Okay I'm Sold

For the past few months my friend Mark has been trying to talk me into listening to books on CD. I pooh poohed the notion because A. I am all about music and B. I love to READ books.

But knowing I was making a 4 hour drive to Harrisburg this past weekend, and since my iPod car player is not working, I stopped at Borders and picked one up.
A book on CD.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.

The time FLEW by.

First of all it is a really interesting book. (Good choice for bookclub, grrrrrlfriends) Asks and answers all kinds of funky questions. What do sumo wrestlers and schoolteachers have in common? Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? Second of all, it made economics fun for me. I hated the subject in college. BORING.

So thanks Mark. My trip went by faster, I learned (and liked) a bit more about economics, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first book on cd.

Freakonomics

Widgets

What's a widget?






I saw these for the first time at the Apple Store a couple of weeks ago.

Widgets are mini-applications that dress up your computer desktop, while providing useful feedback. They were originally designed for the Mac Operating System and are now available for Windows.
Weather, time, to do lists, post it notes, picture frames - there are 1978 widgets available for download at www.widgets.yahoo.com

Family Footprints

Chase and Nana's footprints.
Ormond Beach, April 2005











Two generations staying connected.

Happy HNT!

Ahhhhh.....
Florida.
Warm sun.
Cool cucumbers.

I want to be where it's warm. I just heard from an old flame living in the British Virgin Islands. He manages a boat yard on the Island of Tortola. The average temperature is 80 degrees. Sure sounds appealing when it is 24 degrees here, cold and snowy. My girlfriend Susan is headed there in 3 weeks. I am just a tad jealous. (ok maybe a bit more than a tad)

Whassup

I had the pleasure of meeting Vinny Warren today. He was our guest speaker for the Symposium class I coordinate on campus.

Associate Creative Director and Copywriter at DDB Chicago and creator of the Whassup commercials.

You wouldn't know that he is Irish by his name - Vinny. But he is, from Galway. He's a good speaker and an interesting guy. His Whassup commercials aired for two years. They were Superbowl favorites, they were picked up, parodied, and sent via internet all over the world, and one of them was the first beer commercial ever to air during the Academy Awards.


Many variations were spun off of the original. You can see the Whassup Wasabi commercial here


Vinny is currently shooting an Anheuser-Busch ad in NYC (with a got milk theme). Directed by Spike Lee starring Michael Imperioli of the Sopranos. (he plays Christopher)
We may just see it during this year's Superbowl.

Give a friend a hug today.

Hugs feel good.

From Caramel Latte to Reindeer Milk

My addiction. Dunkin Donut's Caramel Swirl Lattes.

I LOVE them. Before I'm through with my first sip, my mouth is already humming "mmmmmm".

I don't order the full calorie ladden Caramel Swirl Latte. I ask for "a large Caramel Latte made with skim milk and no whipped cream" The low cal version. There is an 81 calorie difference between skim and whole milk in a 10 oz. cup of latte.

I know this because I went to this clever little website that gives you the nutrition values for milk. Not just for cow's milk either (which is the lowest in calories at 150 per glass). I learned about all kinds of milk! Goat's milk has 160 calories, Buffalo Milk has 236, Sheep's milk has 264, and Reindeer Milk has a whopping 580. Reindeer Milk! full of protein and fat. who knew that?

So if you are counting calories I wouldn't drink reindeer milk.

But, if you find you have some extra reindeer milk in your fridge, you can put some on your face as it leaves your skin feeling silky smooth and soft with a hydrated appearance. And it will soften and nourish your lips as well.

Cool Lamp Posts

Aren't these great?

These lamp posts are placed throughout Washington Square Park in NYC.

They give the park such a quaint look.

I'd like these on my street at home.

TIRED

This little picture has been making the rounds on email. Looks like what I feel like.

It has been a very fun week of late nights, early mornings, cocktails, and scrabble marathons.

I am a tired kitty. G'night.

TGIF!

Yesterday I posted a HNT photo. (see below)
I thought you might like to see the rest of the picture.
Couldn't fool my brother, he knew who it was right away.
His son Will.

Half-Nekkid Thursday (HNT)

My brother was a bit excited when he saw I sent him an email earlier this week with a link to a blog entitled "grrrrrls".

He does love to share the occasional spicy joke and I guess he thought I was returning the favor.

His disappointment was great when he found it was just his sister's new blog and not pictures of half-naked grrrrls.

So in his honor, I told him my blog would now include Half-Nekkid Thursday. (To learn more about Half-Nekkid Thursday, click onthe link in the side bar.)

So Happy HNT Todd! (can you guess who is half-nekkid?)

Oh What A Night

Lucky Cheng's

Where the lights are low and the atmosphere high. Where your very pretty waitress is a boy dressed as a girl. And the entertainment includes a song belted out by a girl pretending to be a boy pretending to be a girl. And 10 random people are chosen from the audience to wear wigs, strut their stuff and walk the cat walk. All this happens while you are drinking one exotic flavored drink after another and eating (or not eating) really bad food. Did I mention there was laughter? ALOT of laughter. Because it is so much fun.

When the extrememly high bill is paid but you are not ready for the fun to end you can make your way downstairs where the lights are even dimmer and you become the entertainment. KARAOKE


Rock the Casbah

Stand by Your Man

And when your body aches from laughing so much, the strolling masseuse is in attendance to cater to you while you watch your friends light up the stage.

A perfect night to spend with two of your best friends from high school and one that will never be forgotten.

Just Say No to Mechanical Fasteners

A friend mentioned earlier today that he would not be wearing pants with mechanical fasteners while he visits in Dutch country. Dutch country in Pennsylvania is home to the Amish. The Amish do not wear mechanical fasteners. The same topic came up later today at dinner with some colleagues regarding the Mennonites. Mennonites do not wear mechanical fasteners either. The mechanical fastener being spoken about is a zipper.

I wasn't aware the Amish do not wear zippers.
They don't wear buttons either.
They only wear hooks and eyelets.
But not on the men's pants. Men's pants are held up by suspenders or a drawstring.
Barndoor breeches they are called.
My friend will be wearin his barndoor breeches in Pennsylvania next week.

So what makes one method of closure acceptable and another not? Wearing a zipper is considered embracing technology. Buttons are decorative. Both of these are considered worldly and therefore will not be worn by the amish. Hooks and eyelets are plain. String and suspenders are plain. Plain is accepted, worldly is not.

That was my Amish lesson for the day.

The Most Requested Dessert in the House

A friend introduced me to these awesome Frrozen Hot Chocolates in 2004 (at Serendipity in NYC).

These were so delish, I came back and had to make them for all the boys in the house.

They quickly became the favorite and most requested dessert. (to be made and eaten at any time of the day though)

In 2005 the boys got to experience the real thing at Serendipity for themselves. You'd think after having the original and the best they wouldn't be begging for them at home anymore.

Not true.

For anyone that would like to try this hit at home, here is the recipe.

Breathe Me

I love this song.
I loved this video the first time I saw it.
I still love it.

2500 polaroids used. Very cool.

You can see it here.

It is by Sia. (Sia Kate Isobel Furler)

Breathe Me.

Karen, is this what the good doctor said?

What is Needed Today

COLOR

It is another gray and dreary weekend day in Syracuse. Made worse by the fact that we had two days of sunshine and warm weather this week which I saw from my office window. And those were the first real sunny days we'd had in over a month.

So today is all about color. I am sharing some color and it is making me feel brighter already.

(rock and bowl photo courtesy of Jenna)

---

Central Park
Fall 2004

















Chinatown NYC
Feb 2005















The Gates
at Central Park
Feb 2005












Ormond Beach, FL
April 2005

Check out Color in Motion

Happy Friday the 13th!

My favorite number and my favorite day together -it's going to be a GREAT day. At least in my opinion.

It is not the opinion of anyone with Paraskevidekatriaphobia: Fear of Friday the 13th. It is said as many as 21 million americans have this condition.

The sixth day of the week and the number 13 both have a foreboding reputation dating back to ancient times. Some sources say it may be the most widespread superstition in the United States. Some people won't go to work on Friday the 13th; some won't eat in restaurants; many wouldn't think of setting a wedding on the date.

Many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. It is said if you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names). There are 13 witches in a coven.

(When I heard this I was a little worried. Friday IS my favorite day and 13 IS my favorite number. Was I witch in a past life? A devil worshiper?)

BUT, other sources suggest the number 13 was purposely vilified by the founders of patriarchal religions because it represented femininity. Thirteen had been revered in prehistoric goddess-worshiping cultures, allegedly, because it corresponded to the number of lunar (menstrual) cycles in a year (13 x 28 = 364 days)and in the Roman Calendar, Friday was devoted to Venus, the goddess of love.

(YES! That made me feel better. That made sense. 13 is good. I was a GODDESS in a previous life. Maybe even a goddess of LOVE. I can live with that.)

There are a lot of stories out there that fuel the superstitions. Judas was the 13th to join the last supper, the ship, the H.M.S. Friday, supposedly set sail on a Friday and disappeared forever, and what about the true story of Appolo 13?

So is Friday the 13th really an unlucky day? Anyone you know have a bad experience? Do you change any of your actions on Friday the 13th?

Books anyone?

I am on my 4th book since Christmas and finally feel like I have a winner.

The winner:

Life is Short, Wear your Party Pants

by Loretta LaRoche

The jist of it: ten simple truths that will lead you to an intense, happy, successful life: resilience, living in the moment, optimism, acceptance, humor, creativity, moderation, responsibility, meaning, and connection.

I'm about a 1/3 of the way through and so far, so good. Just what's needed for a dreary January.

The Loser:
Running with Scissors, a Memoir by Augesten Burroughs

It was touted to be a national bestseller, an Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book, and a New York Times bestseller.
I didn't like it. It was supposed to be funny. I didn't find it funny. Bizarre, yes. Funny, not much. There are just some situations you cannot make funny no matter how hard you try.
If you read it and liked it, let me know. I'd love to discuss it and get a different perspective.

Tweener 1:

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

I can't say too much without giving the plot away but it is a decent read.
Just not the elusive "can't put it down" book I am always looking for.

I read another book by her, My Sister's Keeper, and really liked it. Controversial topic - a second child is conceived for the sole purpose of helping save the life of a firstborn.

Tweener 2:

Making it up as I go Along by Maria Lennon

Career woman and her new life as a single mother - entertaining, humorously written, but predictable.

Anyone read a good one lately? Please share.

A New Year A New Blog

Not that I had an old blog. I've only just started dabbling in blogs. So doing a blog is new to me. And reading this blog will be new to you.

For some time I've wanted to do a blog. I have a couple friends blogging and I love reading their blogs. My main concern was what to talk about, what to share on the blog? What meaning would the blog have? And as usual I thought about it to death and finally came up with the answer.

"whatever".

It will be "whatever", I'll share "whatever", and we'll talk about "whatever", and it will mean "whatever".

And it's mainly for girlfriends. Because girlfriends are important.

Hence the name "grrrrrls".

Except I look at that and see girls growling. Angry girls. grrrrr. So I just want to clarify it's not specifically for angry grrrrrls.

Just grrrrrls (but you can be angry if you want).

Cookie Exchange Update

For those of you who made it to the cookie exchange, thanks for coming, for your generous donations to the Rescue Mission, and for all the delicious cookies and jello shots that were made. (Mmmm jello shots).

35 gifts and 2688 cookies were exchanged.

Thanks Barb and Jackie for co-hosting and the excellent food and drinks.

Thanks Jen for the great idea of our new annual cookie exchange book!

For those who couldn't make it this year, you were missed! Hope to see you next year.

Anyone want to share cookie recipes? If you email it to me, I'll post them here. I'd like to know who made the little cookies with raspberry in the middle. They were yummy.

Besides the various clear plastic and foil platters that were left behind, I have a few other items listed below and I will deliver if I know who to deliver to!

A pretty snowflake platter with a winter scene in the middle
A double bobbing santa headband
A lovely Christmas fruit and berry platter (plastic)
A cream casserole dish with cover.

Email me and I'll get them to you.

Has anyone seen the new section in Target?

I was in Target the other day (the one on Rt. 31) and there is a new section.
It's called "Global Home".
Pier I Imports meets Cost Plus World Market meets Target!

I love it.

Each aisle represents a different area in the world. Latin America, Asia, India, Europe, and so on. Rugs, draperies, furniture, accent decor, etc. The items are a little pricier than usual Target goods but still not unreasonably priced.

Next time you're in Target check it out. It's in the back right section of the store.