Custody Denied...

Britney Spears' custody was denied by the Commissioner yesterday!

She has the following visitation rights: 3 visits per week. 2 of them will be from noon to 7:00 PM, and one overnight per week. And, her visits will be monitored.

She must provide proof that she has childproofed her pool area by Friday. Just 2 more days!

According to the Parenting Coach and the Commissioner, Brit's interaction with the kids when she has her visits ranges from "chaotic to almost somber with little communication at all". And, according to the report from the Parenting Coach, Britney "rarely engaged with the children in either conversation or play" during all three of her visits.

The Parenting Coach's report painted a less than stellar motherly picture of the Brit Twit.

Well, at least Britney didn't disappoint! She is as much of a mess behind closed doors as she is in public!

Not Another Sappy Love Song

I have sort of an eclectic taste in music. I mostly lean towards fun, upbeat, and sometimes downright sappy. But, occasionally, I like something a little more out there! This is one of those songs that gets my head banging a little!

Happy Halloween Ghouls and Boyles!

Robert Randolph - Ain't Nothing Wrong With That

Just another fun song. I don't hear it on the radio much. Mostly on XM. But, several shows have had it playing in the background of some scenes. It is one of those songs that makes you tap your toes and wiggle your butt, no matter where you are or what you are doing!

Enjoy!

From Terror to Triumph!

In my on-going attempt to make my home litter free, I have been careful not to shock or upset my 3 ladies. Cats are fickle creatures. So, I went against the Litter Kwitter instructions to remove all litter boxes in the house, leaving only the Litter Kwitter, at first. As you all know, I have been slowly keeping the litter box unavailable to my girls. Well, I removed the litter box from the time I woke up yesterday morning and I did not replace it before I went to bed last night. I was worried but optimistic.

Bravo Ladies!

I woke up this morning and the Litter Kwitter was well used last night. I cleaned it up and went to work. Then, I went home for lunch and found that it was well used again. I cleaned it up again! One instruction is to make sure that it stays really clean.

So, after I cleaned it up, I set about my normal lunch time movements and walked past the bathroom to see my middle child (the one that has had the hardest time getting used to the LK) standing on the floor in the bathroom. I think she is a private pottier because I tried to quietly observe her and she just wasn't having it. So, I went and made the bed and straightened up my bathroom. When I was done, I walked out of my room and saw the middle child hovering around the hall. I popped my head into the bathroom with the LK and saw a nice steaming stinky! It was uncovered so, it might have been my oldest but, the middle child was the one that had been lurking in there after I cleaned it the first time and was still around the area of the bathroom. So, I am hoping that it was her.

So, I am debating leaving the litter box out from now on and forcing them to rely on the Litter Kwitter entirely. And, hopefully I will be moving on to stage 2 this Friday...just 3 more days!

When All Else Fails...

What does a girl do when her entire life is falling apart in front of her eyes? Well, if you are Britney Spears, you give a Priest a Lap Dance!

In photos in her new CD, Blackout, she is scantily clothed and sitting on a Priest's lap. In another photo in her new CD she looks amorous while leaning up against a church confessional.

I have not seen the pictures yet but, if I can find them somewhere, I will be sure to post them so that we can all see what kind of an outstanding young lady Britney Spears has grown up to be!

Oh, and she got pulled over by the cops again last night. They let her go with just a warning and, while no one knows for sure what the minor infraction was, her ex-assistant/cousin Alli Sims could be heard telling the officer "We'll get one this week. She just got this." It is possible that her temporary tags have expired on her new Mercedes convertible. Given the fact that she has enough time to go shopping, get her lips plumped, party at night and makes tons of runs to Starbucks and gas stations, couldn't she have taken some time to get her new tags? But, I digress!

2 Girls 1 Cup Reaction #10: The Anniversary!

I have not seen the video that has gotten such a reaction but, I heard about it on the radio today. My radio station wouldn't give the address to the video people are reacting to because they wanted to protect themselves from the FCC. I guess that if you google 2girls1cup you are supposed to find it.

Funny Dialogue

One of my favorite shows is TLC's What Not To Wear. I was watching one episode yesterday where the "contributor" (that is the show's term for the person to be made over ) was a 32 year old woman who had a tendency to wear pajamas out in public and refused to wear a bra.

She was ambushed by the show at her birthday party. The show made a cake for her with a frosting bra. The following dialogue cracked me up:

Stacy: "Look Clinton, this is just the way I make it at home!"
Clinton: "With a bra on top?"
Stacy: "Yes! And good nipple coverage!"

The Sad State of Color...

I have been pretty vocal about the severe drought my state is in. It really has taken a toll on us! Not only on our green grass and our pretty flowers. I am not a cold weather girl. I love the warmer weather. But, there is one part of the weather change that I look forward to each year. I love the beauty of the trees as they change colors. I posted a picture of one very pretty tree. It wasn't the greatest picture. The changing leaves on the tree are a beautiful combination of yellow and a light orange.

But, what has me sad is that there is one tree in particular that blazes with fiery colors every year. It is outside of my bosses window and I look forward to it's complete change every fall because it really is breathtakingly beautiful. Not this year though. It is a yawn in comparison to previous years.

So, not only are our lawns and flowerbeds being hurt by the drought in my state. The very passion that is the changing of the leaves from Summer to Fall is suffering as a result. The reds and oranges that usually remind me of some of the most beautiful sunsets ever seen by human eyes now make me think that Mother Nature needs to do her laundry. Her clothes are dingy and dirty.

So, this warm weather girl is not getting any break in pining for that summery weather. I can't count on the beauty of this season, as green turns to orange and red, to lift me from the inner blues that the cooler temperatures always inevitably bring me.

Ryan Cabrera-I will remember you

I first heard this song on "So You Think You Can Dance". I love this song. So beautiful!

My Super Hero Cape...

If my Superpower comes from the Flu Shot, my cape or superhero armor would be Zicam's Cold Remedy line. I have used Zicam for a few years now. The one that works the best for me is "Gel Swabs". You pop the tube open and swab the gel on the Q-tip along the insides of your nostrils. There are other products in and out of the Zicam family that require you to spray a cold fighting liquid into your nostrils. Those can burn, tingle or just plain taste really awful. There are also lozenges and liquids that you try. Again, they don't tend to taste that great. I prefer the swabs because they are simple and effective. I am almost always working on catching one cold or another. But, when I notice my symptoms, I use one swab and I am usually good. I have fought off numerous colds with the swabs. As long as I pay attention to my symptoms and do something about it before it is too late to turn back...before I officially catch the cold and only time will heal me, then I can count on the swabs to keep me healthy.

There are those who swear by Zicam Cold Remedy products and those who think they aren't all that they are cracked up to be. I stand firmly behind them! The reason some people may think that they don't work is because they don't use them the way they are meant to be used. If you feel you are getting sick, that is the time to start using the products. Not when you officially have the cold. They can shorten the length of a cold but, it has been my experience that they are better at prevention than healing.

Common signs that you are getting sick are more than usual sneezing, a scratchy throat, fatigue and dry mouth. When you find that you are constantly thirsty, you may be getting sick. It is because you are dehydrating yourself. Your body works over time to fight a cold or the flu. Your temperature might rise slightly...even unnoticeably...and that basically burns off your fluids leaving you feeling dehydrated and thirsty. A big sign, unless you have been working out without proper fluid replenishment, that you are getting sick.

I have another sign that I am getting sick. I can't be sure that it is something most people experience. But, I know that when it happens to me, I need to take measures to stay healthy. I drool in my sleep when I am getting sick. I snore now and then right along side the drooling but, that is not always the case.

So, consider keeping a box of Zicam Cold Remedy Gel Swabs handy and see if it helps you! I swear by it and know others that do too!

Doing Well and Getting Better...

Before it ever aired, I read a review on the show Moonlight on CBS on one of my favorite entertainment sites. Actually, it was not really a review. It was the blogger's response to a question one of his readers posed. The question was for his opinion on which new fall season shows were going to stand the test of time and which would tank quickly. His opinion was that Moonlight would likely be the first to get cancelled.

We have similar likes and dislikes. But, we do have a few varying opinions from one another now and then. This is one of those times.

I watched Moonlight's premiere and was immediately drawn in. The main character (Mick) is sexy, charming and a great pick for the lead. I really like the entire cast! They have great chemistry and the show is well written and excellently played! So, I was really hoping that the blogger would be wrong. It looks like he might be. Moonlight is doing well and getting better ratings week to week!

I hope that, if it hasn't already been, it gets picked up for a full season and continues to win audiences. I would like to see this show continue for years to come.

I'm Allowed....

I feel that I deserve to do a little post on The Brit Twit today. I did really well last week! I was mostly Brit free!

But, this is too delicious not to share!

She had her custody hearing on Friday and EXTRA reported that, upon crossing paths with Britney on one of her many bathroom breaks during the hearing, when their reporter asked her how she was doing she yelled back, "Eat it! Lick it! Snort it! Fuck it!" She then, reportedly, walked back into the courtroom crying.

Good old Brit! Always great for a pleasant sound bite! Ain't she just the most Charming Southern Belle ever known? Scarlett O'Hara herself could have learned a thing or two from her!

Frustration to Elation...

After a weekend of mostly downs, I woke up this morning to a well used Litter Kwitter. I did what I said I was going to do and kept the downstairs litter box away from the time I got up in the morning both Saturday and Sunday, until I went to bed. The ladies tinkled once of twice each day but, it really stayed mostly unused. They would just hold their bladders until they couldn't stand it anymore or until I put the litter box back before bed. On Saturday night, there was practically a line when they all heard me open the door to my garage. They know where I put it during the day. So, when they heard that door open late Saturday night, they were all hovering around waiting until I put it back in the laundry room. I was annoyed but, still optimistic. In fact, I can't be sure about this but, Friday night, I took all three girls, one by one, and showed them the Litter Kwitter again about an hour or so before I put the litter box back. I heard a strange noise upstairs so, I went to go see if it was someone using the LK and I saw my middle child sitting at the top of the stairs. It had been maybe 10 or 15 minutes since I showed her the LK and, when I showed it to her, it was clean. But, upon seeing her at the top of the stairs, I went and checked the LK and it had fresh tinkle! One of the other cats was curled up on a chair and I didn't see the other one around. So, I think I might just have had success with my most difficult lady! I think she used it to tinkle!

So, for the most part, like I said, everyone seemed to prefer to hold it as long as they could and, the LK didn't have much use over the weekend. I did have to clean it of wiz maybe 5 times the entire weekend. Then, when I got up this morning, it was like a warped idea of Christmas Morning! I woke up to 2 piles of #2 and about 2 clumps of tinkle! One #2 was covered, the other...not at all! As explained before, covered means either my youngest or my middle child did it. Uncovered means my oldest did it! I put the litter box back last night but, after the success we had last night, I looked at it before heading for work and, there was only one clump of tinkle that I could make out. So, either no one heard me slip it back into the house last night, or the ladies are starting to prefer the Litter Kwitter over the box! They may be starting to understand that the LK is always available while the box is a fickle potty!

So, given the seemingly successful weekend we had, I decided to up the ante a bit and removed the litter box this morning instead of waiting until I get home this evening!

Fingers crossed! If things continue to go well, I might move on to Stage 2 this Friday!

Yes! I AM Internally Brave!

I think more bravely than I am on the outside. I would love to have the guts to tell people what I really think! I would love to tell my car washing, law breaking next door neighbor that he should be ashamed of every single milliliter of precious practically endangered water he is wasting to make his freaking car pretty! And, yes...it feels like the water in my state is becoming, or is already, endangered.

I would love to tell my neighbor from down the street that his kid is a well-known bully and a total brat to boot. Gifted is not the term that anyone else would use. Call a spade a spade and a brat a brat. Lay down the law with him instead of coddling his "Giftedness". Introduce his Royal Shitiness to the word NO! He may not hear it a lot now but, I promise that when he gets older, he will hear it all the time and will be ill-prepared to deal with it, unless you start him on it now!

But, these are things that I keep in my head and in an anonymous blog because I am a non-confrontational person on the outside!

So be it!

Is Your Neighbor a Law Breaker?

Mine is! I stopped home for my lunch break, at noon today, to see my next door neighbor washing his car! Way to obey the current 100% outdoor water use ban! What part of, "No outdoor water use" do you not understand? I would be more than happy to explain it to you in terms that you can understand!

What good is your clean car going to do you when you are stinking up the inside with your body odor because you have not been able to shower for 2 weeks?

But, hey! At least the outside of your transportation looks good! That is all that matters, right?

Stop the Excuses...

Most people have known a bully, past or present. Some of us know one in our neighborhood. Others know one in their school. Mine is in my neighborhood. He is somewhere around 9 or 10 (I think). I have never heard one good thing about this brat from other neighbors. Yes! He is a brat! Everyone that I have spoken with in my neighborhood has a personal story, or a second hand story about what a little brat he is. He is cruel to the other neighborhood children, including my favorite 5 year old neighbor. And, he is disrespectful to adults. I have never once heard his parents reprimand him. And, recently, his parents asked one of my neighbors to babysit him and his sister. His sister (I believe she is 6 or 7 years old) was polite and well behaved. The Brat, on the other hand, was impossible to please and not at all pleasant. Of course, this is what I was told but, I trust the source.

So, when Dad came to pick the Brat and his sister up, he asked my neighbor how everything went and she told him that the sister was well behaved but that the Brat was a bit difficult to entertain. I think I got that right. Anyway, Dad asked her if she knew why his son was difficult to entertain and she said that she did not. So, the following words were used as an excuse that seems to be gaining popularity. "He is gifted". What? WTF? My neighbor has a tendency to speak her mind. God Bless her for that! I love that about her. Her response was, "Is that what they are calling it?" Well played! She is one of the most awesome people I know! She is my hero!

I hate that parents think that they can brush off their kids' bad attitudes, bullying personalities and disrespectful ways by calling them "gifted". I call these kids little shits. So, if "gifted" is a new way to say "little shit" then, I took a nice "gifted" after my coffee this morning!

Oh...How The Mighty Have Fallen!

I was listening to my favorite local radio station yesterday when they discussed a list in Maxim magazine. It was either the "Unsexiest" or "Least Sexy" women of Hollywood. I actually got into the latter half of that conversation so, I might have missed a portion of it. I will do my best to recap it. I caught the top 5 "Unsexiest" women in Hollywood. Here they are for your blog reading pleasure:

5. Britney Spears - Remember when she would have topped the five "Sexiest" women in Hollywood?
4. Madonna
3. Sandra Oh
2. Amy Winehouse
1. Sarah Jessica Parker

I don't know that I entirely agree with everyone on this list. I actually think that Britney should either be #1 or closer. Perhaps, my top 3 would be:

3. Courtney Love
2. Amy Winehouse
1. Britney Spears

So, in keeping with the spirit of this list, and to make things fair for ladies like myself, allow me to give you my top 5 "Unsexiest" men of Hollywood. And, I may add men as I think harder about it in the near future. Feel free to leave me some comments with your top 5 "Unsexiest" men of Hollywood.

5. Gilbert Gottfried
4. David Caruso
3. Jon Lovitz
2. Steve Buscemi
1. James Gandolfini

So, there you have it. These are the men who come to mind right now. There may be more so, I reserve the right to change, add or subtract names into the future!

The Litter Kwitter...Another Update

It is with great excitement that I share with you, in unfortunate detail, the usage of my Litter Kwitter yesterday.

I got home and checked it like I always do and it was empty. I proceeded to do a chore for about 10 minutes and then, on my way back downstairs I glanced into the bathroom and the litter had been pushed around. So, I went to clean it up (it is a suggestion to the users that it be kept almost immaculately clean so that it promotes usage) and, while I was expecting only one urine clump, I got 2 large clumps which means that 2 cats had used it within that 10 minute span of time.

Then, later in the evening, I checked it again and found the litter had been moved. So, I started to clean it to find #2! That was only the 3rd time that I have found #2 in my Litter Kwitter. The first two times were from my oldest. I know this because, she is a total princess and doesn't cover her own excrement. Last night's #2 was fully covered which means that my youngest probably left it. It could have been my middle child but, I am still not certain that she is using it. I think that she just waits until I return her litter box around midnight.

So, it seems that my way of forcing the ladies to get used to seeing the Litter Kwitter as an option by removing all other litter box options in the house has proven effective!

I think that I am really going to turn up the heat starting tomorrow. I think I will be removing the litter box for the duration of the day from the time I get up until I go to bed.

I managed to finagle some more attention towards the Litter Kwitter by my middle child yesterday. I took her upstairs just before I returned the litter box and I spent a little extra time introducing the Litter Kwitter to her. She was in a very amorous mood so, she was really happy to spend the extra time with me. I took that opportunity to stand by the toilet and she put her front paws on it to get closer to my hands. She gave it a few sniffs. That is more than I have gotten from her since I got the Litter Kwitter nearly two weeks ago. So, hopefully we are on our way with her. I am hoping to be able to move on to the next stage by Friday next week.

As usual, wish me and my ladies luck!

Some Cool Pictures

The first and second pictures were on my way to work one morning in July.

The last picture is of a beautiful tree inside my neighborhood. This picture doesn't do it justice. I will try to get a better shot today. The light wasn't right for it yesterday. It is still a cool picture though, if for no other reason than the sky.

New Credit Card Scam

I did check Snopes.com to make sure that this is true. It will give you all the details of the fraud and might keep you safe in the future. As a general rule, unless you make a call to a well-known company, DO NOT give ANY private information to a company that solicits you. Whether it is your bank, credit card company, or a regular store that you shop from and can order from either online, by phone or through a catalogue. If someone calls you from any company that you are familiar with, or any that you aren't familiar with, either tell them you need to call them back and hang up, or just hang up. Then, dial the number provided to you on the back of your card or catalogue and start asking questions. Take whatever steps are necessary after that to safeguard your identity.
As for this particular scam, check here for yourself: http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/creditcard.asp

Learn By Example

Like many others, I am a huge fan of Lost! And, as a loyal viewer, I have seen many cast members come and go...the permanent way.

But, there is a suspicious trend as far as some of the "late" characters. If you are busted drinking and driving, resulting in a nice little charge of DUI, you might have to worry about your longevity on the show. In fact, if you have any run-ins with the law at all...you might re-visit your resume!

For example:
Michelle Rodriguez and Cynthia Watros were each charged with DUI in December of 2005. They were both given their walking papers on the show sometime afterwards. Now, to be fair, Watros is supposed to be back on the show but, only in flashbacks. Still, she was given new material for those flashbacks so, she is still a cast member...however temporary that may be. Michelle Rodriguez made her exit a part of her contract so, as for whether her DUI expedited her exit, one can only ponder.

The last cast member to get in trouble with the law was Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. He was arrested for being less than obedient with an officer of the law and for driving without a license. The charges were dropped and then he was killed off of Lost. Coinkidink? Makes you wonder!

So, after all of these said coinkidinks, you would think that all remaining cast members would stay away from trouble with the law. No drinking and driving. No disobedience towards police officers. Keep your licenses with you if you will be driving a car. Basically, live like your job depended on it.

Then, why would Daniel Dae Kim who plays Jin-Soo Kwon on Lost get behind the wheel of a car after he had been drinking? It is very obvious that Hawaiian cops pay a lot of attention to their roads and tend to be diligent about busting the drunken law breakers. And, given that it was a question, in the past, that maybe local cops had it out for the Lost cast...why would any of the cast members risk it?

Ah Jin! Twas better to have loved and "Lost", then never to have loved at all! Twas it better to have been on a hit TV series than never to have been on a hit TV series at all, as well?

Let The Positivity Keep Flowing...

In keeping with this mostly positive vibe I have today, allow me to give some props to a product that deserves it!

Tempur-Pedic is a great mattress company. I tend to get migraines and, I don't have a record for sleeping really well. But, in September, the hubby and I made an upgrade and got a Tempur-Pedic. It took some getting used to because it comes out of the box and sealed wrap smelling pretty strongly of chemicals. And, unlike the ones that you try out at mattress stores, they are pretty firm. But, the smell is nearly gone (I can still smell it now and then) and I have broken it in so that it immediately does it's body hugging thing. I sleep better, have less pain and, haven't had a migraine since some time just after we received our new bed.

I am the type of person who leaves vacations at hotels or even at my parents' house, sore from the bed. Even though I slept in that same bed at my parents' house for 8 years, I can not sleep on it now without having unbearable pain. I have grown accustomed to packing an air mattress to take with me on vacations. So, given the fact that I rarely survive a stay away from home without taking a severe case of back pain home as an unwanted souvenir, I was weary about trading in my passable, less troublesome old mattress for a new one.

It turns out, I should have done it sooner. I may have saved myself many sleepless nights!

I still struggle to sleep sometimes but, the struggle is amazingly less intense and now has more to do with hormones than the mattress.

I am a firm believer in the adage: "You get what you pay for". Tempur-Pedic is worth the price!

http://www.tempurpedic.com/

I Think I Like This Show...

Pushing Daisies on ABC (Mondays) is fun, cute and unique. A few years ago, one of my favorite shows got cancelled. I can't remember which cable network it was on but, it was called Dead Like Me and was just pure entertainment. It only aired for maybe 2 seasons but, I looked forward to watching it every week!

I think that I read somewhere that Pushing Daisies was conceived as sort of a spin off of Dead Like Me. Or, at least it was conceived in the spirit of Dead Like Me. And, I think that its conception was started before Dead Like Me was cancelled. If this is accurate...Bravo! Well done! Pushing Daisies is quirky! That narrator takes me back to childhood as he reminds me of the guy who narrated The Grinch That Stole Christmas (the original cartoon, not the movie). Pushing Daisies has this sort of fantasy like living cartoon look. It is colorful and the relationship between the Pie Maker and Chuck is adorable.

I was up in the air about Pushing Daisies but, it keeps drawing me in instead of pushing me further away.

While it may have been a work in the spirit of Dead Like Me, it has some stark contrasts to that long "Dead" show. It is not as macabre with tons more humor. The biggest similarity? Both succeeded in making me a captive audience!

Just A Shout Out...

I am not in the habit of making "Shout Outs" but, I just sort of feel the urge to do this one!

Even though I highly doubt he reads my blog, I just feel the urge to reach out to my favorite Webulebrity (cool word huh? I just came up with it), Perez Hilton!

What up, Perez?

Sunrise? Or, Sunset?

One might look at this picture and think that it is a sunset. This is actually the morning sky of San Diego. A friend sent this to me. How terrifying. What you are seeing is the sun rising to a smoky sky. The darkest portions of the sky is all smoke.

Keep San Diego, and other burning areas, in your thoughts and prayers.

Still Reading...

I have not finished Dean Koontz's "No Fear" yet but, I am enjoying it. There is humor right along with the darkness and I look forward to the finish line!

I'll see you on the back cover!

I Love My Tivo

It gives me the freedom to live my life and get around to watching my favorite shows without feeling glued to my TV each night. But, I feel like having a Tivo is causing me punishment by CBS. They are constantly starting shows late, playing them past the start of each new hour or doing both in one show. And, the worst is when they air a sport. I believe it is football on Sundays. I like Cold Case. I have seen maybe 20 of their episodes in their entirety since the beginning of the series because CBS is always running late. I know that Football is the reason that their programming is always running late on Sundays but, why can't they schedule shows that people like for later in the evening or on one of their less busy nights? And, while we are at it...aren't there Sports Channels that can air Football? I am not a sports fan. Period. I can't be the only person in the entire world who doesn't care for sports. There have to be other fans that don't watch sports and, I refuse to babysit Football to make sure that I make the adjustments to my Tivo recordings to record shows that I like that follow some sport. That is the entire purpose of having a Tivo. It is for convenience and I hate feeling like I am being punished for having one.

And, it isn't just Cold Case and other Sunday Night shows that get jacked up by CBS. As I said, they like to start a show one or 2 minutes late and then end it one or 2 minutes late so that, if you aren't watching the show live, you miss a portion of the beginning and end.

CBS is not the only station that does this. ABC did it a lot with Lost. Another of my favorite shows. They were doing it for a while in the beginning of the season last year but, either they got tired of complaints or got a conscience because, it stopped by the end of the season. Thank you! Now, if only CBS would catch up!

Stop punishing me for being a fan and a user of technology!

My Litter Kwitter...Another Update

Project "Give Them No Other Option For about 7 Hours Each Night" is going as well as expected. When I get home from work, I take the downstairs litter box away and hide it. Then, I take each girl upstairs and gently remind her of her option by putting her on top of the Litter Kwitter. I give her some loving words, some affectionate pets and leave her alone. It is getting used more frequently now. I then remind each of them again, around 11 pm of their only potty option. Then, no later than midnight (unless I go to bed earlier) I put the downstairs litter box back and they are free to use it till their little hearts are content until I get home from work again. So, not only is it getting used, but it is getting used throughout the day. Not just in the "Missing Box" hours. I can't say for sure who is using it. I can say that my oldest uses it. I think that the youngest has started using it. But, I don't know if my middle child is. She is a very lazy cat. Very sweet but, not the most motivated of felines. All I can do is keep reminding her where it is and hoping for the best!

Some Celebrities I Adore...

Lest anyone think that I have a touch of the Green-Eyed Monster or that I am a celebrity hater, not all celebrities are created equal. I do actually like celebrities. There are several that I think highly of.
Allow me to toot the horns of some I admire.

I like Reese Witherspoon. She is adorable, sweet, well-grounded/rounded, a talented actress and someone worthy of praise and attention. And yet, she is not constantly looking to be noticed.

One of my favorite actresses is Sandra Bullock. She is funny, also a talented actress and, from what I have read, she doesn't have a diva-like bone in her body and tends to both receive and dole out on-set pranks. Everything I have read about her speaks to her happy-go-lucky personality. And, I can't recall any bad press because it seems like she knows how to keep herself out of trouble. Go figure! I can't imagine that it is that hard!

Wentworth Miller from Prison Break is an outstanding actor who also manages to keep his rump out of trouble. He is an Ivy League grad from Princeton University. Not only is he hot as heck but, he is smart and talented! And yet, he manages to keep his media attention to interviews and the occasional rumor of his sexual preference. If that is the worst thing about him...Bravo!

Pink, singer, seems to keep herself out of trouble. At least, that I can remember. Basically, the woman is only a bad ass on the outside. She knows how to look the part of trouble without actually being trouble. Her worst press is about her possibly failing marriage. And, if the rumors are true, it sounds like the failure of her marriage lies squarely on her cheating hubby's shoulders.

Celebrities can have fun without being fodder for headlines in magazines and blog sites. Act like a normal, adult, responsible human being with way more money that a most of us normal, adult, responsible human beings and, we will pretty much let you live your life with mild interruptions.

Just Because You Have a Valid License...

doesn't mean you should be driving, y'all!

Unable to control myself today, I must, I must, I must bust Britney's...err...chops?!!?

Anyway, mere days since her last run-in, literally, with a paparazzi, she did it again. She hit another paparazzo yesterday. And, yes...it was, again, with her car.

I do feel for her...as little as I can feel for someone like her. Here is the thing: she thrust herself into the lime light. She chose her career path and she has continuously made herself the #1 person that people want to read about simply because we all cannot avert our eyes from a horrific accident and, let's face it...she is the biggest, ugliest accident that ever lived. And, by accident, I don't mean that she should never have been conceived. Not that kind of accident. Of course I meant it metaphorically. Let me just make that clear, lest I offend my readers (assuming I have more than one)! Anyway, I feel for her only because she is swarmed by paparazzi every moment that she is out of her house and, both times that she has hit a pap with her car, they were surrounding her car. So, I can sort of see how easy it might be to accidentally hit someone when you are given absolutely no room to maneuver a huge piece of machinery like a car.

However, she also tends to put herself out in the most pap-popular areas of California. If she would frequent more off-the-beaten-path establishments, she may stand a chance of meandering unnoticed.

And, to her credit, she did seem truly sorry for hitting the paparazzo yesterday. Even to the point of near tears.

Now, another piece of news that sinks my heart a little bit is that she was given back her limited visitation rights with her boys. She is allowed to resume monitored visits with them throughout the week and one overnight each week. Awfully generous of the Judge to give it back to her. Dude has a way more forgiving heart that I do. But, I guess that I will just have to settle for not forgiving her for him!

I swear...I can't help myself! She is like a warm cup of coffee on a dreary morning with a pile of work on your desk to greet you when you get into work. She is like a fuzzy pair of slippers after walking around in 3 inch heels for 8 hours. She is like the soothing purr of your cat when she cuddles up on your lap and looks at you like you are the only being in the world that matters. She is like coming home from a long vacation and laying down in your bed with your pillow and drifting contentedly off to sleep. Britney is simply addictive! I can't quit her!

I Feel Like a Super Hero

I got my Flu Shot this year. I haven't had one since I was a teenager. The reason is that I would swear that I was even more sick than normal that year so, I really believed that the Flu Shot was the reason.

So, here is the thing. I get either a severe cold, or the flu every single year of my life. And, when other people think a cold or the flu, they think that they will be out of commission for a week or so. But, when I get sick, I get sick like it is my job. If I get a cold or the flu I manage to be sick for no less than a month and usually am not all better until 3 months have passed. And, then I am only healthy for about a week before someone else manages to pass some bug they only carried for 7 days to my already weak and compromised immune system. Nice huh? Nope...I didn't think so either.

So, in light of this year's Flu Vaccination Campaign of: "if you don't get the flu shot, you aren't just fluing yourself", I decided to get the Flu Shot. Not because I give a rat's batooty about "Fluing" someone else. But, because someone is always "Fluing" me. I would like...no...LOVE...to spend this Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year without coughing my lungs out and carrying around a box of tissues and a pocket full of nose drippings inside old tissues.

So, that is why I feel like a Super Hero today. I got my Flu Shot the 13th (10 days ago) and am feeling pretty good. Not that your average Super Hero tends to need luck or to have others wish him or her "good luck", but...wish me luck anyway! I would love to see my first healthy Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year in all of my 34 years of life!

Why?

My state is under a 100% mandatory water ban. So, why do I see people leaving grocery stores and places like Home Depot and Lowes with outdoor plants?

For those of you whom have never been hit with a 100% mandatory water ban, allow me to explain. We are not allowed to water any plants or landscaping. I don't know if that pertains to indoor plants as well but, for the purposes of this post, let's just leave indoor plants out of it as I specifically made mention to outdoor plants being purchased at some of the above locations.

If it is literally against the law, in my state right now, to water anything outside of your house. How does one plan to keep said purchased living outdoor plants alive? You certainly can not spit on it enough each and every day to keep it thriving. I really doubt that one would use their own urine to hydrate any outdoor plant life. And, even if they did...which is gross...how does he or she know that our urine wouldn't kill plant life?

And, the reason that we are under such a strict water ban is because we may run out of our water supply by the end of January if we don't get some serious rain or help from elsewhere.

So, to the people that I see still making plant purchases while under this strict water ban, Thank you for being so freaking selfish. You are probably one of the people who consistently broke the law when we were under less severe, but still strict, water restrictions. It is because of you, and people like you, that we are in such dire straights. If you, and those like you, would have obeyed the law, we may have 6 or more months of water supply left instead of just over 3. Way to care about the world around you instead of your selfish need to make your land pretty! What good will your pretty land be to you when we have no water to drink or cook with, nothing to flush our toilets with, and we all smell like a sewer because we can no longer bathe? But, never mind all of that! At least your grass is green and your flowers are colorful and lush!

Dr. 90210

I like this show. I can't watch some portions of the actual procedures because it really makes my spine twitch. But, it is still fun to watch. I find Dr. Rey and his wife to be two of the douche baggiest people alive. She needs to quit giving women and wives a bad name by being such a "NAG". And, what is with Dr. Rey's suits, the way he flirts with his female patients and his tendency to have a slightly lingering hand when he is consulting with the patients in all their nude glory? I get that he has to touch them but, his touch seems to linger a little bit too long and he sometimes strokes their tummies and other areas in a less than clinical way. This is just my opinion. But, in watching the other doctors during their consultations, I don't see them wandering and lingering, nor do I see them flirting.

Beyond Dr. Rey, there was one episode, the likes of which I only finally got to see after catching up on most of my other favorite shows, that really bugged me.

The episode was titled "Freedom Riders" and one patient wanted a breast lift and, I think, reduction. She was slightly overweight, IMO, and at the age of 25, had a rather severe case of sagging breasts. She had two reasons that she gave for wanting a breast lift. She rides horses and was experiencing pain while riding due to her girls bouncing up and down and all around while she rode her horse. So, as a result, she had to cut back on her horse riding and, that was not a part of her life that she was willing to sacrifice. Perfectly understandable. Then, she had a second reason. She, her family and her friends like to go to Lake Havasu and enjoy the sun and fun. She didn't feel comfortable in her bikini top at Lake Havasu but, more importantly, she always wanted to join in the fun with her girlfriends as they all go topless while wearing Pasties at the Lake. It has always been something that she wanted to do. And, because of the size of her ladies, and the way that they sagged, she never felt comfortable wearing pasties on the lake. So, what better reason than the desire to wear pasties on a lake can one woman ask for to talk herself into getting a breast lift? None that I can think of...cough cough.

So, she had the surgery and, about 6 days later, she had the bandages removed in front of a live studio audience of her Mother and her Father. That's right folks, her bare breasts were first viewed by Dr. Rey, the patient and her mommy and daddy. WTF? I'll give her having her mom in the room. Her mom has the same parts. But, why did her dad need to see his daughters uncovered knockers? What? Gross!

Then, somewhere around a month or two later, they did another post-op interview with her on a boat on Lake Havasu with her friends, parents and her Uncle. Her Uncle then kissed her inappropriately on the lips and asked when the wet t-shirt contest would begin? Or, something to that effect. I was so stunned that all I really remember was the pervy reference to a wet t-shirt contest, while looking longingly at his Niece.

BTW...mission accomplished. On that boat trip on Lake Havasu, she was wearing pasties under her bikini top. She said she was only wearing her bikini top because her scars had not completely healed from her operation and exposing her healing scars to the sun was unhealthy.

And, as of that final interview, she was unable to ride her horses, yet, due to required healing time. Well, at least she could wear her pasties.

Kelly Clarkson - ONE MINUTE ( STUDIO VERSION)

I LOVE this song. I know that Kelly has taken a lot of flack for her new album and, if memory serves, she is reworking it and trying again to get her career back on track. My hope is that she keeps this song on it. She should have released this one after "Never Again" had less than stellar numbers, instead of releasing "Sober". Don't get me wrong, I loved "Never Again", but, this would have been a better release than "Sober". Work it out girl and then work it like you used to!

The Litter Kwitter...An Update...

It has been a week since I told you about the arrival of The Litter Kwitter in my home. It has been somewhat of a challenge...as I expected...simply because I have 3 ladies to train. My oldest cat, 9 years old, is grasping it pretty well. Not wonderfully but, still better than the others. I can't be sure but, I think my youngest cat has used it. As for the middle child, almost 9 years old, I don't believe she has used it at all.

I am on stage 2 of the first step. I moved the Litter Kwitter from the floor next to the toilet to its rightful place, on top of the toilet and...to my delight, Saturday morning I woke up to see that someone had made tinkle in it! I was thrilled!

I still have one litter box in the house. It is downstairs and, it is being used as the primary box. I let it get stinky and that just didn't really even matter. Then, because we couldn't stand the overwhelming stink, I emptied the box and just left it litterless overnight. The ladies made #1 in it but no #2 and only one of them dared to #2 in the Litter Kwitter, which at the time was still on the floor. So, I had to fill the box up with litter again. I am loathe to completely take away the box because, I fear the repercussions. I fear that there will be urine and poo everywhere. I also loathe doing what the instructions tell me to do and locking them all in the bathroom overnight, or for any period of time longer than a couple minutes as I fear that they might make massive damage trying to scratch the way out, and 2 of them might kill one another. I question whether I should lock them up, one at a time, for a few hours each but, even that seems terrifying.

I really want this to work. It already has to some degree. But, I don't feel far enough in progress to be too tickled by the results...just yet.

I might take away the litter box downstairs for the evening hours after I get home from work until I got to bed. I feel that is the only way that this might really jump start any progress.

Wish me luck!

One of My Pet Peeves...Shared!

I listed some of my Pet Peeves some posts ago and, while reading the "MailBag" item on page 6 of the October 29, 2007 issue of People magazine, I came across the following letter:

KATIE HOLMES
"In your article on Katie Holmes, you stated that Tom Cruise often "babysat" Suri. Really? Since when do parents babysit their own children? Had the roles been reversed, would you have said that Katie was babysitting Suri? I doubt it. Dads everywhere are working hard to share parenting duties with their wives. Please give them credit and don't reduce them to mere babysitters."
Barbara Young Great Falls, VA.

I didn't read that particular article because, Katie and Tom bore me and, until Katie snaps out of her functioning coma, I really don't want to pay too much attention to her.

But, seeing someone else agree with my thoughts on fathers "babysitting" their own kids was validating!

Well put Ms Young! (not that she will ever read my blog...but, I want to give credit where credit is due)

Philly TV Anchor

This was so funny, I had to share! God Bless the Innocent!

I Need Rehab...

I have been accused of being obsessed with Britney Spears! So be it! I just can't help myself! She is a train wreck and I just can't help but look!

So, I will do my best to limit myself to one post today. But, it will be hard as it isn't even noon yet and I have already found 2 big stupids that she did just yesterday.

Fresh from having her visitation rights with her kids taken away, did she spend time at home while reflecting on what she has done to deserve such a sad punishment? No way! Kids, Schmidz! Her pucker need some work so, she allegedly went out and got her lips plumped. When your world is crumbling down around you and you are about to be hit in the head with what may be a fatal brick, go out and do something to enhance your appearance. Never mind the need to give a lot of thought to what went wrong and brainstorm on what needs to be done to right it. Worry more about your appearance because, that is really what matters.

Next up, do what you do best. Have an accident with your car and just leave. It doesn't even have to be a big accident. Just run over a paparazzi's foot, sit there in your car while deciding what to do about the fact that your car is on someone else's flip-flopped tootsie, finally decide to remove your car from said person's foot and just drive away! But, make sure you keep your new puffy lips covered so as not to look less than perfect in public. After all, your appearance is truly what matters most in the entire world.

UPDATE: Hey, at least I'm keeping it inside one entry today!

The Brit Twit has decided to blow off her court ordered/appointed Parenting Coach and, now that coach is not having it anymore of it. The Coach has requested, of the Commissioner, that the home visits be put to an end as she felt that they have been going nowhere. Brit is not taking her advice.

IMO, it isn't that Brit isn't taking her advice. It is my belief that that Twit just doesn't care. It sounds like she is acting like an insolent teen aged brat.

And, it is reported that Brit said, "Why didn't he (the Commissioner) lock down the building for me?" upon getting into the elevator while leaving last week's court hearing. And, she is right. Why didn't he? I mean, she was only a small total of some 5 hours late for her hearing and she was only reportedly disrespectful towards the Commissioner during the hearing. Why indeed?

It's Not Her Fault...

Sorry for the Brit Twit overload today but, she is making news all over the place on this day before the last work day of the week.

Her lawyer is going to try to blame the paparazzi for her hit and run accident that she is to answer to soon. He says that she gets distracted by all the flash bulbs from the cameras pointed at her every move. Ok...fine! I might give her the benefit of the doubt there. But, was she then too distracted to do something, anything to own up to the fact that she hit that car? She didn't leave a note with her contact info and an apology. She didn't wait until the driver of the hit vehicle returned to the car and exchange contact info or call the police so that they could file a report. No...she just left the scene of the accident. But, she must have been so distracted, what with the paparazzi swarming her. Poor thing. She put herself into the lime light, sought stardom. We should all really feel so bad for her. No one should have to deal with the price of stardom when they willfully thrust themselves into it!

Ahhh...Sweet Revenge...

Although it is not mine, I feel vindicated for some reason.

Britney's visitation rights have been suspended! Why? Because she did not comply with the Commissioner's court orders. She was supposed to provide whomever performs her random drug tests with contact information so that they can reach her for the tests. She did not provide that info and that is, reportedly, why the Commissioner suspended her visitation rights. This order of suspension will remain in place until The Brit Twit complies with all of the court orders.

My question is, how many more times are we going to see her rights be reinstated and suspended again and again before she completely loses all rights to her children? She has shown, repeatedly, that she has no respect for the law and for court orders. So, it doesn't really look, IMO, like she will be gaining any respect for such things as the law and court orders any time soon.

Get Fed Up Mr. Commissioner! Show us what you are made of! She has no respect for you, for her children or for herself! Don't let her continue to raise those kids and have them in your courtroom 23 and 24 years from now for doing everything that they learned from Mommy.

I Said It...He Did It...

I posted my opinions about some of the Pioneers on CBS' Kid Nation last week. One in particular was Greg. I have not liked him too much and I was nothing but honest about it when I mentioned him last week. I also said that he was working towards getting a "Gold Star" worth $20,000 and I mentioned that the best way for him to do that would be to show that he has some kind of connection with the other Pioneers. Not just to do physical work but, actually lend a shoulder to cry on when another Pioneer is down. Well, ask and ye shall receive. He did just that in this week's episode.

As I mentioned last week, this week was Re-election Time in Bonanza City. Each current Counsel Member can be challenged by anyone in their own District. Zach chose to challenge Taylor for the Yellow District's seat as Counsel Member. Each candidate made signs to post throughout Bonanza City and Markelle didn't take too kindly to the sign that Leila made for Taylor's campaign. So, Markelle took it down and started stomping on it on his pogo stick. Leila took offense and after a confrontation with Markelle, went back into her bunkhouse, crawled into her sleeping bag and started crying. Greg followed her in there and comforted her. Connection made, self-progress duly noted and the Counsel Members gave this week's Gold Star to him. He plans to set up a college fund with that $20,000 so, I really hope that, now that he has his reward, he continues to make a better man out of himself, rather than slip back into his bullying ways of the earlier Bonanza days.

Oops...I Did it Again!

I made it through another day yesterday, without mentioning The Brit Twit's name! Yay me!

But, today is a different story as, she hopefully managed to stick her foot so far into her mouth that she will never get any kind of custody of her boys and, may hopefully get her overnights revoked.

She criticized the Judge. According to US Weekly, she was in Neiman Marcus and had the following slap in the face to say about the Judge in her case: "I hate my judge. He is so mean. Just an old fart. He told me I was being catty with him, but he was being catty with me and paid me no respect at all. His job is to sit there and tell people what to do. And that's just so sad, because he gets off on it."

This is the same man who overlooked the fact that she was some 5 hours late to her own requested emergency hearing, and gave her her also requested overnight (one night a week) with her boys.

If she had the common sense God gave a grain of rice, she might think twice about smack talking a man that she will likely be seeing in the very near future. The same man who holds her rights to her children in the palm of his very lawful hands. Might he be the same judge who will rule on whether she should spend some time in jail for her past traffic related indiscretions? One can only hope so! I know he is supposed to be unbiased but, I wouldn't stick my nose up at him if he used his position to get a little bit of revenge on her!

Because of Sports

I haven't seen this announced anywhere and sort of just lucked out in finding it. I can't remember which sport was on CBS this past Monday but, it cancelled their regular Monday night TV line-up. I think it might have been Baseball. Anyway, I went into my Tivo's search tool and typed in How I Met Your Mother and found that this past Monday's new episode will be airing at 1 pm (Eastern so you may want to check you local listings).

So, here is the schedule, per my listings for Sunday, October 21, 2007:
How I Met Your Mother: 1:00 pm
Big Bang Theory: 1:30 pm
Two and a Half Men: 2:00 pm
Rules of Engagement: 2:30 pm

Even Furry Creatures Get Cold

This pic is dark but, still so cute. This is Martini. She worked herself into one of the folds in the blanket. I was sitting on the couch and the portion that wasn't covering me dripped over the couch onto the floor and she took advantage of it.

The Litter Kwitter

I read about this product on one of my favorite entertainment sites. One of the regular bloggers on that site bought it and it worked. It is called the Litter Kwitter. A woman developed it for her cat. It is a 3 step program designed to gradually teach your cat to use a human toilet. I ordered mine and it arrived yesterday.

My situation will be a bit challenging as I have 3 cats to train. But, I am hoping for the best and am on the right track thus far.

Go here: http://litterkwitter.com/en/index.php

That will be the best way for you to see what this product is about and how it works instead of me having to tell you.

The short of it is, I opened my Litter Kwitter and followed the very first step which includes me filling the first unit up with litter, setting it on the floor next to the toilet and introducing my girls to it, one by one. Marti was curious first so, I introduced her to it and she moved the litter around with her paws but didn't make any business. Next was the always curious Sydney. I introduced her to the unit and she went right to business. And, the best of all businesses at that. Yes she did! She made #2! No questions asked. She just knew what to do. Of course, this stage is a pretty easy one but, a good first step is a good first step! I am pleased. So, I introduced my third cat, Purr, to the unit and she was skittish about it. But, we'll see. When she has to go and the litter box downstairs stinks as I am purposely leaving it a bit less appealing to get them to think twice about using that one over the toilet system, hopefully she will go for the Litter Kwitter. BTW, I am still cleaning the litter box downstairs. I am just not going to be replacing the litter in that box for a while so that the girls see it as less appealing.

So, I will be giving you all progress reports! Wish me, my hubby and our 3 ladies luck! A home without litter boxes sure would be lovely! And, my day after work sure would be even more relaxed if I don't have to commence with the cleaning stinky cat excrement as soon as I walk through the door each evening! And, I will never have to worry about having someone take care of my lady's litter when we go on vacation! That means you RQ!

TO BE CONTINUED...

Fire and Gasoline

Was it just me or, are we all taught at a pretty young age that fire and gasoline don't have a healthy outcome when they get near one another?

Apparently, the Brit Twit either wasn't listening when she was being taught that, or it was one of those lessons that she must have deemed useless info and filed it in her "forgotten knowledge compartment" in her brain. Sort of like Calculus. Unless you are a math teacher or a scientist, Calculus is one of those bits of knowledge that most of us (or a lot of us) tend to file into our "forgotten knowledge compartment" in our brains. However, we tend to remember that fire and gasoline don't mix well.

The Brit Twit, on the other hand, was completely fine with those two foes being around one another as she casually smoked a cigarette while at an active gas pump at a gas station over the weekend. Brilliant! And she thinks she is responsible enough to have children. If she wants to blow herself up at a gas station in her car...far be it for me to say "Boo" to her. But, when she might jeopardize the lives of her kids some day by pulling the same stunt, that bugs me. Oh, and she was caught on video not only smoking at the gas station while gas was being pumped into her car, she was caught ashing onto the ground out of her car window. Gas tends to drip onto the ground when you pull the pump from your car. So, she could have been ashing onto gas drops on the ground. Again...Brilliant!

So, even if one is not outraged that she might perform such a careless act some day endangering her kids, keep in mind that if you are at a gas station where someone is mixing fire and gasoline and the station blows up, you may be a casualty as well. So, by that simple act, she not only endangered herself, but anyone else that happened to be unlucky to be getting gas at that station at the same time.

I truly think that she was trying to look cool. She sort of looked like she was posing at a photo shoot in the video.

So, lets cover this. Smoking is not cool. Endangering your life and those of other innocent bystanders is not cool. Ashing onto gasoline drops is not cool. Being an idiot...and a disrespectful one at that...is not cool.

BTW...did anyone notice that I didn't even mention Britney's name yesterday! I chose to make it a truly Brit Twit Free Day yesterday by not even saying that I was making it a Brit Twit Free Day.

A Thank You to Our Troops...

Regardless of how you feel about the war in Iraq, I urge you to at least consider this.
My favorite local radio station is doing what they are calling "The Bert Show's Big Thank You". Go here:

http://www.allthehitsq100.com/bertshow/BigThankYou/index.asp

Basically, they are asking that people in their listening area (and farther) write a one page letter to our troops. There are somewhere close to 400 thousand military personnel deployed outside of the United States. And, that number isn't just in Iraq. We are talking all over the Earth. And, that means that a lot of men and women will not be home for the Holidays. While their families and loved ones write to them on a regular basis, there are days where each of those over 400 thousand men and women don't receive a piece of mail while others around them are. Imagine Thanksgiving Day, not being with those you love the most and, as an extra slap in the face, you don't get a letter when they are being handed out. How lonely would you feel? So, regardless of your political views, please consider writing a one page letter just thanking one of those 400 thousand military personnel for doing what they are doing to maintain our freedoms.

Go to the link that I posted above and find out how. Pay attention to the rules as each letter will be read before it is delivered on Thanksgiving and they are reserving the right to withhold letters due to broken rules. Just some of the rules are as follows: no political messages, nothing stapled, paper clipped or included in the letters, only one page (use both sides if you like) hand written, and no photo copied letters.

The reason that it has to be original is, imagine that you write one letter, photo copy it 50 more times and send all of them to the address provided in the link. Then, they send them all to one area in which troops are deployed and all 51 of those letters go to one unit. Instead of each individual person getting a unique letter, they all get the same letter. It loses its heart felt value to those individuals. So send one or send more than one but make them all original.

Again, set aside what you may or may not think about the war in Iraq and remember that these letters will not just be going to our troops in Iraq, but to troops all over the planet.

Kid Nation on CBS

I may be in the minority on this one but, I do like this show. I get a kick out of some of the cute things some of the youngest kids say and do. I love to see the glowing maturity of some of them as well. Michael is one of my favorites. He is 14, which makes him one of the older kids. But, what really strikes me about him is the very diplomatic way in which he has handled issues. He is always a voice of reason. Some adults could look to him as an example of what a cool head looks like. I was very happy when the Counsel Members awarded/rewarded him with a Gold Star.

Mallory, who was 8 when she first became a resident of Bonanza City and had her 9th birthday during the course of her stay there, was extremely imaginative in one episode where she and another pioneer put together a "Pet Daycare" for all of the Pioneer's stuffed animals. It was so precious and showed so much imagination. And, she was given a Gold Star because she works very hard at all tasks that she is given.

Taylor, 10, is proving herself to be a diva and I feel sorry for her parents and the issues that they will have with her in the future unless she can learn that being a "Beauty Pageant Queen" does not afford her a work free, responsibility free lifestyle. Someone needs to lay down the law with that little princess before it is too late and the world has another 20 something that feels entitled to everything.

Greg, 15, has been abrasive. While he is working hard, he is only doing it because he wants a Gold Star which is an award worth $20,000, given at the end of each week to the person that the Counsel deems most deserving. He was the source of a lot of trouble in the first few days and, I am glad to see that the Counsel Members can see past his efforts to the root of his motives and know that they aren't really pure. He doesn't really show emotional support. He has thrown around a lot of attitude. And, while washing dishes and performing other tasks is great...that stuff is all a necessary part of life and shouldn't be done purely for monetary gain. He might go a long way towards showing personal growth by connecting with the other Pioneers and being a shoulder when others are feeling low. I haven't seen any sign of emotional connections between him and the others. I hope the Counsel Members continue to see his efforts for what they are. Greed.

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Morgan, 12, who is a sweetheart. She was given the Gold Star last week both because of her nurturing nature and her hard work. To say that she was truly touched by the Counsels' decision to give her the star, is an understatement.

Zach, 10, is a part of the "Yellow District" led by Taylor, whom I mentioned earlier. He disagrees with Taylor's lack of a work ethic and is vocal about it every week. But, instead of being led by example, he moves to action and gets things done. This week's episode should be fun as it is re-election time in Bonanza City and I hope to see Zach take over Taylor's seat as Counsel Member for the Yellow District.

And, since I mentioned the "Yellow District" allow me to explain. In Bonanza City, all of the kids are separated into 4 groups. There is the Red, Blue, Yellow and Green District. Each District is led by one of the 4 Counsel Members. Then, the 4 Districts are challenged each week. The first District to complete the challenge becomes the Upper Class. They pretty much get to relax and are not assigned any chores.

The Merchant class runs the stores and saloon.

The cooks make all of their meals and are responsible for cleaning the dishes.

And, the Laborers do all of the dirty work including cleaning the port-o-potties.

For each class, the "Pioneers" are paid a set amount per task completed. The Upper Class gets $1.00 per job completed. If memory serves, the Merchant Class gets .50 cents, the Cooks get .25 cents and the Laborers get .5 or .10 cents.

I love to see each little personality of all of the kids. Some are very playful, some are very nurturing. Some are very bossy while others tend to be followers. I never really realized how early on kids develop their work ethics and their attitudes. Watching Kid Nation has definitely opened my eyes to how immature or how grown up 2 children of the same age can be, and how immature a 14 year old can be while the 8 year old standing next to him or her shows great strength as a leader and future role model.

Just a Reminder to the Ladies...

We are smack in the middle of Breast Cancer Awareness Month so, keep yourselves healthy and remember to do your Self Breast Exam this month...and every month. Early detection is key!

Stay healthy and be happy!

Some Favorite Stuff...

I am in the mood to share with you a few of my favorite things.

Fridays! Other than Saturday, it is my favorite day of the week. The only thing that keeps it from being my absolute favorite is that I have to go to work on Friday. Therefore, Saturdays are my #1.

I have some favorite smells: Vanilla, Plumeria - it takes me back to Hawaii, the first warm day in Spring - it actually does have a smell even though I could never do it justice to explain it.

Hawaii is my favorite place on Earth. There is nowhere...at least, not that I have been...like it. It is perfect, beautiful and simply Heaven on Earth. The very thought of Hawaii is enough to invoke both a smile and some sorrow. A smile because I have such fond memories and sorrow because I am not there right now and am not sure if I will ever get the chance to go again.

I love the feeling of comfort I get if I wake up in the middle of the night to find that I still have 5 more hours before I have to get up to go to work.

Pumpkin Ice Cream from Brewsters.

The smell of a boat that has just been fueled. It reminds me of Put-In-Bay, Ohio where I grew up on a boat in the summers.

Roller Coasters! Need I say more?

The fact that, at the very moment when I am done with my Sunday housework, I automatically hear the song "I'm Free" by Kenny Loggins (a very old 80's song) in my head.

When I get home and 2 of my cats and my dog are either at the door or in the kitchen, waiting to greet me. Even though I know that they are just excited because it means that they get their treats for the day, I get a little warm fuzzy thinking that they care enough to say, "Hello! How was work Mommy? Welcome home!"

When I have a new item of clothing to wear just waiting for me in my closet.

When someone really appreciates a gift that I give them. Especially if I really worked hard to figure out the perfect gift to give them. It is a wonderful pay off for a job well done.

A favorite song on the radio while driving in my car.

The sound of my hubby's laughter when something I said is what made him laugh.

When my hubby laughs himself to tears, whether it was me that caused it or something on tv.

My own "laugh myself to tears" moments.

Trick-or-treaters

Christmas lights

Am I Too Tough?

So, perhaps I am a bigger hard ass than The Brit Twit deserves. I would absolutely not have given her any overnights with her kids given the way that she was over 4 hours late to her own requested emergency court hearing, and others of her antics over the past week or more. And, she was reportedly less than humbled and mature in the court room during the hearing as her voice dripped with disdain and sarcasm. And, as if that isn't immature enough for a 25 year old lady, she interrupted the Commissioner several times.

Despite all of that, the Commissioner reportedly granted her one monitored overnight a week. That is extremely generous of him in my opinion. I might have decreased her visitation if I were him. But, perhaps I am just a bitch. I believe that kids need both parents in their lives but, I also believe that a responsible parent is more important than the simple need for both parents, if that makes any sense. She is doing more harm than good to those boys just by being around them. And, the simple fact is, she doesn't seem to care. She is acting like a disrespectful, rebellious, know-it-all teenager. Time to ground her, take her car away and lock her in her room until she learns some manners, self-respect and self-control.

Blame It On The Media...

So, what would be a valid reason for a mother not to make it to a court hearing that she asked for in order to be granted overnight visits with her recently taken away kids? She overslept? Nope. She was sick? Nope. Oh...how about, she didn't want to have to wade through the media that would be outside of the court house waiting to take pictures of her.

So, The Brit Twit is on her way to the court house some 4+ hours late to ask for her current visitation rights to be amended to include overnights. And, she wants her Mom to be there to help her on these overnights.

Lady, you are 25 freaking years old. It is not your mommy's job to help you care for your kids.

My hope is that the judge says "Nope". My hope is that he realizes that Britney needs a neutral third party, the parenting coach, to tell her what she is doing wrong. She doesn't need someone who has only recently been let back into her life and is probably going to be walking on egg shells lest she upset the oldest baby in history, resulting in another cut from her graces. Britney's mom is less likely to put her foot down and voice her opinions than a court appointed, paid parenting coach whose livelihood depends on her ability to do her job well.

It Worked!

At least for now! I was able to go in as just a casual reader and the pictures that I tried to post over the past week were there! So, if you couldn't see them before, go back and check them out.

The ones that I am talking about were some crazy clouds, my cat and dog and yesterday's motivational poster of the day.

I love them and really am glad that I can share them with all of you!

And, if in the future, you can't see any pictures that I have posted, please leave a comment as they do show up for me when I am logged in as "Just Bloggin" so, I won't know unless someone tells me!

Try That...

I made some corrections and, I am hoping that it worked. I'll try to find a way to check it myself but, I went back into my posts with pictures and added them back in using a feature inside my blog. I hope it worked because, I would hate for you not to be able to see what I see!

Wish me luck!

Oh Britney...

What will it take to get your attention? Even when you ask the court for an emergency hearing to amend the current order in which you are allowed supervised visits with your kids and a parenting coach, you shit all over everyone by missing your own requested hearing! You want to have overnights with your kids but, you aren't responsible enough to get to the court after asking for the hearing and saying you will be there. Should anything change, and you actually do get your butt to that hearing, you are still late which is more than just disrespectful. There really isn't a word in any language that I can think of to describe that purely despicable act. WTF is wrong with you? Forget getting your kids back. Try growing your hair back first and see how that works out for you.

And, since I had a Britney Free Day yesterday, I need to do a nice "little" update.

You gave paparazzi another little crotch shot yesterday. Nicely done. Are you aware that there are ways to get in and out of vehicles without baring your nether regions? Here...I'll describe the move to you since I can't show you. You slide both of your legs (closed...that is key...you might try it on a regular basis in all facets of your life) together to the left or right depending on whether you are the driver or passenger. Then you scooch forward a bit, put both of your feet on the ground and stand up. Walla! No crotch shots! It really is simple and, only takes once to get the hang of.

On your first visit with your kids, rumor has it that you spent the entire time on your cell phone. Is that why you want overnights with your kids? Is it because there is simply not enough time after all of your friends go to bed and aren't available to talk to you on your cell phone anymore, to spend with your kids? Here is an idea, call your friends before your kids arrive. Call your friends after your kids leave, and call your friends in between visits. If you will even have those visits anymore after the stunt you pulled this AM at (or not at) your emergency court hearing.

Now, I believe in praising my pets for jobs well done. So, I try to follow that logic with humans too. Congrats on your drug tests coming up negative! Good girl! You can do anything you put your mind to. Get up and go to court when you call an emergency hearing. Spend quality time with your children after a judge was gracious enough to grant you limited visitation. Not show your crotch in public. Stay drug free for your random drug tests. Well, one out of 4 isn't too bad. Oh wait, today isn't Topsy Tervy Tuesday anymore. 1 out of 4 is really awful. Really! Not good at all. That is what a teacher would call a 25% on a test. Let me help you...that is worse than an F. That is practically a Z. Perhaps a Y. Most definitely not anywhere near passing.

Last but not least...it is rumored that you hit Kevin several times throughout your marriage. This is rumored to be the reason that Kevin requested that you not be allowed to administer corporal punishment on Jayden James and Sean Preston. One of your "campers" said, "This is just another attempt to make Britney look like a bad Mom". Let's call a spade a spade here. You ARE a bad Mom. I know that new Moms make mistakes in the beginning. But, this isn't the beginning anymore. And, the mistakes that most Moms make in the beginning are getting shampoo in their baby's eyes while bathing them. Pretty minor in comparison to soda in bottles and driving with one of them on your lap. And, that entire "Country" excuse isn't cutting it. You really aught to apologize to "Country Folk" for implying that they are ignorant of simple common sense.

Where you come from is no excuse for bad parenting! Period! Grow up! Instead of going out every night, perhaps go to a Barnes & Noble or another book store near you and buy a parenting book. Stay home for a few nights and just read and learn. Whatever common sense you are missing should be well covered in a good parenting book. In the mean time, ask your parenting coach lots and lots of questions. Seriously! Make her work for the money she is being paid to teach you how to raise your kids. She is there to help you so pick her brain. When in doubt, ASK!