Another big day

Yesterday was Ken's birthday, but today I'm celebrating another important day, at least to me. It's my three-year blogiversary! (I'm sure there are a few that aren't so pleased about it, but screw ‘em. I'm not forcing anyone to read this!) Since I've stopped working, I've been pretty much a daily blogger, and it still amazes and pleases me that anyone wants to read what I write here! I appreciate that more than you can possibly know, and I thank you for wanting to hang out with me.

I've enjoyed doing this, and it really does help with writing skills. Just the way things flow, putting things together in a way that sounds best, or that makes the most sense without being overly wordy. I don't always succeed, but I have definitely gotten better as time goes by. What I find most fun, though, is all the different people I've met through this, and in some cases, I can properly say "literally." I feel that I have made some lifelong friends here, as well as on Facebook, and that is always, always a good thing. (I am seriously behind on reading blogs these days; I haven't forgotten about you, and I'll make the rounds soon.)

A heartfelt "thank you" to each person who chooses to pay a visit to Nutwood once in a while. You're the main motivator for me to keep writing. And hey, who's the smartass who just shouted out that if you'd known that, you would've stopped reading a long time ago? Joe Wilson, is that you?! Jerk.

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Speaking of Crackbook (Jamie and I took an important first step last night in admitting that we are addicted to it), they made more changes yesterday. I don't have a problem with change, as long as they work. Facebook was wonky much of yesterday, it's been wonky this morning, and it will probably make me mad and be wonky tonight. Beth gets cranky when she can't have her Crackbook fix. You have been warned, Crackbook. Don't make me put a cap in your ass.

I think I'm about done with Twitter, too. (Don't be mad, Deb!) I just can't get into it. About the only thing I post on there is my blog updates, and I have a hard time coming up with pithy 140-character tweets. I used to check various updates from cool people like Rainn Wilson from The Office and Russell Brand (someone recently mentioned that it should just be called Stalker...haha!), but even that grows tiresome. I'm thinking it's not my bag, baby, and it would be one less thing to worry about. Maybe I'll keep it, but just stop feeling guilty for never checking it and rarely tweeting!

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Oh, and thanks to those of you who left such nice comments about the picture I put up of me and Jamie! You all are too sweet. I cracked up when Joy wondered if I have a painting in the attic that ages. I am fortunate in that regard, but it's because of good genes. My Dad is 86, and often gets remarks that he looks like he's in his 60's. The picture I put up also conveniently doesn't show the white hairs among the brunette that I'm seeing more and more of, or the laugh lines around my eyes. ::shrugs:: How can I be upset about laugh lines when I love to laugh so much? I earned them.

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We made a successful Meat Run this morning, and our freezer is seriously full of beef. Plenty of hamburger, several Porterhouses and T-bones (mmmm) and several roasts, including a beautiful big rib roast. I'm going to have to figure out how to make prime rib for that particular cut. Double mmmmm!

Now we're watching the Notre Dame-Boston College game. Grrrr...Boston College. They cost us a national championship back in '93, and no, we've never forgotten it. Go Irish!

Can I marry a pizza?

Gino's East pizza is...is....

Would orgasmic be a bad word to use?

Jamie and Shawn were already there, and had put us on the list for a table. It's a good thing, because the place was hopping! People sure still seem to be eating out a lot, but of course, this is a Notre Dame home football weekend. (In fact, as we were on our way to our table, I saw Mike Brey, the Notre Dame men's basketball coach. Cool!) We chatted for a while as we waited and got caught up on stuff.

They had eaten there a few times already, and they tried the deep dish the last time they were there and didn't care for it much. Since we hadn't had it yet, we got a small deep dish for us all to share, and a medium thin crust. They agreed that the deep dish was much better this time around, maybe because we got a four cheese one. Oh my God, if I wasn't already making out with this deep dish pizza, we then went on to the thin crust. *swoon* It was all garlicky and gooey, cheesy deliciousness, and if I had my way with it, it certainly didn't seem to mind! In fact, I think I heard it ask me for more, but I’d had my fill and had to say no. The remnants of Mr. Pizza are residing in the fridge (making it all smell like garlic...mmmm) and I don't think I'm quite done with him yet.

Gino's East? Oh yeah, babe.

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Oh, and check out the pictures of me and Jamie. I challenged Jamie to wear a Packers shirt, but oh dear! It seems that they were all in the laundry! A likely story, my friend. I think someone just didn't want to face the awesomeness of the Indianapolis Colts! (Yeah, I'm trash-talkin'. I got more of it, too.) At least someone recognized the awesomeness of the Colts. When I was walking back from the bathroom, I heard a guy say "Coooolts" as I walked by. You know it, baby.

Thanks for a fun evening, guys. Always a good time!

Let’s do it Chicago-style

We're heading out tonight for deep dish pizza at Gino's East, a new place in our area and one affiliated with Gino's in Chicago. It's been a while since I've had deep dish pizza, and I have to say I'm already salivating! Mmmmm. Hey, we're eating at a Pie Hole!

We're meeting up with friends Jamie and Shawn again, although this time their kids won't be coming. In some ways, that's too bad, because they're fun and cool kids, but I'm sure Jamie and Shawn will appreciate a night out on their own! Jamie is a fellow blogger, and we met through Milwaukee Dan #2. We were both commenting on his blog, started reading each others' blogs, and I guess we decided each other was pretty cool. Ha! Come to find out, we live not too far from each other, and met for the first time this summer. Had a great time, and looking forward to seeing them again tonight. I foresee a Rock Band night at some point in our future. Jamie's also a rock chick.

Now that I think of it, I've met several online friends through Dan. I guess all the cool kids hang out with Dan, and you know who you are. :)

Hope to get a picture or two. I'm wearing a Colts shirt, Jamie. Do you dare to wear a Packers shirt? Heh heh.

Happy Birthday, Hubby

I want to wish my most excellent husband a very happy birthday today. He is truly one of the “good guys,” and even though I robbed the cradle, being almost two months older than him, it’s worked out pretty well. :) If you get a chance, pop over and wish him a good one.

It all began so innocently

This morning, my niece Jen (love you, Chickie) posted a Facebook update in which she wrote that Dick Cheney needs to shut his pie hole. I couldn't agree more, but then a friend of hers commented that Jen was the second person to mention "pie hole" on a status update.

Well, the moon was in the second house, and Jupiter aligned with Mars...and it was obvious that the time was ripe for action. I raised the call to arms, and asked my Facebook friends to join me in trying to mention the phrase "pie hole" at some point during the day on our status updates. The response was overwhelming, and I can't begin to tell you how impressed I was with these folks. They didn't just step up to the plate, they did so and then hit it out of the park. Folks from England (although I had to disallow Simon's initial entry about "hole pie" due to the judges' ruling...he came back strong) and Canada joined in, and thus was born International Pie Hole Day.

I had a very enjoyable afternoon, reading the updates pouring in from around the country and from other countries, all working "pie hole" into their status updates. I'm not ashamed to tell you that I was deeply touched and very moved by the outpouring of love, concern, and international brotherhood expressed by my friends as they stood by me, united as one in our efforts to get others to embrace the use of "pie hole." Such togetherness and unity is a beautiful thing, people, and never doubt it. It left my pie hole wide open with shock, awe, and delight.

The gears are working, and I'm wondering if Cousin Shane and I might collaborate on a song for International Pie Hole Day, sort of a "we are the world, we are the pie holes" thing, or "feed the pie holes, let them know it's Christmas time again." We've done great things in the past, with his "Whirl-O-Matic 2000" (or was it 3000?) song and our collaborative efforts on "White Trash Whore." I think there are definite possibilities here. It's good to get involved, isn't it?

Today was a very good day. I hope your day was as pleasant.

This argument grows tiresome

I have a video for you of that old relic Pat Robertson.

I first saw this on Betty Bowers' (America's Best Christian) Facebook feed, and the amazing Mrs. Bowers astutely pointed out that Pat seems to think that Civil Rights issues are voted on by the populace. If that were the case, what do you want to bet we'd still have segregated schools? And sadly, "sista girl" (as my friend Mark called her) in the video seems to not realize that there is anything wrong with this. Some fun comments over on Facebook (more in a moment), but I wanted to expand a little more on this topic.

Robertson uses that hack line about how gay marriage will destroy traditional Judeo-Christian marriage. I've gone over this before and even had to do a troll smackdown because of it, but I guess Pat's a little slow. Marriage is not a religious institution, it is a civil one. One does not have to be married in a church or by a pastor in order to be legally married, and in fact, unless the marriage license is not filed with the state government, it is not a legal marriage. If you want to be married in a church, have at it. But it isn't official until the government says so. Ken and I were married in a restaurant by the Democratic Party chair of Mishawaka, and guess what? We're legally married. As citizens of this country, gays have every right to be legally married just like we were. I'm amazed that this is still an issue. The argument does not stand.

I also still don't get how gay marriage is going to destroy heterosexual marriages. They've never really been able to answer that, and you know why? Because it's bullshit. As if the day after all these fabulous gay weddings, heteros are going to wake up and say, "You know what? This just isn't working." It's the kind of nonsense argument that people like Robertson just throw out there, with a complete lack of logic and rationality or reason behind it. Give it a rest, already.

Yesterday, I mentioned that I was feeling sassy (and thanks to those who remembered the Phil Hartman skit about it!), and apparently there are some residual effects, kind of like still being a little drunk at work after a late party the night before. (Not that I've ever done that or anything. Bwah ha ha haaa!) One of the things that Robertson mentioned about gay marriage was "their way of having sex." Now, not to get overly graphic or personal here or anything, but I can think of a couple of ways. (No need for a discussion of variations on the theme, okay?) The thing is, these "ways" happen among lots of heterosexual couples, too. And some of them *gasp* were probably married in a religious ceremony! Shocking, I know. You ought to get out more, Pat. My question to him would be does that also destroy traditional Judeo-Christian marriage?

Here's where the sassy part came in, but it was a classic joke that had to be made, and who am I to buck tradition? (Buck. I said BUCK.) I'd like to ask Pat, "Hey Pat, do blowjobs destroy marriages?" And his answer would be, "Of course not. Marriage destroys blowjobs!" (I found a great graphic for this, but chose not to put it up here. You can see it here.)

Feel free to leave a comment if you are so inclined, but I will not be taking any questions from the press corps. Thank you. ;)

I did it all for the Nookie!

Barnes & Noble is busily promoting their e-reader alternative to Amazon's Kindle: the Nook.

I predict that this baby will sell like hotcakes. This seems to be a very nifty gadget, with a color screen (looks like the text is in black and white) that includes a touch screen like many cell phones have.

I can tell you that I love the thought of this, because I loves me my gadgets. I love playing with them and figuring them out and programming them. I know I would have fun with the Nook.

However, I also loves me my books. I would have a hard time giving up holding a book, sometimes-musty pages and all, in my hand as I read it. If I traveled extensively, I would love one of these, but I think I’ll just keep enjoying my decades-old library books. (Although I have to say I was a little nonplussed today when I found two pages stuck together and extracted a dark, gummy substance from between them. I do not want to know.)

I have another prediction: everyone will start calling this device the Nookie. Let it begin here, and let it begin with me.

Looks like Fred Durst and the boys already want one.

I’m in love with my car

I was draggin' ass this morning, but it was my own fault for staying up so late. I was listening to music and deciding what to upload, and before I knew it, it was 3:30. Ouch man.

I had several errands to run today, so I headed out before too long, and man, was it ever a great day for a drive! Sunny, warm enough to put the window down, and the Dandy Warhols blasting. I did plenty of seat-dancing and singing along, and I'm sure I looked quite silly. I didn't care. If anyone didn't like my seat-dancing, they can just bite me! My drive had a strange effect on me...it made me feel sassy. In fact, I felt like I had stepped in a big pile of sassy. It could easily have turned to aggression, because people were driving like dicks, but I kept the level in the sassy zone. I love my car. How can I not love something that makes me feel so completely and utterly sassy? (This could very well be a private joke between Cousin Shane and I, unless someone else remembers that SNL skit!) Slick takes me where I want to go, when I ask him to he responds, and he's got that throaty growl that I so adore. Saddle up!

Tell 'em how I feel about it, Roger!

A rough weekend for our teams

It was a glum weekend when it came to football. Notre Dame lost at the last second, Ken's Illinois lost, and last night, the Bears lost to the Falcons. Even poor Darren's Winnipeg Blue Bombers lost.

I'm glad my Colts weren't playing this weekend, because they would have been jinxed! I hope to see them go 6-0 next weekend!

Happy birthday to Milwaukee Dan #1! Hope you had a good day, buddy!

I don't have anything exciting to write about after a quiet day of puttering and reading, so I'll share a video. It turns out the aforementioned Darren is a fellow music lover, and it's been fun exchanging music and opinions. I'm in a Dandy Warhols mood lately, and I have really got to do a Beth's Music Moment on them soon. One of the songs I shared with Darren was "Get Off" from "13 Tales From Urban Bohemia." This is just a really cool song, and one of the few Dandys videos that is embeddable. (C'mon, record company people, it's free publicity!)

HOO-HA!

Cardiac Kids continue

That's what a lot of people have been calling the Notre Dame football team, because the last few games have come down to the last seconds, with Notre Dame winning. Saturday's game against Southern Cal came down to literally (and I use that word correctly) the last second, with Notre Dame having a chance to tie it up and send it into overtime. Alas, this time it was not meant to be, and the Irish lost.

However, even when things looked bleakest, the team never gave up. They fought back to bring the game down to the last second. They showed heart and guts, and for a #25 team taking on a #6 team, I think they did pretty damn good. I would have loved to have seen a different outcome, but I can't fault them for not trying or for giving up. You hung in there, guys, and I am proud of you! It was not a blowout as in previous years, and quarterback Jimmy Clausen had a decent enough game that he is still in the running for the Heisman trophy. As Coach Weis said after the game, "Well, anyone who doesn't realize the fight that's in the Fighting Irish is missing the boat."

By the way, my apologies to any of my readers who happen to be Ohio State fans. I may have gloated a little bit over their loss to Purdue yesterday, but it’s nothing personal. As Big Ten fans (Ken went to Illinois) and with two Indiana teams (Indiana U and Purdue) in the Big Ten, Ohio State is a big rival. They’ve also spanked Notre Dame in the past, so I can’t help but feel a little glee when they lose to an Indiana team. I’m sorry if I made anyone feel sad. :(

I have another reason to be proud of Notre Dame. The board of trustees voted to have Father John Jenkins continue as President of the University. I wrote in the spring about Father Jenkins' and Notre Dame's invitation to President Obama to be the commencement speaker. President Obama accepted, which set off a shitstorm of controversy, with hardcore Catholics protesting because of his pro-choice beliefs and policies, and others saying that it was an honor to have the President speak at Notre Dame, and still others, like the bat shit crazy Randall Terry, setting up camp here and resolving to create as much trouble as possible. The speech went off without a hitch, and Father Jenkins also gave a wonderful speech; the senior class elected him Senior Class Fellow in support of him and his decision. At the time, many called for, if not his head, his resignation or firing. Jenkins prevailed, and the board of trustees gave him a great vote of confidence in electing him to another five-year term.

At heart, the issue was about whether Notre Dame would adhere to strict Catholic policies and rhetoric and keep those policies as its sole identity, or include part of its identity as a premier University for education and research. Father Jenkins has been much more liberal than the hierarchy would like, understanding that while Notre Dame can retain its Catholic identity, it also needs to embrace cutting edge technology, education, and inclusiveness. Father Jenkins is still pro-life; but instead of banning the current President because of his beliefs, he welcomed him as a beginning to discussion and dialogue. I supported Father Jenkins then, and I support him now. I'm not a Catholic, and my feelings about the religion are moot. I applaud Father Jenkins for standing up to church hierarchy, saying that it is a good thing to discuss rather than ignore, and I applaud the board of trustees for continuing his tenure as President.

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Change of subject. I'm sure you all know how easy it is to misspeak, to really put your foot in your mouth. One of my most memorable was when our friends Kim and Steve were visiting us in 2007. Steve and I were sitting at the table, and I was talking about what I was going to make for dinner that night. I had recently made couscous, and I was just curious whether or not they liked it, so I asked Steve, "Do you guys like couscous?" He said, "Yeah, it's okay." I said, "Well, I'm not making that tonight."

????

Steve cracked up, and I was left wondering why such a stupid remark came out of my mouth. We had a good laugh about it, and a few months later, I sent Kim and Steve a nicely packaged box with a packet of couscous in it...they said they got another big laugh out of it, so it was all good, and we still chuckle about it. I think it was just a matter of my brain working faster than my mouth. My thought process was perfectly clear to me, but I left out a couple of things that would have provided context for Steve.

Okay, it's easy enough to misspeak...but what about when you're typing? I had another memorable moment recently when chatting online with a friend. We were talking about movies, and I mentioned a couple that it's kind of embarrassing to admit that I like, but I can't help it. (Regular readers will know that they are "Road House" and "Dirty Dancing.") I called them my "dirty pleasure" movies.

I think I even wrote it a couple of times. I was writing and I wrote it more than once. Then I wrote, wait...that doesn't sound right. What is that phrase? He informed me that I meant "guilty pleasure" movies.

And I thought it was embarrassing to admit to liking those movies.

So I can add that to my list of things I'll never live down.