Peep Idol

What's your favorite Peep? There are more varieties of this venerable marshmallow Easter treat than ever. This year manufacturer Just Born introduced cocoa bunnies, sugar-free chicks and green chicks for St. Patrick's Day.

All week, The State is letting the public decide which Peep pops for us. Vote here; they're doing it "American Idol" style. Each day this week, they'll boot two Peeps until they reveal the favorite on Saturday in Life&Style.

For the record, I like the classic yellow Chick and Bunny. I did get some green Chicks a few weeks ago; they were so pretty! The blue is my second favorite. Red? NASTY! And I won't even try cocoa - I like my Peeps unadulterated. I tried the sugar-free, too, and they were all wrong. Peeps are all about the sugar crunch - without it, they're just not Peeps!

My New Favorite Elected Official

For those of you who know me well, you know I don't have many favorite elected officials, but I met one in Greenville that is at the top of my list, Dorchester County Councilman Richard Rosebrock!

Councilman Rosebrock received the Carolina Recycling Association's Political Leader of the Year Award this year for his work on behalf of recycling and the environment. He and his wife arrived in Greenville the night before the awards breakfast and went to dinner with a group of us. He was with at least seven loud and crazy women recyclers, and he not only held his own, he fit right in.

The next morning at the awards breakfast, he was fabulous! When he won the award, he got up and made the most wonderful remarks! He said things like how blessed he was to live in such a beautiful place and that we needed to take care of it.

Councilman Rosebrock reminds me of an elected official from days past, one who cares more about doing the right thing and serving the people than himself and what's in it for him. I'm so glad I had the chance to meet him and his wife, and I'm ever more glad that my friend Carolyn has such a great supporter in Dorchester County!

Fun in Greenvile

Spent a good part of last week in Greenville for the Carolina Recycling Association conference! Here are a few random shots for your blog enjoyment.

I got to spend a lot of time with my friend Carolyn from Dorchester County. She is their award-winning Recycling Coordinator, and aside from being a great friend and fun person, she totally inspires me. She's always doing something creative and wonderful and getting awards for it. But mostly, she is making a BIG difference doing what she does.

This is Carolyn winning ANOTHER award at the conference. Way to go, Carolyn!

This is Carolyn out and about with the giraffes at a cool store called Go Fish.

Carolyn and I chatting up a little Italian guy on Main Street, after a few cocktails - ha ha!

Whoa! Carolyn was THIRSTY! This was some display at the exhibit hall. The exhibitor wanted me to send her the picture so she could send it to some magazine. I have to give Carolyn's permission first, especially since her eyes are closed...

Greenville is a very dog-friendly city! There were water bowls up and down Main Street. These were three dogs we met during our Thursday evening hunt for George Clooney, who was in town making a movie. The white dog is actually a poodle-German Shepherd mix, and he was PRECIOUS!

Can you tell what this is? It's blurry, but it's a fish head! We went to a great restaurant called Sassafras Bistro, and Jackie from Berkeley County ordered some kind of fancy fish dish. And it came with the head attached. I know we are small town girls, and we acted like we were used to that kinda stuff, but it really freaked us out. Hence the picture!

I don't know why I took this - I just like the retro graphics really!

Jackie wanted to get a picture of this funky public art, so of course I had to mess up the picture by jumping in it! I almost knocked it over. Niiiiiiiice!

We went to the Restaurant O, a known George Clooney's hangout. Outside the lounge, we were shocked to see Jackie playing the piano beautifully. That's until we noticed the cords coming from it. It was a player piano. Good one, Jackie.

Have you seen these R2D2 mailboxes? Until last week, I'd only seen them on TV. I still don't quite understand why the post office feels the need to do such, but thought it was cool.

This is blurry, but Leslie from York County and her fireman husband Matt who bought me a trash to treasure art piece from the CRA auction. The center of the flower is a Starbucks cap. I'll get and post a better picture of it later.


This is Summer, the most precocious and precious recycler EVER! She is holding two pair of my pop tab earrings that I gave her for being so helpful at the conference.


And the highlight of the conference - ha ha - this was the TV in my room. I loved watching my reality and trash tv on it!

Coming tomorrow, my new favorite elected official!

Spring at the Sisters'

Oooh, coming back from Greenville, I could tell Spring had sprung by the big cloud of pollen I saw as soon as I came onto Elmwood from I-26. Here are a few other signs:




The first tulip in our yard.

The cat grass I planted before I left was ready when I came home!

And if you look closely at the rabbit planter's ear, what do you see but a salamander shedding it's skin! Wild, huh? We must've seen a dozen salamanders this weekend!

Here's Dutchess enjoying some of the cat grass! She and Pikachu LOVE them some cat grass! Pika would've loved it, too, if that salamander would've made its way in with the grass. He likes everything except the heads.

And to top it all off, we took the dogs on a rabbit hunt Sunday night and saw the first two rabbits of the season! Yahoo!

The Open Toed Shoe Pledge

As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free.

I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes, which mine are! No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages. Better yet, I won't wear one!

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $15 or 20 and worth EVERY penny). Or at least do a good one myself!

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear... nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.

'Til Next Week...

Work is going to take me off line for the rest of the week, but never fear, I'll be back in rare form next week with lots of comments about Idol and other such nonsense!

'Til then, review some old of the archived blogs to catch up or even take a break, but don't forget to check back next week!

Ciao!

Spectacle Saturday

We spent most of the morning Saturday getting new glasses! Beth had her appointment Thursday, but wanted to wait for me until she chose her frames. I had my appointment Saturday morning with Dr. Levy. We went early to try on frames.

These are some of the rejects!

Check out those ones of Sister rubbing her hands together. She is imitating a certain member of municipal government; you eagle eyes might've already guessed who!

In the end, I got a pair of BCBG frames and Sister a pair of blue frames. But I can't post pix of them - you have to be surprised when you see us!

Oh, we knew Sister had found hers when we heard her exclaim," Ooh, I think I'm in love with myself with these on!" Everyone in the store giggled. We certainly brought a certain air of fun to the store that wasn't there previously. And Dr. Levy took a liking to me; he said I was intelligent - DUH!

Afterwards, we went to S&S - YES, voluntarily! Mom and Dad met us there, and we ran into Bob and Nancy, too. While we were at the Richland Mall/Midtown at Forest Acres, which is now bankrupt, we went to Belk and tried on sunglasses.

Sister looked like a movie star.

She said I looked like Elton John.

Last stop, Walgreen's, and we had to look at the Easter stuff. Sister will be mad I added this to the blog...

But it's no worse than me as D-D-D-Dora!

That night, we helped feed the homeless like we did in December. Thanks, Mom, for joining us, and bringing cookies.

American Idol

Okay, I was right about Sanjaya. I didn't agree, but I was right. (Gramma owes me a dollar. She said that he would be voted off, and I bet a buck her that he was safe. )

Another day, Another Dollar!

And you thought Trash to Treasure was cool! Click here for even more incredible sculptures from the "Dollar Artist."

Early St. Patrick's Day Greetings

I don't really get the cow and the Irish thing, but I thought it was cute. It reminded me of Winston's lips!

Cuuuute one!


LOL!

This one is for Sister and I, who in former lives, bankrolled Hooligan's in Trenholm Plaza!!

This looks like Frosty or another Christmas cartoon character.
Tell it! Another one I liked, but couldn't save and download read, "St. Patrick was My Homey."

For all of you going to St. Patrick's Day in Five Points, have fun and be careful of all those "lawbreakers" with aluminum cans! (Watch the 3/7/2007 Columbia City Council meeting on Channel Two.) I say "Don't Ban The Cans: RECYCLE Them!"

Tale of Two Dog Baths

Another adventure at the dog wash! Since we've subjected you to this before, I won't document the entire thing again, but just share some fun pics!

Cebu and the look of terror! Poor Boo, she's never had a picture where her eyes weren't yellow!

Cebu's post-wash coiffure! Look, there's more water on Sister than anywhere!

This was great! Cebu's great escape! She jumped over the bath gate and straight to the door. Tonight's bath: officially over!

And then there's Winston, who LOVES baths! Beth says he loves baths for three reasons: 1) he's the complete center of my attention, 2) he gets wet, and 3) he gets to eat the soap bubbles. Look at that smile!


He had an audience this week: a lady was watching through the window in the store. He was giving his best Clark Gable look. Look at the LIPS on that dog - it looks like I photoshopped those smackers on him! Oops, more yellow eyes!

At first glance, he looks a little cranky here, but I'd really just caught him finishing up a wet dog shake, and everything was out of place. And he was doing his best Billy Idol impression with the lips this time!

Yes, it was an exciting night at the dog wash! Everyone was tired afterward - heck, Winston even tried to lay down while I was drying him - and we all slept well when we got home! And everyone knows that it's much easier to sleep with a clean dog that a dirty one!

American Idol

Oooh, that was a bad show last night! What was up with everyone forgetting the lyrics?

First of all, I am not about any Diana Ross. I think she is totally overrated. The last I heard from her, she had been arrested in an airport for slapping an airline employee. Like James Brown, she is a HAZZZ-ben. I can't even name 12 of her songs, but anyway...

My only predictions: 1) Sajaya will stay. He can't sing, but the judges were so harsh on him that America's love of the underdog will give him another week. 2) LaKisha and the old looking Sister (Melinda?) will stay. They can sing!

Observations: Chris and Blake disappointed me. I especially expected more from Blake the Beatbox Boy.

Everyone else is fair game!

I hate to have to sit through Diana to see the results. I think I'll tune in at 9:25 p.m.

EEEEEwwwwwww! Coooooooool!!!

Look what Sister found in our garage on Sunday!

I wish I'd been there when she found it! It was by her car, and she saw it as she was getting in to go to church. (For the record, I DIDN'T put it there!) She said she screamed very loud, but since she was running late, she didn't have time for too much drama.

The skin is from a resident snake who lives near the garage. The way he sheds, we ought to call him Ex-foli-snake. Last year, I found his entire skin, head and all. You could even see his eye and nose holes. The actual snake has scared us many, many times. This skin is still in the garage freaking us out; I hate to throw it away. Let me know if any of you know any Boy (or Girl) Scouts who may be interested in Ex-foli-Snake. Or maybe I could make a teeny handbag with it!