Happy Fourth of July

Here's a taste of what I am expecting...

Looks nice, eh?  This is where I'm going this weekend.  (Yes, for real!)  I am finally getting to go to Niagara Falls!  I've always wanted to come here and get a heart-shaped bed or something crazy like that, ever since I first saw the original Superman movie. (Remember?  That room with the fireplace and Superman burns his hand?)  Well, no heart-shaped beds for us, but we will be staying in a queen of a hotel! (Only for two nights, though - then to a super cheap one.)  And I am going to go on the "Maid of the Mist" boat ride and see the "Floral Clock" and go to the Botanical Gardens and Butterfly Conservatory, and I may even go into one of the 20 different wax-museums!  Most of all, I really can't wait to see the firecrackers over the falls.  This trip will serve as a combined celebration of my graduation, our new jobs, and our 7th anniversary (plus our summer vacation).  I am so ready!  So until Wednesday, it's radio silence for me.  Have a good holiday everyone!

Southern Horoscopes

Taken from a forward send to me by my "Moon Pie" friend Celeste... Apparently, I'm a "Catfish." What are you?

Some Southerners are pretty skeptical of horoscopes and the people that read them. If we are to ever fully understand all the star signs and the people they represent, we need symbols that all true Southerners understand: See the list below:

OKRA (Dec 22 - Jan 20): Are tough on the outside
but tender on the inside. Okras have tremendous
influence. An older Okra can look back over his
life and see the seeds of his influence
everywhere. You can do something good each day if
you try.

CHITLIN (Jan 21 - Feb 19): Chitlins come from
humble backgrounds. A Chitlin, however, will make
something of himself if he is motivated and has lots
of seasoning. In dealing with Chitlins, be careful
- they may surprise you. They can erupt like
Vesuvius. Chitlins are best with Catfish and
Okra.

BOLL WEEVIL (Feb 20 - March 20): You have an
overwhelming curiosity. You're unsatisfied with the
surface of things, and you feel the need to bore
deep into the interior of everything. Needless to
say, you are very intense and driven as if you had
some inner hunger. You love to stay busy and tend
to work too much. Nobody in their right mind is
going to marry you, so don't worry about it.

MOON PIE (March 21 - April 20): You're the type
that spends a lot of time on the front porch. A
cinch to recognize the physical appearance of Moon
Pies. Big and round are the key words here. You
should marry anybody who you can get remotely
interested in the idea. It's not going to be easy.
You always have a big smile and are happy. This
might be the year to think about aerobics. Maybe
not.

POSSUM (April 21 - May 21): When confronted with
life's difficulties, possums have a marked tendency
to withdraw and develop a don't-bother-me-about-it
attitude. Sometimes you become so withdrawn, people
actually think you're dead. This strategy is
probably not psychologically healthy but seems to
work for you. You are a rare breed. Most folks love
to watch you work and play. You are a night person
and mind your own business.

CRAWFISH (May 22 - June 21): Crawfish is a water
sign. If you work in an office, you're hanging
around the water cooler. Crawfish prefer the beach
to the mountains, the pool to the golf course, and
the bathtub to the living room. You tend not to be
particularly attractive physically, but you have
very, very good heads.

COLLARDS (June 22 - July 23): Collards have a genius
for communication. They love to get in the melting
pot of life and share their essence with the
essence of those around them. Collards make good
social workers, psychologists, and baseball
managers. As far as your personal life goes, if you
are Collards, stay away from Crawfish. It just
won't work. Save yourself a lot of heartache.

CATFISH (July 24 - Aug 23): Catfish are
traditionalists in matters of the heart, although
one's whiskers may cause problems for loved ones.
You Catfish are never easy people to understand.
You run fast. You work and play hard. Even though
you prefer the muddy bottoms to the clear surface
of life, you are liked by most. Above all else,
Catfish should stay away from Moon Pies.

GRITS (Aug 24 - Sept 23): Your highest aim is to be
with others like yourself. You like to huddle
together with a big crowd of other Grits. You love
to travel though, so maybe you should think about
joining a club. Where do you like to go? Anywhere
they have cheese, gravy, bacon, butter, or eggs and
a good time. If you can go somewhere where they
have all these things; that serves you well. You
are pure in heart.

BOILED PEANUTS (Sept 24 - Oct 23): You have a
passionate desire to help your fellow man.
Unfortunately, those who know you best, your
friends and loved ones, may find that your
personality is much too salty, and their criticism
will affect you deeply because you are really much
softer than you appear. You should go right ahead
and marry anybody you want to because in a certain
way, yours is a charmed life. On the road of life,
you can be sure that people will always pull over
and stop for you.

BUTTER BEAN (Oct 24 - Nov 22): Always invite a
Butter Bean to a party because Butter Beans get
along well with everybody. You, as a Butter Bean,
should be proud. You've grown on the vine of life,
and you feel at home no matter what the setting. You
can sit next to anybody. However, you, too,
shouldn't have anything to do with Moon Pies.

ARMADILLO (Nov 23 - Dec 21): You have a tendency to
develop a tough exterior, but you are actually quite
gentle and kind inside. A good evening for you--old
friends, a fire, some roots, fruit, worms, and
insects. You are a throwback. You're not concerned
with today's fashions and trends. You're not
concerned with anything about today. You're almost
prehistoric in your interests and behavior
patterns. You probably want to marry another
Armadillo, but a Possum is another somewhat kinky
mating possibility.

Complements

I got a complement today.

You know how when you first start a grown-up job and, even though you've been doing this same job for a couple of years now, you are at a different capacity because you are now "officially" being paid for that job? (I know that was pretty mottled. Sorry) And then there is the stress of actually being in that position, whereas before, if you were wrong, it was no big deal. Now you are the person that people EXPECT to know the answers. (Did I muttle it even more?) And to top that off, you work with someone (whose level you are now supposed to be at) who seems to ALWAYS have those answers! It is tough, I tell you. (At least my "someone" is amazingly kind and understanding!)

Well, today I was standing beside my brilliant counterpart and a mom came up to me (yes, me and not her!) and said, "Can I ask you for a book recommendation? You helped me before and I LOVED the books you picked out!" I know you are thinking "And???" but holy cow - in my book, that was huge. I don't even think the other librarian even noticed, but it sure made me smile and think that maybe I CAN do this after all!

Wordless Wednesday - Waterfalls

Colbert Report about World Cup

Oh man. This is funny. And it even stars good ole' Alexi Lalas. Good stuff.

Jersey (the soccer kind)

Speaking of soccer... ever wondered what your Brazilian Soccer Name would be? Look no further. Here is mine - Bomgardnaca. I bet I'd be good, too. Heh.

Red Card

I've been watching entirely too much soccer lately. Why am I so obsessed?!? I don't have any clue. Did ya'll see the match yesterday between Portugal and the Netherlands? Crazy. I've never seen such wild card throwing (and I thought the US vs. Italy game was bad refereeing!). Basically, FIFA set some world records yesterday in "discipline":

~ Most Red Cards (Game) : 4 (2 each) Portugal v Netherlands, 25 June 2006
~ Most Yellow Cards Against One Team: 9 (Portugal), 2006
~ Most Yellow cards (match): 16 - Portugal v Netherlands, 25 June 2006

Anyway, speaking of cards, today I really felt like red-carding this crazy mother. I was already reaching for my whistle to let her have it, when I realized that instead of astroturf, I was standing on berber carpet. And instead of a referee uniform, I was wearing a pants suit. (Kinda makes things a little more difficult.)

Well regardless, it was a red card this mom (totally) deserved for playing unfairly and also bad-mouthing the ref. Summer reading is here and some of the nutty moms think they need to arm-wrestle their librarians to get a spot at our programs. When tickets run low, so does human kindness apparently. This mom was really ticked at me for not having enough tickets for her friend's kids (yes, you read right...) to be able to come to our kick-off party. Really. So she threw out the "I pay taxes" line and "you play favorites" line, as well as others... Whatever. These tickets have been available for 5 days now and she was just too lazy to come before the DAY BEFORE the event! Too bad I couldn't throw her out of the game. Grrr... (I am inwardly blowing my whistle.)

Welcome to the Twilight Zone...

Last night, driving back from CT after picking up Tim's truck, I feared for my life. We stopped at an old-school Pizza Hut somewhere between CT and NY, and I mean to tell you, it was right out of a dang Stephen King novel. As soon as we walked in, we should have just turned right around and walked out. But see, as with every great horror scene, there was this storm blowing and a torrential downpour of rain, making visibility a factor.

So in we walk, trying not to noticeably stare at all the women with obscenely large hair and all of the dirty little children. The whole of the restaurant did not even try to hide their gazes, as we were escorted to our table. (Almost like WE were the ones to be on the menu... muhahaahaa...)

We watched, in horror, as waitresses dropped breadsticks and placed them back on plates. Our own waitress tripped over tables and sent things flying. Then, when she finally came to take our order, she treated us like we were retarded! (We asked for breadsticks with cheese, and she was like "Cheesesticks?!?" and then we asked for rootbeer and she was like "Beer without alcohol?") "Where are we?!?" I kept asking myself, as little children ran around the room picking up food off the floor and eating it with wicked grins, like they knew better but didn't. I think I may have lost my appetite, because I was only able to eat one slice before I decided that we just needed to go.

Anyway, this sequence of events happened to make us question our choice of cuisine, last night and forever more, and it may be a very long time before we ever knowingly choose a Pizza Hut again.

Foto Friday - Health

Momento Mori.

I'm a Superhero

You are Wonder Woman.

You are a beautiful princess with great strength of character.

Wonder Woman ~ 77%
Green Lantern ~ 75%
Superman ~ 70%
Supergirl ~ 67%
Catwoman ~65%
Spider-Man ~ 60%
Hulk ~ 55%
Robin ~ 52%
The Flash~ 50%
Batman ~ 40%
Iron Man ~ 35%

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Thoughts and Jots

So, I guess I've let my wee audience down lately by not blogging. Sorry about that - it's been a busy week or two. How about a catch-up? Hmmm...

Well, we bought a vehicle. Tim's red monstrosity finally gave up it's ghost and we bought a nice used Ford Ranger. (For all of you non-car people like me, this is a truck. And it is red.) Yup. Now Tim won't have to pay a small fortune to ride the train into the Bronx and now he won't smell like gasoline when he comes home (the red car had a fume issue). I don't really have too much more to say about that, except (as my good friend Celeste has so adequately pointed out) that this truck will come in handy since it seems as though we move once a year.

Speaking of moving, our tacky landlords sent us yet another reminder that they want us to let them know if we are staying on for another year. This letter comes after the note telling me that my rent will be raised by $400 extra bucks per month. I'm reading this letter from them as my apartment reeks of cigarette smoke from my chain-smoking neighbor, while my car parked in the garage gets dripped on by a leaking AC unit (at least it's not a toilet), and while my electric bill grows ever higher as I try in vain to cool off my ground floor dwelling. As much as I hate to move, even more so, I hate evil landlords. There is a special level in Hell for evil landlords, this I know. Well, add that to my to-do list... "Hunt for new apartment." Dang it.

On a more positive note, I got to help out at the AID's Experience exhibit in Grand Central. Tim was in charge of volunteers, so I figured I'd volunteer too. It was this huge maze-like thing, where you get an MP3 player with the story of 1 of 4 real-life people who had a brush with something traumatic, and you walk through seeing that person's life story in pictures and realistic displays. I walked through it and got the story of Stephen, who was this little boy who grew up in Uganda and was forced to become a child soldier and do terrible things. At the end of all the stories, they wind up at an AIDs clinic and you have to take a mock AIDs test. Stephen, thankfully, was negative. Then there is a prayer chapel and a prayer wall as the final part of the exhibit. The whole thing was really well done. (The exhibit is very similar in form to a Holocaust Museum.) Anyway, I got to work the exhibit a bit - stamping people positive or negative. I'm not saying that I enjoyed stamping people positive and giving them AIDs! I'm just saying...

The least enjoyable part of working at the exhibit was handing out fliers. I wish I could bottle a bit of it for you, my beloved audience. New Yorkers, ahh. They think that they can just avoid eye-contact with you and you no longer exist in their world. Let me tell you, I have a new respect for those crazy kids on The Apprentice. Handing out fliers in NY really sucks. And I wasn't even selling anything! Good grief. I felt like I was holding a sign that said "Homeless - Will Work For Food." But I eventually figured out how to turn on some "doe" eyes and a "Vanna White" smile, so I at least got some traffic. Watch out, Donald Trump!

Well, my fingers are tired because I am a "hunt and peck" typer. So I guess that's all for now.

Wordless Wednesday - Natalie Dee

(Mermaid Parade ala this Saturday at Coney Island... I am so there...)

Speaking of Heart-Throbs...

Your 80s Heartthrob Is

Jason Bateman

Who's Your 80's Heartthrob?

Restore My Soul...

Our trip was fantastic - it's just what I needed!  (How does he do that?)  Anyway, Tim took me to New Milford, CT, and to the surrounding area, and it was a sweet and relaxing time.  We got away from big city life and sheer overpopulation, and that is just what I needed.  It is so hard to live in such a busy place sometimes!  You just can't take the country out of this girl, no matter how hard you try.  So we escaped the city and sat by a lake eating fresh strawberries, saw some mountains and waterfalls, drove over covered bridges, went to antique stores and "general" stores, ate barbeque, and just laughed so much.  What fun.
(Check out my Flickr page to see some of our photos of the excursion.)

Our Anniversary

This is a picture from our honeymoon in Colorado almost seven years ago!  (The nineteenth actually marks our seventh year, but we are gonna celebrate it over the weekend.)  So tomorrow, we are off to spend the weekend elsewhere.  I am not sure yet where - the mister is kind of surprising me.  I know it is some little town in CT.  It will just be nice to escape the world with my guy.  That is what I really need.  Even if it is only for a day.  He is always able to put a smile on my face and a spring in my step. 

An Apology...

Sorry ya'll. Been too busy watching soccer this week to blog much. (Speaking of which, England is playing right now! I gotta go!) Hey, but I saw something interesting today on the side of the road. A pink truck selling tacos. Discuss amongst yourselves...

Wordless Wednesday - Flag Day

Happy Flag Day.

Grrr...

Ever had one of these days?

Czech Mate.

Dang stinkin' lazy boys. We got trampled in a bad way today. Makes me embarrassed to be red, white, and blue. (That's why I cheer for the Germans, anyways.) The only person who gets a gold star today is Johnson, pictured right. I think buddy was the only person actually playing soccer today. (And he was only a substitute. What does that say about how we played, eh?)

So, it was 3-0 Czech Republic. In US's defense, though, the Czechs were freakin' HUGE. Like about a head taller than all of our boys. Talk about intimidating. And the Czechs are the 2nd rated team. But we really got stomped, I'm saying it was ridiculous (and we were rated 5th). Like, the game wasn't even a GOOD one, it was so one-sided. Our defense sucked and our offense was basically non-existent. It really looked like our guys were just stand there waiting around. I don't mind so much Donovan standing around...he is just so pretty. (Don't tell Tim!) I wonder if we can buy some Brazilians to put on our team? Maybe then we could get some wins. Sheesh. I'm moving to England.

Ouch! For real?

You are so twee, you're the Cottingley Faeries!
You know the Druid names for all the holidays, and you insist on spelling words like COLOR with a "u." You giggle alot and you sign your letters =^ ^=. Nobody can really stand you, but they're afraid that if they said so, you'd lock yourself in the bathroom and threaten to commit suicide. You are the person most likely to die from glitter poisoning.

Which Zoological Mystery Are You?

Ready for some soccer tonight?!? I am! Go Germany! And check this site for the inside info... (Beckham is the man, I tell you!)

Photo Friday - Poverty

I went to Haiti back in '97 to work with a medical mission relief team and while I was down there, some of the women taught me how to sew. (Do you see the little white girl in the left corner? We were making pillowcases.) I can honestly say that these were some of the most amazing women I've ever met.

(Click here to play...)

Thirteen PEZ Dispensers I Want To Own Someday

I love PEZ dispensers and I have a massive collection. I have about 300 to 350 now. I've even gone to a PEZ convention. Shocking, eh? So, here are a few PEZ that I certainly wouldn't mind adding to my collection. (hint hint out there...)

(Left to Right - White Knight, Thor, Foghorn Leghorn, Nurse, Frankenstein, Smurfette, Tinkerbell, Captain America, Big Top Circus Elephant, Bozo the Clown, Pirate, and the Camel)

And last but not least, Bat Girl!!!

Wordless Wednesday - World Cup Style

"Chicken & Cat"

I know I've been pretty silent lately - blame it on my recent obsession with "wordless books."  (Or sending letters to long lost friends on MySpace!  Yes, I have succumbed to the beast.)  Anywho, this is a picture from an amazing new wordless book called Chicken and Cat by Sara Varon.  I LOVE IT.  (This is my fave of the illustrations...)  It is about two friends and a visit to the city.  Cat is from the country and is up for a visit.  He likes the city, but has ideas as to helping Chicken make it a little bit more like home.  Check it out at your local library.  (Shameless Plug.)

glorious days of summer

just look at my friend christie... isn't she the cutest!  don't you just want to go swimming now?!?

Wiki-wha?

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I am the "Photo Shop" queen (actually, Paint Shop Pro, to be exact). Sometimes, I literally won't let a guest leave until I have spruced up the pictures we've taken. It is a sickness. It is the "Monica" in me. I can't help it. I once "cloned" over 50 tourists out of a picture of hubby and me on the Spanish Steps in Rome, just because I wanted the picture to look more like Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. (I'm not saying I'm an Audrey, I'm saying I'm a Monica.) Anyway, I'm just saying.

On a related note, I've been thinking seriously of copyrighting my images lately. I've got lots of nice pictures and it would be a shame if someone took them and claimed ownership. (None of us are without blame, I'm just saying it happens and many times inadvertently. I've done my share of google imaging myself.) So any thoughts on this? I was thinking of some demure little symbol at the bottom corner or something along those lines...

Now to the heart of the matter, imagine my surprise to see that my photoshopping is famous! Of course, I never signed it or placed ownership of any kind - in fact, I didn't even take the picture. I just spent two hours photoshopping fixer out of it and adding faint touches of hues (Did you notice the blues and pinks? Please say ya did! That took lots of time!). And I am not upset, either, about this being here. I don't want to give that impression. In fact, I am flattered. These pictures turned out really good-looking and it is nice to see that other people like them too. And, this also means that someone has taken the time to really look through the website I designed for the library (because the images aren't "google-image" searchable). So, I guess "all's well that ends well" or something. But it does make you think, huh? The world-wide web is just that - open to all the world (and the world is wide).

Photo Friday - New Bride

This week's Photo Friday topic was "new," so I thought I'd show a new bride! 
(That is me, June 19th, nearly seven years ago.)

Thursday Thirteen #25

Thirteen Fascinating Goddess Myths:

(Okay, just as a disclaimer, I am not a goddess worshiper. I am a lover of the power of myth and what symbols these myths hold for us today. These are a few of my favorite chicks and their stories, or just some interesting facts.)

1) FLORA (of course I’d start with her!) Flora was the Roman goddess of flowers and plants. She symbolized the blossoming of nature. She was considered the clandestine patron of Rome. Without her, the city would have no means by which to grow and thrive. Her festival, the Florilia, was held in April or early May and symbolized the renewal of the cycle of life, marked with dancing, drinking, and flowers. Her Greek equivalent was Chloris.


2) APHRODITE (or VENUS) Aphrodite, the "Golden One", was the Greek goddess of Love who was born from the foam of the sea. She was attended by the Hours and the Graces, who made her even more beautiful before she set foot on shore. As she walked to meet the rest of the gods and goddesses for the first time, flowers sprang up at her feet. (Wish I could do that!) The city of Venice is named for Venus, her Roman counterpart; and according to tradition, every year Venetians celebrate the marriage of their city to this goddess by throwing a golden wedding ring to the sea. The ceremony ensures that she will protect the city and help its people to prosper.

3) ISIS Ancient Egyptian goddess of healing and magic. She lived with her husband Osiris, and together, they form the myth of the changing cycles of the year. Osiris is the life-force of Nature which dies and is reborn, and Isis is the force of love that can create new life out of old. (Cool story – see more here)

4) KUAN-YIN Kuan-Yin was the Chinese goddess of compassion, also known as "She who hears the weeping world". After attaining enlightenment, she decided to remain in her human form until all earth's inhabitants gained enlightenment as well. Her followers exercised compassion toward all beings, never eating the flesh of any creature, and lived completely non-violent lives. She was often portrayed holding a willow branch.

5) LAKSHMI Hindu goddess from India who brings fame, prosperity, abundance and good fortune to her worshipers. She is associated with the lotus, which symbolizes fruitfulness, purity and attainment of higher spiritual levels (Padma-Lakshmi). She is often portrayed accompanied by elephants showering her with water (weird), referring to the belief that elephants are related to the clouds who are their cousins. It was said that the first elephants had wings and could fly among the clouds.

6) ARTEMIS (or DIANA) This Greek/ Roman goddess, called the "Mother of All Creatures" in her nurturing aspect, was represented as the "many-breasted" Diana. Her aspect as huntress stems from Neolithic times when her priestesses sacrificed any invaders to their shores. She symbolizes the Earth’s ability to provide for all of its creatures, even in the coldest, harshest winter.

7) ATHENA The Greek/ Roman goddess of culture, wisdom, laws, crafts, and political and military strategy; her symbols included the owl (wisdom) and the snake (ancient symbol of female power). Patriarchal Greek mythology tells of Athena being born from Zeus's head after he swallowed her mother, Metis. Athena, after winning a contest with Poseidon over the city, gave her name to Greece’s capitol: Athens. She won by giving the city the olive tree, and from that time, the olive branch has served as a sacred symbol to Athenian families.

8) PELE She is the Hawaiian goddess of fire and the Kilauea Volcano (one of the world’s most active volcano), said to appear as a wise crone or a beautiful young woman with a fiery temperament. Like fire itself, Pele has the power to destroy as well as to create. If she is pleased by the islanders’ prayers, she will generously check the flow of hot lava toward a village. But if she is angered, she will turn people and animals to stone. Hawaiians also believe that earthquakes are caused by an angry stomp of Pele’s foot.

9) MAIA The youngest of the Pleiades sisters, Maia is also the goddess of spring and rebirth, like the month of May that bears her name. “Maia” means “the maker” and every spring she makes the lush green grass and the fragrant flowers grow again (notice a theme with me?!? I really like the goddesses that GROW things!). She gave birth to Hermes, who is credited for being a genius and inventing medicine, letters of language, and astrology. People still celebrate Maia every year on the first of May, which is called May Day in honor of the goddess. On this day, people dance around May poles wearing vibrant green – the color of the earth itself.

10) JUNO (my she-cat is named for this goddess) This supreme Roman goddess was also called “great mother” and was worshiped as one of the best and greatest of goddesses. Juno was believed to protect all women from their first breath to their last; Roman women even called their souls “juno” in honor of the goddess. The peacock is associated with Juno because of the many eyes in its feathers, like the goddess’s ever-open eyes as she guards over women. The richly colored plumes were said to be as rich as her robes. Juno’s Greek equivalent was Hera, wife of Zeus.

11) PSYCHE (my ultimate favorite myth…C.S. Lewis wrote a book about her – Till We Have Faces. It is amazing.) Psyche was wooed and fell in love with Eros, the son of Aphrodite, meeting him only in darkness. Becoming curious about his appearance, after prodding by her sisters, one night Psyche lit an oil lamp to see her lover; some oil fell on him waking him up. He flew away and vowed never to return. Psyche went to Aphrodite for help and was given a series of difficult tasks, one of which was to descend to Hades and get a container of beauty ointment from Persephone. After successfully completing all the tasks, she was reunited with Eros, given a cup of ambrosia and made immortal. Psyche, in Greek, has the meaning of both soul and butterfly. (A summary of this story is so weak compared with what this story actually is. You’ll just have to read about her yourself!)

12 & 13) DEMETER & PERSEPHONE Demeter is the Goddess of the harvest, the fertile ploughed earth, the Corn Mother; Persephone, the Corn Maiden, is the seed planted underground. Classical Greek myth tells of Persephone, Demeter’s beloved daughter, having been abducted by Hades to become Queen of the Underworld. Demeter implored ferociously to the deities to let her daughter return to earth. They consented but, in the meantime, Persephone had eaten a seed from a pomegranate, forcing her to remain in the underworld. As a compromise, it was agreed that she would inhabit the earth for part of the year and the underworld during the other part, a metaphor for the growing season and non-growing season. The pomegranate was an ancient symbol of female fertility; the souls of the underworld ate pomegranates so that they could be reborn.

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