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?