July Funnies

Some cheesy sillies to enjoy!

No one "hates" the British, right?

At least, no one in my house.

*grin*

Just Cat-astrophic

My heart is aching at the moment...and writing is so therapeutic.

I'm a very justice-oriented person -- though I'm not sure I'm always just in my actions. In my brain, I am. That's one reason I've always enjoyed watching Judge Judy and The People's Court. Justice reigns on those shows.

We live on a street of very quiet people -- not necessarily quiet in volume, they just stick to themselves...or those they already know well.

I'm not sure, but I think we bought the "cursed" house. From the moment we moved in, we faced unfriendliness -- or surface friendliness at best. No one on our street came to welcome us to the neighborhood. We said hello and sometimes got a response. In the end, we've stuck to ourselves...and the very friendly neighbors who live behind us.

A bench that was in the yard when we looked at the house suddenly disappeared just before we moved in...and then reappeared in the next-door neighbors' backyard. When we asked about it, they said the former owners "gave" it to them. Funny thing was, they didn't know the owners. It sat in the corner of the backyard for four years and finally rotted. Guess they felt guilty?

Now we've lost a pet to the same demise.

We adopted a cat during the winter. It was cold outside, and he was content to stay indoors with us and mooch food and attention. We called around to various vets and the animal shelter to be sure he wasn't already owned and reported as lost. We certainly didn't want to keep someone else's pet.

When it got warmer, he began to pace...and pace and pace. It got frustrating. So we decided to put a collar and flea collar on him and let him outdoors. He came and went as he pleased and slept all afternoon on our front-porch seat.

Then he disappeared.

This morning I overheard a neighbor talking to another neighbor about taking him in. I was shocked. It was the bench all over again.

(He had TWO collars on...wouldn't you guess he had a home?)

So after awhile, I worked up the courage and went out to the cat-thief neighbor who was weeding her garden. I asked her if she'd seen a black cat, that he'd been missing for awhile.

She asked if we owned him, and I explained about how we'd adopted him, how he didn't like staying inside, and how we'd put the collars on him so that people would understand that he was owned.

She said, "No." She hadn't seen him in a few days.

Then she immediately disappeared inside. Guess she felt guilty?

Later on, I heard her talking again with the same neighbor about it.

Now, I feel sick to my stomach, like I did as a child on the playground when my supposed friends talked about me. I'm at a loss as to what to do. This other neighbor knew that we took the cat in. She also knew that we weren't getting attached to him in case he had an owner somewhere...yet we were feeding him and taking care of him.

My justice-oriented side is screaming that he does have an owner now!

Anybody know Judge Judy's number?

Some More Photo Fun

I picked some more photos from the "Kiefer Is Everywhere" Photo Contest. These were some of my favorites. Enjoy!

More Merry Monday Musings

Happy Monday to you! And Happy beginning of July! I can't believe the year is rolling along so quickly.

New (old) music video today. And a new photo/guest book/map thingy on my sidebar. Be sure to sign in and leave your photo!

I chose a repeat video by The Feeling to celebrate their playing at Wembley Stadium for the Concert for Diana memorial concert/celebration. They were introduced by none other than Kiefer Sutherland, who was introduced as the "uncrowned king of cool." You can see a video of him introducing them here. He got a standing ovation from the thousands of fans there. Quite humbling and an honor, no doubt! (Did I mention we saw The Feeling live in concert this past April?? *grin*)

No new 24 tonight, of course. *Sniff! Sniff!* But only 6 1/2 months until the show starts up again! Yee-haw! Wings and 24: perfect together.

We're enjoying some gorgeous Summer weather at the moment. Cool breezes, blue skies, and no humidity. The mugginess is supposed to return by Wednesday...just in time for our borough's annual 4th of July parade! But, oh, well. We'll take it as it comes.

We spent Saturday at Dorney Park for Stuart's annual company picnic. The above photo was taken as our 9-year-old drove me around....on a ride, of course. She did very well, but I took a video to prove that she definitely isn't ready to get her license yet...not for at least another 20 years.

Since Edward and I aren't keen on rides, we sat people-watching and waited while Emily and Stuart rode the various stomach/back/neck twisting machines. We were watching the freefall-type ride for quite awhile from various locations around the theme park when Edward finally asked, "Don't those people ever get off that ride?"

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5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• country fairs

• a wicker chair under your favorite tree

• root beer on a hot day

• collecting “sound bites” with a handheld recorder

• poppies ablaze

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I don't know who decided the experiments the 8th-grade students performed during chemistry class at my junior high school, but I'm guessing the teacher probably didn't put his root beer recipe past any school board members or parents.

It was a wonderful way to teach the kids about chemical reactions and patience...but I wouldn't have been surprised to learn that many students ended up drunk after we took home our prized bottles of fizzy, sugar potion.

It was quite potent...and didn't taste anything like root beer.

Although, the flavor was oddly familiar later in life....