Memorial Day Parade

In case you didn't make it to your own Memorial Day parade this year (or didn't want to, or just like pictures), here's some from the parade here in Madison. Well, actually it is Monona, but who cares. Close enough. We go to this one nearly every year. The kids love it because they get more candy than they do on Halloween. Although, I'll admit, one tossed his bag in the trash within a half-hour of leaving. No kid needs that much candy anyway. The fun is in catching it. And letting your mother eat the Bit-O-Honey candies from your bag.

Onto the pictures.

Here's the vets, standing around waiting for the parade to start. They passed a flask, smoked cigarettes and cracked some jokes to kill some time.

twins in the truck

POW cage, teenager captive

scored a hat and a mug (mug not pictured)

cloggers - I love them

Wisconsin Badgers cheerleaders - Go Red

belly whistlers

It was so very hot I didn't think I'd make the walk to my car. My capri pants felt as heavy as one of those protective "blankets" they give you when you go in for an x-ray, my back a waterfall of sweat. Momma and heat don't go together.

Painted Nails

Ah the signs of Summer. Hot grills, cut grass, garage sales, lemonade stands, kids playing... the neighborhood is abuzz with noise in the Summertime. No carpet of snow to absorb the sounds. As much as I dislike the heat of Summer, it is enjoyable in a seasonal, sentimental way. There's always something going on. At my trip to pick up some detergent the other day I picked up some Summery shades to adorn my fingers and toes with (the middle bottle is a fast-dry overcoat).

A couple nights ago I sat with my teenaged daughter and we painted. She used the green, I used the pink.

Ooohlala I love it!! I used to polish my nails all the time, but it is time-consuming because I work so much with my hands and my nail polish jobs don't last too long. So I stick to my toes. This is the first time I've painted the fingers in years. Love it. Can't stop staring at them.

Freebies 5.26

Dove Advanced Color Care for Highlighted Hair
Free Small Bites Cookbook (Hidden Valley Ranch) - download
Yogi Tea free sample
Hot Texas Hot Sauce
True Lemon
Various Samples from Wal-Mart

Pierced Glasses

Found an interesting link - Pierced Glasses. You hang your eyeglasses from your piercing.

Oprah's Legends Lunch

This past weekend Oprah made her own wildest dream come true... and that about sums it up.

In reference to the Oprah's Legends Lunch? Excuse me while I puke. I've not been a fan of O for a long time. Honestly the last thing I can remember liking her for is The Color Purple. I guess she can afford to host a party for all of her most favorite people. Why not?

Of coarse Oprah doesn't just throw a party and be done with it. Oh no, she invites photographers and cameras to document her good fortune in the schmoozefest. (puke) And at the end, she gives each attending woman a pair of diamond earrings that I can not even imagine the price of.

I know there's the Oprah-minions out there that talk on about what good she does and what money she gives, but as I've said before, bah. Whatevah. This whole fest of greed makes me ill. And sad. And ashamed. Every woman in that room could have afforded those earrings 10 times over.

Every one. It is truly shameful, the whole thing. In my humble opinion. As people struggle to feed their families, as school budgets are cut, as kids go without a home, without a shower, without dinner - Oprah wines, dines and hands out diamond earrings to some of the most privileged, richest women she knows. And worse yet she flaunts it for the entire world to see. Seriously, it breaks my heart.

Somewhere along the line I think she missed the boat.

Tuesday Three 5.16

Because Bonnie got me wantin' to...

List three things you do that tend to irritate those around you:

1). Talk too much, ask too many questions.

2). (much like Bonnie) Burp or sing. I'm a loud person and I feel burping is a natural thing. It is irritable to my body not to let it all come out, no matter how big.

3). Probably snapping my gum. I haven't had complaints, but I know some people are irritated by it.

List three things those around you tend to do that irritates you:

1). Chew with their mouth open.

2). Constantly toot their own own. Seriously, shut up already. Praise someone else.

3). Smoke.

If you could ask one question each to any three people, living or dead, who would the three people be and what question would you ask each one? Assume the answer would be 100% true.

1). God - So, really, what's this all about? (Not really a person, but does that count?)

2). Osama Bin Laden - Tell me everything... your life story, don't leave anything out.

3). I can't think of anything else.

Whitney Houston Brain Tumor

In the checkout lane at the grocery store I saw a headline that read Whitney Houston was suffering from a brain tumor. (National Enquirer). Though her rep denies it, Enquirer stands by their story. Say it isn't so, though. Watching Whitney on drugs, Whitney and Bobby, their reality show... it is like watching your prom queen deteriorate before your eyes. She was the girl when I was young. Beautiful, sang her booty off. I loved her. It is sad to see her in this state. I'm still rooting for her, and mourn the old Whitney.

Lightswitch Decoration

After re-painting the livingroom and entryway, I decided to change the light switches and electrical covers. After looking around at Home Depot, Menards and the like, I figured it was going to be more money than I wanted to spend to get all new ones with the colors I liked. So I decided to revamp the prominent ones by using supplies I had on hand got. The one new thing I did get was the scrapbook paper. My pictures didn't turn out so hot, but you get the gist.

Supplies:
scrapbook paper (or paper of your choice)
glue (I used craft glue)
water
scissors
razor blade cutter (man I can't think of the name right now - exacto knife, maybe?)

I took the scrapbook paper and made an outline of the lightswitch cover.

Then I took the glue, mixed it with water (about a 1:3 ratio, glue:water). With a paintbrush and some fingers I smeared glue on the back of the paper, placed that over the lightswitch cover and smeared generous portions of the glue/water soluntion on that as well. I let that dry a bit, then repeated that 2 more times.

After that dried I put a clear protective spray over it that I had on hand (2 coats). I don't know if it was necessary, but since I had it If figured I might as well use it for extra protection. I also did a little trimming of excess paper at some point during the process.

Voila.

They look pretty good, but I can see things I may have done different, like trimmed a little more or maybe even did a couple more coats of the glue water to make it even more durable. But oh well.

SPAM Recipe Ad

Haha. I was checking my Gmail today and went to empty out the SPAM folder. I have to say that Gmail is pretty darn efficient at filtering the SPAM. Very few make it to my inbox. That is very nice. But anyway, so I'm deleting all the SPAM and I saw in the targeted ads at the top in the little ad bar:

(click for larger)

I would think you'd find things like lotto tickets or trips to Nigeria, Paypal, male enhancements, you know - all that SPAM stuff. But no. Just a recipe for... well, Spam.

Paris and Nicole

Said Paris, about Nicole:

"I can't believe it. That's not normal. She looks horrible. It's really sad." [link]

I know Nicole Richie was heavier on the show they did together the first time, but isn't this kind of like the pot calling the kettle black? Reow.

Richie says "I tried to put the weight on my way, eating burritos, but that wasn't working, so I started seeing a nutritionist and a doctor."

HUH?

Books Books Oh I Love Books

I am addicted to books. It isn't a big secret or anything. But I think that Paperback Swap has made me even more addicted. The joy of finding books, listing, swapping, getting books in the mail... it is a book-lover's dream. And is more economical than me always buying books at Barnes and Noble or wherever. I used to be kind of a book snob, always having to have a new one, and then since I bought new I'd feel compelled to keep the book as well. I'm so happy to be freed from that feeling. I love that I can "shop" online and the books are delivered to my door. I hope they don't start charging a membership fee, though. That would suck.

At any rate, I scored a few books at the thrift shop the other day:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (an extra copy since this is our current read-aloud book)
Nights in Rodanthe (for my daughter)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (daughter, although come to think of it I think she's read it - dang)
The Pilot's Wife

I just finished The Queen's Fool and now have the wonderful task of picking out which book to read next. Aaaah, savor the moment. I'm thinking of reading one of the books on my To Be Read list that someone at PBS is waiting for, but I'm not sure. We'll see.

Pedicure

Pedicure. Tomorrow. Ooh-la-la. I haven't had one yet this year and need one. Too lazy to give one to myself, too, really. And am totally in love with the idea of pampering my tootsies and having someone else do all the work. But the bestest part of a pedicure? Flip-flops!! Yes, yes. I love me some flip-flops. But unless I have some pretty polished toes I won't wear them out in public. That's just me. At yoga the other day there were plenty of people with naked toes, rough heels and talons. I'd show hairy legs before I'd show my unkempt feet.