Here comes the spring...

Oh allergies. They are a'coming. I have been sneezing all morning, and now, my teeth are starting to hurt, which means I am having a sinus attack...grrrrr. I HATE that. But, since spring seems to be coming early here in good old Bake-O, and the blossoms on the trees are already starting to bloom, I guess allergies can be expected. It is supposed to be 75 degrees today and 74 tomorrow. It is just like spring. I thought the groundhog saw his shadow. Where is this early spring coming from??

Not that I am complaining. I'm not. I like the warmer weather and the fact that I don't have to run my heater all evening to warm up. I hate being cold. But I hate being hot, too. What the heck is wrong with warm? Why can't it stay this way all year long? I am afraid that the early spring signifies an early summer, and frankly, I am not for 100 degree weather in April!

Well, American Idol started its round of cuts last night. I am very happy they finally got rid of that crazy guy. I don't know why they even let him get that far in the first place. He was nuts! And he couldn't sing. I was just so glad to see that annoying Ronnie guy go back home (aka...Ladies Man). I didn't like his peronality one bit. Maybe getting sent back home will bring down his ego some.

I really hate those twins, Derrel and Terrel. They are egomaniacs! They think that they are the best singers in the world and have nothing better to do than to complain constantly. I hope they get kicked out!

There were some really good singers on last night. That guy they call "Ace" was really good. Also, Lisa, I think her name was, did an incredible job. Actually, there were quite a few people who did great. Maybe there is hope for this year's AI after all.

I didn't watch the Grammy's last night. I haven't really watched them since Metallica lost to Jethro Tull years and years ago. I find the Grammy's kind of boring. I guess there were some good performances, but I didn't watch, so I wouldn't know.

I went with my mom last night to get my grandma a wheelchair. My dad called and wanted us to pick one up for her, since she is getting so weak and he is afraid of having to pick her up put of bed to help her up all the time since her bones are so frail. He doesn't want to hurt her. I am going to go see her tonight with my mom and stay for a few days over there. So there won't be any new blogs for a few days.

I hope the weather is warm

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Dads are never entrusted with birthday-party planning, at least not in our house, where the entire massive burden falls on my wife, causing her to become increasingly imbalanced. Last year, our theme was 'The Wizard of Oz,' and my wife decided that, among many other touches, we needed to transform our front walkway into a Yellow Brick Road by covering it with a roll of yellow plastic that she bought from the House of Really Slippery Surfaces. On the day of the party, it was raining, so I suggested that maybe, for safety, we should not do the Yellow Brick Road. Do you remember the part in The Exorcist where Linda Blair's eyes get really weird and her head rotates 360 degrees? That's a mild version of how my wife reacted to the suggestion that we would not have a Yellow Brick Road. Her feeling was, yes, there could be injuries, even deaths, BUT WE WILL HAVE A YELLOW BRICK ROAD. And so we did."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!)

Woman Accused of Mailing Condom Explosives

BOSTON - A former strip club waitress mailed condoms filled with a potentially explosive mixture to a television station, strip clubs and other places, saying she was tired of being mistreated by men, according to court documents.

In FBI documents unsealed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Boston, Kimberly Lynn Dasilva, 40, said she "couldn't take it anymore."

None of the condoms exploded. They each contained a mixture of drain-cleaning detergent and gasoline, which could explode when combined, authorities said. Dasilva told investigators she did not think they would explode.

On Sept. 21, a suspicious package arrived at the Bridgewater State College admissions office, according to two FBI affidavits. When it was discovered that fluid had leaked from the package, the building was evacuated and the State Police Bomb Squad was called in. A note inside the package said "Boom."

Five more packages containing condoms filled with Drano and gasoline were found the next day at the Brockton postal annex, according to the FBI affidavits. They were addressed to Boston television station WFXT, Boston radio station WXKS-FM, the Outlaws motorcycle club in Taunton, and two strip clubs — Alex's in Stoughton and The Foxy Lady in Brockton.

Dasilva, a single mother of two teenagers who used to work at Alex's and The Foxy Lady, was arrested Friday night after FBI agents and state police troopers raided her home and found letters hidden in the ceiling tiles of her bedroom that allegedly linked her to the mailings.

On Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert B. Collings released her on a $10,000 unsecured bond and scheduled a hearing in the case for Feb. 23.

When contacted by The Boston Globe on Tuesday, Dasilva referred questions to her lawyer, who had no comment.

___

Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe

American Idol goes to Boston

Well, American Idol went to Boston on last night's episode. There were a few good moments...the basketball girl, Ayla (I think her name was)...she was decent...not great, but decent. And the guy who sang that Josh Grobain song, he did a good job. But overall, it was just bad. I don't even think I heard Simon say "yes" to even one person.

There was the guy who sang a Cher song. Bad choice. If you want to make it as a singer, you have to sound different from other singers. If you want to copy a singer's voice, then Vegas would be better suited for you. I think Simon's advice to him, to be a female impersonator, was actually right up his alley. There are lots of impersonators in Vegas, and they get paid pretty decently. And, besides, I don't think being told that you sound like Cher is a compliment. I can't stand her voice.

Then there was that foreign chick who sang "Chain of Fools" and some other song...well she was just horrible, and her pathetic attempts to try to dance and act sexy just came off as...well...pathetic. In the end, all of the judges said "no," and she stormed out of the room, high heels, short dress and all.

There was also the guy who used , "I've gotta pee," as an excuse for his lousy performance, and the judges let him go use the bathroom and then come back and try again. He should have went to the bathroom and never come back, because he was even worse the second time around.

There was also Mr White-Rapper-Wannabe-Next-Vanilla-Ice. I just didn't understand where he thought he was good. His rapping sucked and he looked like a 4th of July tablecloth exploded on him. And besides, American Idol is a singing competition.

One can only hope that these people try a new career.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"Today we are pretty sure that nobody lives on Mars, at least not year-round. We base this on the fact that NASA has spent hundreds of millions of dollars sending unmanned probes up there, and they have sent back thousands of pictures, all of them showing: rocks. Granted, there was one picture where, if you magnified the background, you could just make out a sign that said PALM SPRINGS 47 MILES. But a NASA spokesperson quickly explained that this was an 'optical illusion, caused by, um, hydrogen.' As I write these words, we have yet another probe scooting around on Mars, and it has been sending back exquisitely detailed photographs of: rocks. At this point, I, for one, am willing to stipulate that Mars is, basically, covered with rocks, but our space scientists apparently do not intend to stop until they obtain photographs of every last one of them."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(No pie for you young man!)

Police Arrest 11-Year-Old in Robbery Case

OMAHA, Neb. - Omaha police have arrested an 11-year-old boy as a robbery suspect. The boy, already sought on suspicion of burglary, and a 15-year-old companion were armed with BB guns.

A woman and a teenage girl told police that two boys had fired BBs at their upstairs apartment windows about 7:40 p.m. Sunday.

The boys then forced their way inside the apartment, pointed the BB guns at the woman and the girl and stole tools and compact discs, a police report said.

Shortly afterward the boys were spotted in the area and arrested.

Officer Chris LeGrow, a spokesman for the Omaha Police Department, said Tuesday that he didn't know whether the boy was the youngest armed robbery suspect ever arrested by his department.

But he recalled once having to lift a burglary suspect up to a counter so the boy could sign a police form. LeGrow didn't recall the boy's age.

And the winner is...

Check it out....my site got selected as The Sticky Site of the Moment on www.internetbumperstickers.com

Check out their site. They have tons of cool "bumper stickers" that you can "stick" on your blog and/or website.

(how did they know I was fresh-smelling? hehe)

This is a very blue post..I warned you...

I just told someone that the supervisor might be in a meeting because on Thursdays she always has a staff meeting. That would have been an ok statement to make....except that it is Tuesday, not Thursday. Geezzzz! Where is my mind?!

Well I can definitely say that my mind is not on work. I talked to my grandma last night to see how her biopsies went and she told me that she does, indeed, have cancer. The biopsies will tell them what kind of cancer it is and then the doctors will tell her what steps to take next, but she says there probably won't be much they can do. But she says she will accept whatever happens and go along with whatever the doctors tell her to do. She said it so calmly. She was even joking about how the doctors told her that she talks too much and that she needs to listen more and to talk less. That's my grandma for you.

I don't want to lose her. I don't want her to die, and maybe that is being selfish of me, but I don't care. I want her around for a long, long time. I can't imagine spending Christmas without her. I can't even bring myself to think that this past Christmas might have been her last Christmas with us. I just can't accept that.

One never knows just how long they have on this earth. We take people for granted everyday, thinking they will always be there, and that each time we see them, everything will be wonderful and perfect and they will always be waiting for us with a smile on their face. We always think that the people around us will never get sick and that they will never die. We live in a dream world most of the time, where our friends and family are immortals and they never get hurt. It is just too bad that it takes something like a serious illness or death to make us see that each day we have on earth is a gift and that we should never take people for granted, and never wait to say "I love you," because you never know...you just never know.

Ugh. I didn't want this post to be so depressing. This whole thing has just made me think a lot more about my family and friends...the people I care about the most in this world. I love every single one of them. And I never want them to get sick or get hurt...ever.

But I know it happens. I know.

I can't wait to see my grandma on Thursday night. I want to hug her and tell her everything will be all right. I want to tell her that no matter what happens, we will always love her and stand by her, and that if I could take her pain away, I would. I want to tell her that. But I am afraid that if I tell her that, I will cry. And I don't want her to see that. I don't want her to feel sad. I want her to be surrounded by smiles and hugs. I can save the tears for later, when I am alone and there is no one to see me.

Live. Laugh. Love.

And don't just do it...do it with feeling (as Leif always said.)

Those are words to live by.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"It is time for another rendition of 'Ask Mister Language Person,' the only grammar column approved for internal use by The Food and Drug Administration; the grammar column that puts the 'dip' in 'diphthong,' the 'vern' in 'vernacular,' and the 'dang' in 'dangling participle.' Today we shall commence right at the outset by starting with our first question, which concerns vocabulary:

Q. What does 'decimate' mean?

A. This often-misunderstood word is an anterior cruciate predicate that should be used in conjugal phrases such as follows:

'Noreen was totally decimated when she found Vern wearing her good pantyhose.' "

Stupid News Story of The Day

(What do you wanna bet that wildflower viewing will be really popular in Texas this spring?)

Suspect Ends Up Covered in Pot After Chase

WAXAHACHIE, Texas - Wildflowers may not be the only thing sprouting up along a 15-mile stretch of Interstate 35 in Ellis County this spring.

Seeds of an illegal plant were inadvertently sown after a police officer stopped a car with no license plate light early Friday morning and smelled a strong odor of marijuana. When the officer returned to his car and called for backup, the driver drove away, Milford Police Chief Carlos Phoenix said.

As several law enforcement agencies joined the chase, the fleeing driver tore open and threw 17 to 19 bags out of his window.

"There was marijuana flying everywhere," Phoenix told the Waxahachie Daily Light.

After driving over a second set of spikes set out by authorities, the suspect finally stopped and was taken into custody, and he was "literally covered in marijuana," Phoenix said.

Officers picked up two duffel bags, a backpack and three or four gallon-size freezer bags from the interstate, but the wind blew much of the substance and seeds, Phoenix said.

Also, some people with police scanners heard that a man was throwing marijuana out of his car window and drove to the scene to try to retrieve it, Phoenix said.

There outta be a law against Mondays

I don't know how many times I have said this, but I am sure it is a lot.... I hate Mondays. I just hate 'em. I am sleepy. I am cranky. I am even a bit dizzy... dizzy not ditsy. My head hurts. I want to go home.

Yes, I am complaining. And, no, I am not apologizing for it :P

I did manage to clean my closet over the weekend and fix the bar in my closet that came crashing down a few weeks ago. I had to go to Lowe's to get a new bracket and screws and pulled out my trusty cordless drill and fixed the damned thing. I even found some comfortable shoes on sale at Mervyn's (my feet are so happy - hehe). I also cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom and even vaccuumed. I am so proud of myself. - lol.

My mom called me yesterday and let me talk to my grandma for a few minutes. I was so optimistic about her getting better, but she sounded so bad on the phone. She couldn't talk very well. She said the medication made her "tongue-tied." All I could think was "she sounds so sick." I am still trying to be optimistic, but after hearing her on the phone, it is becoming harder to stay that way. She is going to the hospital today to get biopsies. My mom said they also found a spot on her liver, which is something I didn't know about before. That is not good news at all. I am going to go visit her this upcoming weekend. I really want to see her.

I had always imagined her being around for a long, long time. I always imagined her being there when I got married and when I had a baby. I just can't imagine doing those things without her being around. I want her to be ok sooooooooo very bad. I just hope she will be.

Ok, before I make myself cry, I am gonna leave it at that. On top of it all, my little hamster, Peanut, looks like he has the dreaded "wet tail." I will have to go get him some medicine today after work. He managed to escape from his cage last night while I was examining him. The little punk! I finally caught him and put him back before he chewed through my cords - lol.

I hope I can sleep tonight. I don't want another visit from the insomnia fairy again.

Funny Stuff From Dave Barry

"On day five of our cruise we arrived, at last, in Fort Lauderdale. We were tired, but we were also, because of this experience, something more: fat. We vowed to go on the South Beach Diet, or even just the Beach Diet, where all you eat is sand. But someday, we will return to the sea. Because we know it's a big world, and there are many more adventures awaiting us, out there on the vastness of the ocean. For example, we have yet to try to shrimp scampi."

Stupid News Story of The Day

(Well, you see, this bee stung me, and I swerved causing my groceries to fall on the floor, and this potato rolled under my brake pedal, and...)

Squirrel, wasp and potato blamed for motor claims Mon Feb 6, 7:46 AM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Frozen squirrels, angry wasps and obstructive potatoes were among some of the reasons given by motorists to support their insurance claims, Norwich Union said on Monday.

Freak incidents involving animals top the list when it comes to bizarre claims, closely followed by those involving food.

The squirrel motorist said the frozen animal had fallen out of a tree and crashed through the windscreen while another driver blamed a wasp sting on the leg for a sudden surge in acceleration and a shunt with the car in front.

One driver even blamed a potato stuck behind the brake pedal for the inability to stop.

"We see a lot of strange things but we were surprised at how many involved animals and food of all things," said a Norwich Union spokeswoman.

One claim in particular stood out.

"As I was driving around a bend, one of the doors opened and a frozen kebab flew out, hitting and damaging a passing car," it read.

All the cited claims were legitimate and had been paid out, the spokeswoman said.