dawndie

Congrats on the new job! If you're doing something you love, hopefully the money will follow. It sounds like you know what-all you have on your plate financially.

How funny, that we were just talking about souvenir plates, and then we walked into this lady's house and they were EVERYWHERE! DH was suggesting hanging them above the kitchen cupboards, and I said, "but, but, I can't see them way up there!" I think I may have swayed him into doing a collage on the wall like you're doing.

I'm thinking Michaels for the plate hangers, and I'll see if they have teeny hangers. But super glue might work -- you could get a little metal bracket (like a ">") and glue it onto the back, big enough for a nail head.

I should have posted this earlier, but Cincinnati (where DH grew up) now has Cornhole Tournaments! Get yer cornhole on!

http://archive.cinweekly.com/content/2004/...nholetourny.asp

Hee! She's adorable. I would be dressing her up all the time

I read all your blog postings, but with a title like that, I had to read this one! Just the partial sentence, "Ella was tending to Mugzy's cornhole when he audibly pooted one" made my evening. Ha!

I don't know about where you are, but where DH is from they have a weird local phenomenon called "Cornhole" -- it's a yard game you play with boards with holes cut out, and you have to stand pretty far away (15-20 feet?) and chuck beanbags into the holes (except the bags are normally filled with unpopped popcorn, hence the name). If you get a bag in the hole you yell "CORN!" It's hysterical.

You sound really diligent with your bottle sales by checking out the potential buyers. But ultimately, what can you do? Can you refuse to sell to someone if you're afraid they'll imp-out-and-resell?

Plus I like your justification: if someone buys, the money goes back to the Lab, plus more money for your "normal" orders, so it's like the Lab gets twice as much!

I'm sorry you and The Mister have to go through this Been there, done that, with both sides of the family. No matter how much "advance notice" there is, it's still hard to deal with and you'll be a welcome, stable support to those who need it Back East.

On a lighter note, please post any wacky recipes from Grandma! My sis put together a recipe book after Grandma passed away and there are some hilarious ones, including Bologna Cake. Yes, you layer bologna like a cake with mayonnaise, and cover with crushed potato chips. People sure ate weird in the '50s

Thanks for the comments! I hope everyone liked the pics. It's been hotter than Hades here, so I'm not enjoying the outdoors much, but I'm trying to think of October and how nice it will be then *sigh*

I was like you with Snake Oil at first -- that was one of the first imps I ordered, and it was almost *too much* (musk & spice) so I put it in my imps-to-keep pile. It's still there, and after a year and a half it's the consistency of maple syrup in the imp. I guess that's the "aging."

But I've been thinking about Snake Oil lately, after getting bottles of Hellion and Morocco and really digging those. I should get a bottle to fully appreciate.

Maybe that's the magic of the BPAL: that one day you'll try something and it'll be "yuck" or "ew" or "meh," but the next day it'll be "ooh!" or "yum!" or "hmm." That sentence needed more quotation marks

The longing for the image in the song lyrics reminds me of a scene in "Bull Durham," when Susan Sarandon's trying to seduce Tim Robbins and is dressed all fabulous and asks, "Don't I look nice?" He says she looks "cute" and she gets indignant: "Cute?!? Baby ducks are cute! I want to be exotic and mysterious!" We all want to be exotic and mysterious too.

How about a "bandana hammock"?

Hee! I wondered if I was spelling "bandana" correctly -- is it "bandanna"? It's not banndana, that looks funky Maybe it's just "handkerchief you wear on your head."

I agree! Pretty pretty nails!

Ooh! The moonflower looks beeyootiful. And is that a French manicure? It looks great!

I thought about taking pictures of a few plants yesterday because of your blog! It's been so hot and dry, but we have a couple of silverado sage bushes in front (very popular here) and they'll independently decide to bloom every couple of months with these really cute teeny purple flowers. Anyway, the big bush was blooming yesterday, but then they're gone and I'm sad.

DH and I have a saying: "Everything comes back to Seinfeld." Name some weird personality quirk or awkward social situation, and "Seinfeld" probably addressed it.

On the show there was a competing comedian named Banyan (spelling?) who worshipped Jerry and wanted to be like him. This woman sounds like that -- she mimics what others say because she wants to be liked, like you and the others are liked.

Doesn't explain the food-smacking though, eww. No one likes food spraying everywhere

Maybe something called "Drama Queen" or "Emotional Vampire"? I'm getting the image of someone sucking the life force from the air around you when she comes around. What a beat-down to have to deal with

Oh, state plates! I've found a couple of good ones at estate sales: a matching set of Kentucky and Tennessee, maybe 1960s. I love souvenirs and state plates are so crazy and great. Some are like, "How many landmarks can we possibly squeeze onto this 10" round space?"

She probably didn't understand what you were talking about re: cost v. accrual accounting, because it wasn't a passionate black v. white issue that she could wrap her brain around.

It is hard to be a moderate-anything nowadays *sigh* Any extreme, whether radical or reactionary, is so irritating because there's no thought put into it, it's like talking to a brick wall.

I really want to put together some sort of joke involving Andy Garcia in his Ocean's 11 suit, strappy sandals and a Cuban pedicure yelling "ARGH BLARGH!!" but I'm too hot and ... stupid ... right now ... zzz

OOH, hardwood floors envy! And ocean-y coastline envy!

Yay for House of Snark pics! And we've seen more pics of Snarky: Hitler-Bangs Snarky, Snarky Getting Eaten by Giant Tree, Benatar Snarky ...

I've wondered that about Austin City Limits myself -- most of the time it's 2 acts, but are they taped one after the other?

Ooh, your order sounds good. Oh! And did you see the description for Les Bijoux: skin musk and honey? As in: SMUT-O-RAMA???

Never underestimate the tunnel vision that some people will have It seems like a few people who don't have much discretionary income (or claim not to, but find the funds for concerts, clothes, etc.) would rather focus the blame on someone else.

At one point someone complained that the update posting early was a "bait and switch." Honey, you don't know the meaning of the phrase if you think such a magnificent, exciting update was done solely for the purpose of screwing a few whiners out of $2.50.

OK, I feel better. Now back to reading these great descriptions and planning an order!

I know how you feel -- in a society where women are often defined by their uteri, if you decide not to have kids the first question is almost always "Why not?" It's your personal decision, just like your job.

I guess it boils down to finding your own path -- if you are fulfilled in your marriage, your job, or your home, you most certainly are not a "slacker."

You have a good memory! Reverend Jim was my favorite. The one bit I could remember was when Alex took Jim to take his driver's test. He's standing at the little counter taking the test and gets stuck, so tries to get Alex to help him:

Jim: "Psst! What do you do at a yellow light?"

Alex: "Slow down"

Jim: "Whaaat dooo yooou dooo at a yellllllow liiiight?"

Alex: "Slow Down!"

Jim: "Whaaaaaaat dooooooo ... " etc.

Silicon Slick D. Flex, representin'

Is the "Iced Out Cross Cross" like a double-fantastic version of an Iced Out Cross?