I'm SO Freaking Out

Tonight, I found a tick on my body. And it was hard to pull off. And I am TOTALLY freaking out. Ticks in December? That is just wrong. I will not put it in print, but if you want a laugh, call me and ask me about the tick bite.

Public Works Breakfast

Some of you may've already heard about the Public Works breakfast. My second week of work - or was it the first - the Public Works division directors made breakfast for the 300+ Public Works staff! (Mom's reaction, "Mary Pat, do they know you can't cook?")

The guys cooked the bacon and sausage the day before, thank goodness. They cooked 45 lbs. of bacon! The entire building smelled like bacon, which is really not a bad thing.

The next day, we got there at 4:30 a.m. (Yes, 4:30 a.m., but we did get to leave early that day!) We made pancakes, eggs and grits, and also warmed the bacon and sausage.

My boss, Missy, and Sara mixed the pancake batter with a drill and paint stirrer attachment. (It was clean!)

The guys have a great pancake batter machine. The best way I can describe it is as a pancake batter I.V. with a pouring hose.

Some of us worked it better than others.

Turns out my strong point was flipping pancakes, once I learned WHEN to flip them. There is a fine line between ready to flip and not so much.

Robert S. was in charge of the grits, and they were GREAT! They say the last guy who did it had some problems - his grits were so sticky they could've used them to seal leaks in the roof.


Breakfast was served from 7 to 9 a.m.

This was just a dress rehearsal - our department also does the cooking for the Mayor's Breast Cancer Breakfast in October. Get your tickets now, folks - it'll be quite a show!

Merry Christmas from Winnie and I

It's looking like the annual "Sisters and Dogs" Christmas card isn't meant to be this year, but enjoy this fabulous shot of Winnie waiting for Santa.

I'm Baaccccck!

Whew! Thanksgiving - the new job - Mom's surgery. Somehow we've survived, but are running woefully behind on everything!

Christmas. We're scaling back in the interest of our time and sanity. We have a very ssmall real tree, and the bottle tree is lit. We may even have to replace the annual Christmas card with the dogs with a new tradition - a Christmas e-mail with pictures of the dogs!

Mom is doing quite well after her November rotator cuff surgery. She is doing physical therapy now and will be able to take off the sling for Christmas! She is VERY tired of doing things with one arm, but is glad to be back at work and in a routine - a one-armed routine, but a routine nonetheless.

LOVING the new job. I'm on a learning curve, but this one seems gentler than the one I experienced in Lexington County. Going from goverment from a non-profit was quite a shock, but government to government isn't such a drastic change. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being eight minutes from home (and other stuff, too) and have made good use of both my extra 45 minutes in the morning and the ability to actually run errands during lunch.

You'll love this. The Public Works division heads - that includes me - are cooking breakfast for the 300+ members of the Public Works staff tomorrow. FULL breakfast - eggs, bacon, sausage, grits and pancakes. I have to be there at 4:30 a.m. for my assigned duty - eggs. Even though I only cook about five things, one of which is Hamburger Helper lasagne, I think I can handle the eggs.

TRASHformations has been busy since Thanksgiving. Three special event sales and lots of Internet orders. Last sale is tomorrow, thank goodness.

Now that we're almost caught up - I DO still have to post T-giving pictures - hopefully I'll be able to post on a regular basis again!

Cake Wrecks

Thanksgiving and Black Weekend shopping has left a little void on the Blog, but this will more than make up for it - I laughed out loud looking through this great Blog, featuring professional cake "gone wrong."

Like this one, that looks like a monkey pooping!

OMG - How Exciting Is This???

Campbell Soup Cans. The Mona Lisa. Starry Nights and Water Lillies. Mary Pat. What do these things have in common? They've inspired art!

This picture, by Columbia artist Bill Davis, is titled "Mary Pat: The Recycling Diva." HOW COOL IS THAT? He unveiled it at his Diva show last week, which I had to miss due to Mom's surgery, but I saw him at the grocery store tonight, and he had it in the car!!

It will be TOO perfect in my new office, don't you think?

LOVE LOVE LOVE These Products

How to Add Bad to Thanksgiving

From my Bad Girls page-a-day calendar (thanks, Rox)

At Thanksgiving, Play Problem Child

Angry Politically Correct Child: Just as everyone is sitting down to enjoy their feast, tap your wineglass with a fork, stand up and read a one-page speech about oppression in the United States and why we should boycott this bogus holiday.

Geeky, Socially Awkward Brainiac: After several large mugs of mulled win, retreat to the bedroom, don a pilgrim costume and insist that everyone follow you to the backyard to reenact the age-old tradition of burying three kernels of corn and a dead fish. Be prepared to deliver a brief lecture on the history of the first Thanksgiving.

Bitter Rage-Against-the Machine Kid: An hour before dinner, remove the fuse to the kitchen from the fuse box and hide it, As a back up, sever the cable wire just before the big football game.

You Ain't Been Blessed 'Til A Trash Man Prays for You

I was just on the way out to the HEO safety meeting, and a huge African-American Southland Sanitation driver stopped me and said he wanted to pray for me. I understood three things he said: Thank you Lord for this beautiful lady - yada yada yada - she is a creature of God - yada yada yada - beautiful lady. And he went on for about two minutes! I don't know what he said, but I certainly felt blessed! How curious! I will miss the landfill - every day it's a new adventure!

Mom Update

We spent 12 hours (yes, 12 hours) at Baptist Hospital ER yesterday/last night with Mom. She has a blood clot - which they admitted her to treat - gout and a throat infection. On the flip side, she says her shoulder feels fine. We expect she'll be in for another day or two. Never a dull day for the sisters!

I Don't Mean to Be a Grinch...

But this whole Christmas thing is out of control!

Last night, I saw a house in Forest Acres already decorated for Christmas - outside lights and all! Then this morning, aWBBQ was playing Christmas carols.

I'm all for kicking off the Christmas season the day after Thanksgiving, but not a day before!

A Few Lost Days

So I gave my two week notice at work on Wednesday, and then promptly took two days off for Mom's rotator cuff surgery. For the past four days, Sister and I have been caregiving as only we can. Our Aunt Pat has been there, but with Gramma and Dad, we really need more than one caregiver. A few notes from the past few days:

Mom is NOT a good patient. She's ready to be up and out, and she hasn't liked everyone hovering over her, telling her what to do. The Demoral has helped the pain, but not her attitude. Since Mom is always so nice and sweet, it's been funny hearing her yell "Damn" in her sleep. And it was really funny tonight when, after I unwisely commented on her gown, she said,"Just go to hell." It is all so out of character.

While Mom is not a good patient, I'm just plain out not patient. There have been times that the house resembled a Three Stooges movie - only with a few more Stooges. And I'm not watching, but an active player. If you earn patience by using a patience muscle, mine is a bit stronger, especially after the trip to the Commissary. (See Gramma's Blog for pics!)

While "driving Miss Alice," we saw Chicken Man Ernest Lee has moved his "outdoor gallery" further down Harden Street, so we stopped and chatted him up. He's working on a fabu Obama piece that I told him he needed to send to the White House. And he has a Web site now, too. He's left the camper near the Landfill and is looking for an apartment. I told him I missed seeing his stuff everyday on the way to the Landfill!

Gramma's Blog is updated - we even added a picture where she is smiling! Check it out!

I made some YUMMY black bean soup for everyone. It is a yummy recipe someone gave me years ago. It makes A LOT, so we'll have lots of good soup for lunch this week. If you ever need to make it, I'm happy to share the recipe - it is very easy, but also YUMMY!

Sweet Jackie Boland brought the best casserole over for Mom. Gramma said it was the best of anything they'd received, and they've received some stuff! If you've never had Jackie feed you, you are missing out!

Mom starts PT tomorrow, so it will be a rough day. Aunt Pat and Beth will be taking her; I'm coming over for dinner. Tomorrow will really be the first time back at work since I gave my notice. Should be an interesting day.

Mom On the Mend

As some of you know, Mom has rotator cuff surgery yesterday. She is doing pretty good, except she had some rough pain today. The doc changed her from Oxycodone to Demerol, and she is much better. Sister and I have been care givers for three the past couple of days, and I must say, Sister is better than me.

Mom is pretty funny on these meds. This afternoon, she was sound alseep and then yelled "DAMN!" at the top of her lungs. When I told her later, she didn't believe me.

Keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers the next couple of days!! And if you have the magic answer to finding patience, please call immediately!

New J-O-B

I've accepted a job with the City of Columbia. Sustainability Facilitator. Housed in Public Works. I'll be working on sustainability issues internally in the City, as well as with businesses and neighborhoods. Start on December 1. The most visible project to date has been CPAC, the City's Climate Protection Action Committee. It is a great career move, more money and closer to home, i.e. I can have lunch with my dad and help Mom with caregiving duties. More details soon, including new contact info.

Sister Early Birds/Ramblings

Beth and I around 5:30 a.m. on Election Day - MP didn't get lipstick on 'til nearly 11:30 a.m.


Not much Blog time this week, but Gramma's Blog IS finally updated. Check it out.

I was on WIS Saturday a.m. promoting the Clemson/USC Office Paper Recycling Challenge.

Sister and I spent today with Dad. We ate lunch at Five Guys and saw the movie W - Dad's choice. Good movie, but a little long. And Condi Rice should sue the actress who portrayed her.

Weathering the post-election emotional storm

How to cope with raw emotions and be cheerful, even if you loved McCain

Random Ramblings (with apologies to Rox!)

How do you like this picture of our cat, Pikachu? He is crazy. He's always loved sitting on computers, probably because they are warm.

I joined Facebook last week. Its quite addictive, and the Blog has suffered. The newness is wearing off, though, so there's a little time to post.

I LOVE the time change. I woke up EARLY this a.m. Now, if I can just continue to do so, I'll be in good shape.

The election will be here soon, thank goodness. I'm poll manager at South Forest Acres, and I'll be cracking the whip! I don't think it will be too bad, just busy, but there are a few voters who can be such pains. The day should go by fast since we'll be so busy. Sister will be cracking the whip at South Forest Acres.

I have a meeting at the City this week.

After about 10 days of taking Ambien CR to help me sleep, I'm going to quit taking them. Probably not coincidentally, I've been quite edgy for 10 days, during the day. Yes, more so than usual. HA! Last night - my first night off - I didn't sleep much at all. Maybe I should have a glass of wine before bed tonight.

Today's big project? Whitening a shirt (white) that I washed with my darks. I know, I know - separate whites and darks, but I was in a hurry. Bleach didn't work, but it appears that Rit Dye Remover did. But it's taken all afternoon.

My stomach is burning. I had veggie soup for dinner, but that shouldn't have caused it.

Random enough?

Happy Halloween

Halloween Eve

Sister and I are making Halloween chocolate pretzels and Jello jigglers tonight. For dinner, we're having cereal - Count Chocula (me) and Franken Berry (Sister). Who says you have to grow up???

Hilarious!

Embrace Your Inner Diva

CNN's Campbell Brown says she understands why Sarah Palin "embraced her inner diva."

(CNN) -- It was big news when this story broke over the weekend -- a shocking quote from an adviser to John McCain, calling Sarah Palin a "diva."

You see, apparently the McCain campaign is frustrated with Palin. They say she is "going rogue" -- not following orders, speaking for herself without running it past their people first.

Her people say she is trying to "bust free" of the damaging and mismanaged rollout of her candidacy. So the McCain campaign, in its frustration, is now speaking to the media, trying to put her in her place.

And what this McCain adviser said is that Sarah Palin is a diva. A diva who takes advice from no one. A diva who is playing for her own future.

"Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom," the adviser said.

Let's just start with the word diva. It is obviously a sexist slight -- a term that is only applied to women, almost always in a derogatory way. It's usually applied to women who are viewed as overly ambitious. It is applied to demanding women, to women who follow their own path.

There is really no equivalent word for men -- except maybe "successful."

So, with that in mind, I applaud Sarah Palin, or any other woman, for embracing her inner diva and "busting free" of what she believes is a damaging situation.

But we are going to go easy on the Helen Reddy here, because what is really pathetic about all of this is the hypocrisy.

Almost from the moment Sarah Palin was announced as McCain's running mate, the McCain campaign has accused the media of sexism. And sure, in some cases, questions were raised that were sexist in nature -- much the same way that Hillary Clinton had to deal with sexism in the primary race. We are not yet a society free of sexism and this will continue to be an issue for all women candidates.

But by and large, the questions raised about Sarah Palin have been about her qualifications and her experience.

So now, for the McCain campaign to attack its own candidate in the most overtly sexist way, calling her a diva, is beyond ridiculous. Whoever this anonymous adviser is should be ashamed, or at the very least, have the courage to say it on the record.

As someone who urged the McCain campaign early on to free Sarah Palin so that the American people could have the opportunity to find out who she is and whether or not she is qualified for the job, I applaud Gov. Palin for finally tossing those shackles aside.

Because Governor, if it were Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman or Tom Ridge standing in your shoes right now, being mismanaged the way you feel you are, I can assure you they would have tapped into their inner divas and tossed those advisers aside a long time ago.

Recycla-Bull

Look at this great costume! Click here to see the rest.

I May End Up Liking This Woman Yet

I think this is about the funniest thing I've seen in weeks. Live by the sword, die by the sword. These guys just can't handle a woman with a mind of her own. That diva quote, I'd bet anything that came from Trey Walker. Sounds just like him.

Palin's "Going Rogue" (From CNN.com)

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (CNN) -- With 10 days until Election Day, long-brewing tensions between GOP vice presidential candidate Gov. Sarah Palin and key aides to Sen. John McCain have become so intense, they are spilling out in public, sources say.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin speaks at a rally in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday.

Several McCain advisers have suggested to CNN that they have become increasingly frustrated with what one aide described as Palin "going rogue."

A Palin associate, however, said the candidate is simply trying to "bust free" of what she believes was a damaging and mismanaged roll-out.

McCain sources say Palin has gone off-message several times, and they privately wonder whether the incidents were deliberate. They cited an instance in which she labeled robocalls -- recorded messages often used to attack a candidate's opponent -- "irritating" even as the campaign defended their use. Also, they pointed to her telling reporters she disagreed with the campaign's decision to pull out of Michigan. Watch why the campaign is fighting »

A second McCain source says she appears to be looking out for herself more than the McCain campaign.

"She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone," said this McCain adviser. "She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else."

"Also, she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: Divas trust only unto themselves, as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom."

A Palin associate defended her, saying that she is "not good at process questions" and that her comments on Michigan and the robocalls were answers to process questions.

But this Palin source acknowledged that Palin is trying to take more control of her message, pointing to last week's impromptu news conference on a Colorado tarmac.

Tracey Schmitt, Palin's press secretary, was urgently called over after Palin wandered over to the press and started talking. Schmitt tried several times to end the unscheduled session.

"We acknowledge that perhaps she should have been out there doing more," a different Palin adviser recently said, arguing that "it's not fair to judge her off one or two sound bites" from the network interviews.

The Politico reported Saturday on Palin's frustration, specifically with McCain advisers Nicolle Wallace and Steve Schmidt. They helped decide to limit Palin's initial press contact to high-profile interviews with Charlie Gibson of ABC and Katie Couric of CBS, which all McCain sources admit were highly damaging.

In response, Wallace e-mailed CNN the same quote she gave the Politico: "If people want to throw me under the bus, my personal belief is that the most honorable thing to do is to lie there."

But two sources, one Palin associate and one McCain adviser, defended the decision to keep her press interaction limited after she was picked, both saying flatly that she was not ready and that the missteps could have been a lot worse.

They insisted that she needed time to be briefed on national and international issues and on
McCain's record.

"Her lack of fundamental understanding of some key issues was dramatic," said another McCain source with direct knowledge of the process to prepare Palin after she was picked. The source said it was probably the "hardest" to get her "up to speed than any candidate in history."

Schmitt came to the back of the plane Saturday to deliver a statement to traveling reporters: "Unnamed sources with their own agenda will say what they want, but from Gov. Palin down, we have one agenda, and that's to win on Election Day."

Yet another senior McCain adviser lamented the public recriminations.

"This is what happens with a campaign that's behind; it brings out the worst in people, finger-pointing and scapegoating," this senior adviser said.

This adviser also decried the double standard, noting that Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama's running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, has gone off the reservation as well, most recently by telling donors at a fundraiser that America's enemies will try to "test" Obama.

Tensions like those within the McCain-Palin campaign are not unusual; vice presidential candidates also have a history of butting heads with the top of the ticket.

John Edwards and his inner circle repeatedly questioned Sen. John Kerry's strategy in 2004, and Kerry loyalists repeatedly aired in public their view that Edwards would not play the traditional attack dog role with relish because he wanted to protect his future political interests.

Even in a winning campaign like Bill Clinton's, some of Al Gore's aides in 1992 and again in 1996 questioned how Gore was being scheduled for campaign events.

Jack Kemp's aides distrusted the Bob Dole camp and vice versa, and Dan Quayle loyalists had a list of gripes remarkably similar to those now being aired by Gov. Palin's aides.

With the presidential race in its final days and polls suggesting that McCain's chances of pulling out a win are growing slim, Palin may be looking after her own future.

"She's no longer playing for 2008; she's playing 2012," Democratic pollster Peter Hart said. "And the difficulty is, when she went on 'Saturday Night Live,' she became a reinforcement of her caricature. She never allowed herself to be vetted, and at the end of the day, voters turned against her both in terms of qualifications and personally."

I Swore I Wouldn't Do This Again

But since it's judged by a panel instead of public votes (thus meaning I don't have to campaign), I couldn't resist.

Feel free to add nice comments to his page, however.

The Sad Thing: People Believed Her At First!

Police: Woman With 'B' Scratched In Face Faked Political Attack
Bloomfield ATM Robbery At Knifepoint Was Made Up, Police Say

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh police said a 20-year-old woman who originally said she was robbed and assaulted at knifepoint in Bloomfield because of her political views made the story up.

Ashley Todd -- who has a backward letter "B" scratched into her right cheek -- confessed to faking the story and will be charged with filing a false report, Assistant Police Chief Maurita Bryant said at a news conference Friday.

Todd, of College Station, Texas, admitted there was no robbery or attacker and said she had prior mental health problems, according to Bryant.

It's not yet clear whether Todd's face was mutilated by her, or if she had somebody else do it, because a police report states that she told them she can't remember.

Todd said she was driving around in her car, looked in her rear-view mirror, saw a "B," and the first thing she thought of was Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama, according to a police report obtained by WTAE Channel 4 Action News.

On Thursday afternoon, police reported that Todd told them she was using a Citizens Bank ATM at Liberty Avenue and Pearl Street when a man approached her and put a knife to her throat just before 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said Todd told them the robber took $60, then became angry when he saw a sticker for Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain on Todd's car. Todd said the man punched and kicked her before using a dull knife to scratch her face, Richard said.

"She further stated that the male actor approached her from the back again and hit her in the back of her head with an object, she doesn't know what the object was, causing her to fall to the ground where he continued to punch her and kick her and threaten to 'teach her a lesson' for being a McCain supporter," Richard said.

Richard said the woman refused medical treatment after the assault, which happened outside the view of the bank's surveillance cameras.

Speaking to Channel 4 Action News on Friday, Richard said police decided to question Todd because the details of her story weren't adding up.

"We have learned that the victim's statement has a few inconsistencies in it and her statement has changed," said Richard.

Richard said Todd said on Friday she wasn't sure if it was a bumper sticker on her car or a campaign button on her jacket that angered the attacker. Richard said Todd added new details to the attack, saying at one point she lost consciousness.

"She also indicated she was sexually assaulted as well. She indicated that when he had her on the ground he put his hand up her blouse and started fondling her. But other than that, she says she doesn't remember anything else. So we're adding a sexual assault to this as well," Richard said.

Police said they gave a polygraph test to Todd, but they didn't release the results.

Todd said during her follow-up interview that her story had snowballed and gotten out of control, according to the police report. When she told a friend about it and the police were called, she had to stick with it.

On Thursday, before police said the story was a fake, both the Obama-Biden and McCain-Palin campaigns released statements about the attack.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the young woman for her to make a speedy recovery, and we hope that the person who perpetrated this crime is swiftly apprehended and brought to justice," the Obama-Biden statement said.

"The McCain campaign is aware of the incident involving one of its volunteers. Out of respect, the campaign won't be commenting. The campaign also confirms that Senator McCain and Governor Palin have both spoken to the woman," the McCain-Palin statement said.

Hilarious!

This afternoon at work, I tried to go to an environmental art Web site, and this is the message our blocking software gave me:

The requested page is currently unavailable
Your organization has chosen to limit viewing of this site (http://www.absolutearts.com/artsnews/2006/01/20/33626.html), due to the rating of its content (art/culture). If you feel that you have received this page in error, please contact:Your System Administrator

Like Lexington County employees can't handle arts and culture? LOL!

Stupid Criminal Story

Run out on the bill, but leave your purse there? D'OH!

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Miss Teen Louisiana lost her crown 11 days early after being arrested on charges of leaving a restaurant without paying and carrying marijuana. RPM Productions Inc., the sponsor, took back the title on Tuesday after learning that Lindsey Evans, 18, of Blanchard, had been arrested, president Paula M. Miles said Wednesday.

Evans will have to return her sash and crown, but won't have to return any other prizes or cash equivalents, Miles said.

"She's done a good job this year," Miles said.

A call to Evans' parents' house was not answered Wednesday.

Miles said she had been told that the three women with Evans told police that Evans, alone in the group, had paid her bill. But Bossier City spokesman Mark Natale said Evans admitted not paying.

Bossier City police booked all four on theft charges, three on drug charges and two on drug paraphernalia charges, he said.

Natale said Bossier City police were called to a Posados Cafe restaurant Saturday evening because a group had left without paying $46.07. The manager had found a pocketbook at the table, and police found Evans' driver's license and about 2 grams of suspected marijuana in it, Natale said.

He said officers recognized Evans from the photo when the group returned for the pocketbook.

Miles said she talked with Evans on Monday.

The next Miss Teen Louisiana will be chosen Nov. 1 at a pageant in Lafayette. Michelle Berthelot, Miss Louisiana USA 2008, will crown the winner.

Starbucks Gold Card?

I received this e-mail yesterday:

Over the past six months, I've received a ton of good ideas from Starbucks Card Rewards members who want to see us expand and improve our rewards program. Membership recognition, flexible payment options, and more everyday value are just a sample of what I hear.

We're getting ready to incorporate benefits like these into a new membership program, and I'd like to give you a sneak preview. In early November, you'll have the opportunity to join Starbucks Gold and take advantage of significant everyday value and exclusive member benefits.

The annual membership fee is $25 and it entitles you to:
10% off most purchases in participating U.S. Starbucks stores*
A free drink when you purchase your Starbucks Gold Card in a Starbucks store
The option to pay for purchases any way you like
A special Gold Card that identifies you as a member of this group

And if you register your Gold Card, you'll unlock additional benefits. That's when the top-shelf treatment really begins. This is a program for people who really love their Starbucks.

If you're enjoying Starbucks Card Rewards benefits, such as free syrups, milk options and refills on drip coffee, then we hope you continue to do so. But if you're looking for daily savings on everything from espresso beverages to espresso machines, you should check out Starbucks Gold. (Please note that Starbucks Card Rewards discounts cannot be combined with Starbucks Gold discounts.)

We're letting you know about Starbucks Gold early, so don't be surprised if your barista doesn't know about it yet. You'll be able to find out more when you visit your neighborhood store next month.

Thanks,
Brad Stevens
Vice President, Customer Relationship Management

A New Twist on Spaghetti

YUM! I made this tonight, and it was YUMMY!

Spaghetti with Bacon and Eggs

3/4 pound spaghetti

8 slices bacon

4 large eggs

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (about 3 ounces)

Kosher salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Let cool, then break into pieces.

Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet; cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the bacon, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the reserved pasta water.

Divide the pasta among bowls and top with the eggs. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Separated At Birth?

OMG! I'm flipping channels and see Peggy Hill from King of the Hill. She is SO Sarah Palin! And the description of Peggy even makes it funnier. From Wikipedia: Hank is married to Peggy Hill, a substitute Spanish teacher who has a poor grasp of the language (referring to it phonetically as "es-pa-nole"). Peggy is also a freelance newspaper columnist, real estate agent, notary public, and Boggle champion. Peggy frequently speaks the phrases "Ho, yeah!" when she exerts effort into a task, and "Oh, Peggy!", a self-compliment after a perceived accomplishment. Usually well-meaning and open-minded, she often displays her naïveté and arrogance; with an inflated sense of her intelligence and appearance, she considers herself knowledgeable, clever and very physically attractive.

The EYES Have It

We went over to Mom and Dad's tonight to make some Matthew Mead Halloween treats. Most involved an eye theme...

Eye Cookies

Carrots with Eyes

It was a rough night - see how bloodshot my eyes got!

We brought the dogs so we could take a walk with Dad and Lucy. Here's a shot of Winnie and me.

Cebu with a fresh lion cut.

Frances Anne surprised us and came over to help. (She did the best job as a taste tester!)

The witches and the warlock!

Caught you, Mom!

This is MP's imitation of Ickus, a character from Nick's Real Monsters, one of the Sisters favorites. Notice the resemblence?

I Literally Cheered When I Heard Powell This A.M.

...even though I was still half asleep. Colin Powell speaks for me. He put into words what I've been unable to verbalize.

WASHINGTON - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president on Sunday, criticizing his own Republican Party for what he called its narrow focus on irrelevant personal attacks over a serious approach to challenges he called unprecedented.

Powell, who for many years was considered the most likely candidate to become the first African-American president, said in an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was not supporting Obama because of his race. He said he had watched both Obama and his Republican opponent, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, for many months and thought “either one of them would be a good president.”

But he said McCain’s choices in the last few weeks — especially his selection of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his vice presidential running mate — had raised questions in his mind about McCain’s judgment.

“I don’t believe [Palin] is ready to be president of the United States,” Powell said flatly. By contrast, Obama’s running mate, Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware, “is ready to be president on day one.”

Powell also said he was “troubled” by Republican personal attacks on Obama, especially false intimations that Obama was Muslim and Republicans’ recent focus on Obama’s alleged connections to William Ayers, the founder of the radical ’60 Weather Underground.

Stressing that Obama was a lifelong Christian, Powell denounced Republican tactics that he said were insulting not only to to Obama but also to Muslims.

“The really right answer is what if he is?” Powell said, praising the contributions of millions of Muslim citizens to American society.

“I look at these kind of approaches to the campaign, and they trouble me,” Powell said. “Over the last seven weeks, the approach of the Republican Party has become narrower and narrower.”

Powell, a retired Army general who was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under the first President Bush before becoming secretary of state in the current administration, is one of the most highly decorated military officers of modern times and an admired figure in both parties.

The Obama campaign is likely to cite the endorsement as an answer to critics and undecided voters who have questioned the foreign policy credential of Obama, a first-term senator whose national experience amounts to four years in the Senate.

Powell said a major part of his decision to turn his back on his own party was his conclusion that Obama was the better option to repair frayed U.S. relations with allies overseas.

“This is the time for outreach,” Powell said, saying the next president would have to “reach out and show the world there is a new administration that is willing to reach out.”

In particular, he said, he welcomed Obama’s president to “talk to people we haven’t talked to,” a reference to Obama’s controversial pledge to hold talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“I think that [Obama] has a definite way of doing business that will serve us well,” Powell said.

Is Something Wrong with Her?

Jolie: Brad and I will adopt again soon

Beth Bought Me One of These Yesterday

Check out the other great stuff they have...I want the earrings!!!

By the way, I'm not a Democrat, I just think more blue than red!

Tommy Bowden Quote of the Day

From Old Man Bowden: "He's thankful for the experience he got there at Clemson," Bobby Bowden said. "He has no hard feelings towards them. This is just the nature of this game right now. He's disappointed but he's got his priorities in order in his life so he'll move on and won't lose a minute of sleep over it. At least I don't have to worry about him beating me again."

Quandry for Wednesday

Season finale of Project Runway or the debate?

Leaning toward Runway!

Investment Advice

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00.

With Enron, you would have $16.50 left of the original $1000.

With WorldCom, you would have less than $5.00 left.

If you had purchased $1000.00 of Delta Air Lines stock you would have $49.00 left.

If you had purchased United Airlines, you would have nothing left.

But, if you had purchased $1000.00 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the cans for the aluminum recycling refund you would have $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is called the 401-Keg Plan.

The Three Good Witches

Beth, MP and Frances Anne in their Life is Good "Good Witches" shirts, compliments of Beth.

Beth and MPs Excellent Shopping Adventure

Sister and I reserved all day Saturday to find a special occasion outfit for MP. We started with an early trip to Starbucks, to get enough caffiene to face the day, and also to get a list of things to do from Mom.

Yes, this was a real shopping excursion, so we headed to Harbison, aka Harbageddon. We got there a little before 10 a.m., so we covered the outskirts before we hit the mall: Michael's, PetsSmart, Dicks, Total Wine - heck, it was nearly lunchtime before we made it to Columbiana Mall. Here are the only pictures we took, and they were at Michael's, of all places.

Oh, this one was a PetsMart - it's actually part of a pet witch costume.

The Mall trip was munch easier than expected. After stopping at only two stores, we got everything we needed. Dillard's was the best stop. Great customer service, great finds, even a great deal or two. We were at Chick-Fil-A by 1:30 p.m.

AWESOME

I discovered the works of Lane Patterson today. He creates mainly with old recycled objects and transforms them into figural sculptures, functional sculptural lamps and fountains. Check them out. COOOOOL stuff.

Boogieman

We saw this last night at the Nick. It was downer, really. It was neat to remember some of the political memories. In 1988, the Baldauf family was a house divided. Beth was for Dole, I for Kemp and Mom/Dad for old man Bush. But the movie made Atwater seem like a tortured sole, and I'd forgotten just how bad he looked in the end. I'm glad I saw it, but I probably wouldn't recommend it.

LOVE THIS!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

By Michael Inbar
TODAYShow.com contributor

Steve Connolly’s prized pumpkin could yield enough pie to feed an army — or comfortably house a family of six. But instead, his goal is to smash a world record with the orange behemoth currently squatting in his pumpkin patch.

Proudly displaying the Frankenstein-like creation from his garden in Sharon, Mass., Connolly spoke to Meredith Vieira and Al Roker via satellite on TODAY as he waits for judgment day, Oct. 11. His pumpkin may tip the scales at upwards of 1,900 pounds, which would best the current record of 1,689 pounds.

Vieira asked Connolly if he worries about the pumpkin breaking when it is hauled off to Frerichs Farm in Warren, R.I., for its weighing in five days.

You could almost see the sweat pouring from Connolly’s brow. “Oh my goodness, yes,” he said. “Lifting it at this time of the year is a tough thing. We’re very careful how we lift it. I’ll have a fork truck come in and they’re going to use a chain and hoist to lift it up.”

While some people may believe Connolly is out of his gourd in fussing and pampering over his pumpkin — which the many tourists to his pumpkin patch have dubbed the Beast from the East — he’s actually part of a unique world that is more a sport than a gardening pastime.

Just two decades ago, 400-pound pumpkins were looked at in wonder, but these days, among even a 1,000 pound pumpkin looks like a pipsqueak competitive pumpkin growers. Playing around with pumpkin genetics and feeding them fertilizer fit for a garden king has produced whoppers such as Joe Jutras' current record holder.

Coveted pumpkin seeds can fetch up to $500 from growers, and prize money can top $10,000 in the competition for the weightiest.

Connolly said he’s actually had to slow his pumpkin’s growth by trimming its vine in recent weeks for fear it might otherwise burst at the seams.

“It’s dropped off a little bit, actually; it was growing about 40 pounds a day in the middle of August,” Connolly told Vieira and Roker. “This time of the season you don’t want it to grow too fast, because they’re a little more brittle on the outside. They don’t like to expand as much as they do earlier in the season.”

Connolly, who in 2000 was the first New England grower to tip the 1,000-pound mark for a pumpkin, gives his potential record-buster only the best of care. He keeps the rain off with a plastic tarp and shades it from too much sun with as cotton tent-like overhang. But what it’s fed is the key to its growth, he said.

“I have a lot of special fertilizer,” Connolly explained. “We use Neptune’s Harvest fish (fertilizer), North American Kelp makes a liquid seaweed we use, and a whole bunch of cow manure.”

While Connolly’s pumpkin won’t be officially be weighed until the Warren, R.I. competition Oct. 11, the gargantuan gourd’s current circumference of nearly 200 inches has him believing he can shatter the world record by 200 pounds or more.

“The volume of the thing equates to a weight, so I know approximately what it weighs right now,” he explained. “But nothing is certain until this thing hits the scales.”

Still, record-holder Jutras, of Scituate, R.I., isn’t ready to give up without a fight. He’s bringing his own he-man pumpkin to the Oct. 11 weigh-in and said in a newspaper interview he’s waiting to see for himself that Connolly bested him.

“It definitely has the size,” Jutras acknowledged of Connolly’s pumpkin. “Whether or not it weighs what it tapes, you never know. Some of these pumpkins go heavy. Some go light.”

The weight of the world record pumpkin has been exceeded each of the last 10 harvest seasons, and has tripled over that period of time.

Connolly, a 53-year old manufacturing engineer in his day job, calls competitive pumpkin-growing “just middle-aged guys having fun.”

The growers even have their own yearly convention called The Great Pumpkin Commonwealth, held each March in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

Beth and I in a Few Years

On a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a restaurant for lunch. When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, but she didn't miss them until they had been driving about forty minutes. To add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around to head back to the restaurant.

All the way back, the elderly husband fussed and complained, and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive.The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up one minute.

To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant. As the woman got out of the car,and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While you're in there, you might as well get my hat and the credit card."

I almost feel sorry for Sarah Palin...

Southern Baptists mull Palin paradox
If a woman can’t be a pastor, is it acceptable for her to be vice president?

Still Rolling My Eyes Over This One

There was a doofus at Starbucks this a.m. wearing a McCain/Palin shirt - wait, it gets worse - and a pink button with a GOP elephant on it that read "It's a Girl," referring to Sarah Palin. Egad. Does anyone else find that condescending? I mean, would he have worn an "It's a Boy" button if McCain had picked Mitt Romney or any other male? I think not. And he had his daughter with him, too. I still get irritated thinking about it. On the flip side, I saw Obama stickers all over town today. And no McCain/Palin, except for that fool at Starbucks.

Happy Halloween

Harley Mama

Woooooooooo-hooooooo! This is Sonny, who works at the Landfill, and his Harley! I've learned not to say no to a ride on a Harley!

REAL PEEPS® VOTE!

David Ottogalli, Washington D.C.- based artist, has created a tribute to the election process, "REAL PEEPS® VOTE".

Ottogalli's sculpture was created with more than 3,000 PEEPS® Chicks, Bunnies, Hearts, Stars, Cats, Ghosts, Cutouts, Snowmen, Trees, the New PEEPS® Chocolate Mousse Flavored Bears and Bunnies, and TEENEE BEANEE® Jelly Beans. The project took eight weeks to complete.

Happy Halloween!

Thanks to Roxanne for this gem!