Happy New Year!

Jibjab was right...let’s hope 206 is better than 205! I don’t wanna relive the carp but can the new year be better than the one we are leaving behind?

Don’t get me wrong...there were some good things that happened in 2005 but the carpy stuff out weighed the good stuff. Let’s put it all behind us and ring in the new year!

Play safe, have fun and have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006 resolutions

My New Year resolutions:

* Be very prepared for the class I will teach next semester.

* I hope to be more organized and motivated next year. Things are WAY out of hand for me right now.

* Be more considerate of others IRL and try to not lose my temper so easily.

* Post less over at that other place. I will post in the show forums but I am trying to cut back on my OT time.

* Be more consistent in reading other blogs.

* I am going to stop drinking. I just don’t get it anymore and it just makes me feel terrible for the entire next day.

* Have work on the house done. I need to replace some wood that holds the gutters up and the house needs painting (exterior).

Let’s see how I do! What are your resolutions?

Just to get this off my chest

Frustration has set in since the holiday season. Yesterday I was out running errands and met a friend from high school that I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. We chatted for a little while when she suddenly blurted out, "what possessed you to shave your head?" I just wanted to scream that it wasn’t any of business. I ended up laughing and just making some type of joke about it.

I have some issues with it and the more I think about it the more upset I get. Let me start by saying that I am not possessed with anything but she is possessed with a fairly large amount of stupidity. Also, she obviously doesn’t know/understand that it isn’t so out of the ordinary for men to shave their heads now days.

She went on to tell me that her husband has a receding hairline and that he wants to shave his head but she won’t let him! I think she needs to take his advice and let him shave it because I bet my shaven head looks a whole helluva lot better than his half haired dome!

OK, I feel better...a little butt I fell better!

Let's get back to updating!

I used to have such a crush on Ricky...now it is renewed! Oh to be his friend on the beach!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Happy Holidays from my family to yours!

Kahlua is handing out *wet smooches* for the holidays!

A weekend of partying

I don’t want to get into details but this weekend was a trying time for one of my best friends. Let’s just say that one of his friends had a terrible situation transpire that was an eye opening experience. There was a situation dealing with the date rape drug that almost had major life changing occurrences. We think everything is ok now but please know that “G” isn’t something to experiment with!

Thank goodness my best friend is knowledgeable on things like this!

I'm in spice hell!

What the heck was I thinking? I got up this morning and went to get salt out of my spice cabinet. The cabinet was so full of spices I could close the door. What did I do? I started cleaning the cabinet and combining like spices. I will be spending the next few hours on this project. I had no idea I had so many duplicates.

URGH! Anyone want to help?

Christmas traditions

We started planning our Christmas today and realized that we have many traditions that have just seem to stick without any real effort to have them. My family exchanges gifts on Christmas Eve night. We all take Christmas Eve off from work and start around lunchtime kicking things off with hot cider and usually some type of dip.

While we are drinking our cider we all have things we do. My three nephews are in charge of getting all the gifts out of everyone’s car and get them under the tree. They arrange them by person though so we know exactly where everyone’s gifts are located. My sister and I start making all types of finger foods as she usually does some kind of Chex mix type thing and I make sausage balls. As we nibble on these once they are done mom is usually making potato soup while my sister and I make a veggie dish. We usually eat light meals because we have nibbled all afternoon.

After we eat we gather for the gift opening. The camcorder is set-up on a tripod and we have hand held cameras for quick snaps when needed. We take rotate turns opening one gift at a time until everyone has finished. The mess is cleaned up and then we all start assembling/playing with all the new gadgets we received.

The day usually finishes up around 9-10pm and I come home.

What kind of traditions do you have?

My two rants

Two things have just had me boiling all day and I think I am ready to get them off my chest.

{soapbox}

First thing:

This one goes back a couple of days but after seeing a post on OT this morning it has brought everything back around. I have always been the type of person to live and let live. As long as people are doing whatever makes them happy and it doesn’t hurt anyone and it is consensual…do it! However, some things have happened over the past couple of months that irritate me but haven’t gotten me so boiled over. Well, the straw that broke the camel’s back started on Monday while I was watching Wife Swap. An interracial (I only mention this because you would think they would be a little more open minded) married couple would be swapping wives with an unmarried couple (they had been together 7 or 11 years…my memory isn’t too good with that). Well, as soon as the interracial couple started talking I knew it was going to be good.

The interracial couple was still living in the Stone Age as the woman catered to the man’s every little whimper. She even cuts his finger/toenails! That was fine with me because the woman was happy and why bother…right? Well, they switched homes and it wasn’t a matter of about a day until both people from the married family started harping on the unmarried couple to set a date. They were doing this during the swap and then again at the end when they all met.

WTF is wrong with these idiots that they think they know what is best for another couple? Why do people propose something because they KNOW what is best for someone else. The unmarried couple was living as they wanted to and had no problems with the way things were. LEAVE THEM THE FUCK ALONE!

Second thing:

I was watching CNN last night and Paula Zahn did about a 15 minute segment on Brokeback Mountain. She started the story and repeated after every commercial with, “Is America ready for a love story about cowboys?” Then, I get up this morning and see a post on OT from someone that said they didn’t really know how to respond after seeing a preview of the movie because it was about cowboys in love.

What does anyone mean by they didn’t know how to respond? Respond the same way had it been about a gay attorney and a gay accountant! Why is everyone concentrating on the cowboy part?

I would like for everyone that reads this freakin rant to meet my friends by their job title:

Sales Manager for the southeast (financial industry), Sales Manager (medical sales),
International Marketing Director (medical sales company), Accountant, Financial Advisor, School Teacher, Attorney, Web Designer and Diary Farmer

Those are my closest friends and by the way…THEY ARE GAY! It is a shame in 2005 that someone doesn’t know that gay people are in every walk of life.

{/soapbox}

Upset

I have two issues that have really set me off this morning. I am too upset to put it in words. I am going to take a little while to calm down and I will post about them later.

Thanks for visiting.

What should I do?

The most important thing going on right now is The Amazing Race finale and where I will be. Some friends have invited me to their house for a TAR finale party. I think the main reason I am invited is because they want me to help make appetizers for the little get together.

I can’t decide if I want to stay at home and watch it here or go to the party. If I go to the party I will be spending most the afternoon preparing food for about 15 peeps. I can stay at home and be a part of the “east coast spoiler thresd” over at that other place.

What should I do?

The most disgusting thing

My family and I went out to eat last night for my brother-in-laws birthday. He picked my favorite Japanese restaurant in town. I called ahead and made reservations and everything was set.

At any restaurant, I always place my order and go to the restroom to wash my hands (especially during winter time with all the colds and flus flying around) and last night was nothing new. I go to the bathroom and start washing my hands. The mirror on the wall over the sink was positioned so that if you look in it you are actually looking directly at the urinals and commode stalls. I was washing away when a man entered that appeared to be 45-50 years old and was about 5 foot 6 inches tall and weighed about 275 pounds. He walks into one of the stalls and proceeds to let his pants and undies fall to the floor and then sits to do his business WITHOUT closing the door. Why does he think anyone in the room is interested in seeing him relieve himself?

Remember a couple of weeks ago when HD was talking about hearing all the noise with one of his co-workers? The same thing happened hear except not only did we hear it…we SAW it! The most disgusting thing eveh!

It is all about decisions

I am going to miserable while watching the season finale of Survivor tonight! My brother-in-law’s birthday was yesterday and we always go out to eat to the restaurant of the person’s choice. He has chosen my favorite Japanese place in town! Which means I will eat way too much food and will be bloated for my show.

We aren’t going to eat lunch and go to an early dinner. So, I should be home in time for Survivor. The biggest question is what I will get to eat. I love the soup and salad and I always get the soy dressing. I had shrimp for lunch yesterday so I am not so sure I will get it today. Decisions…decisions.

Speaking of decisions, I also have a huge one to make before going out to eat. I am on a Survivor fantasy team and we are currently in first place on the CBS website. We get bonus points for certain things each person does (but we have to narrow the things down to one per person). My dilemma is whether to pick “climb the ruins” or “first questioned at Tribal Council”. All season we have been getting a tremendous amount of points for “climb the ruins” but in the past couple of episodes they haven’t shown them doing it much. With tonight’s finale, we have the final four with three Tribal Councils. So, if I pick “first questioned at Tribal Council” I will get 3 bonus points (worth 40 points each) because it is guaranteed. However, one person could “climb the ruins” 3 or more times and I would get the same/if not more points. URGH!

Lack of motivation

This time of year isn’t always a fun time for me. I have been trying (this year anyways) to remain upbeat and in the holiday spirit. However, today has seen me fall into a funk. I haven’t had the desire to get off the sofa and there has been nothing on television worth keeping my attention.

I am debating on whether to go to the movies tonight. I have been wanting to see “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” with Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer. The movie is playing at the local art theatre and won’t be there long but it is not too warm out today. I guess being cold weather would lead one to go to the movies.

I just saw the previews for the show “Ice Wars” tonight, as it is men vs. women. This could be a good show and I am considering watching it.

What to do? How do you bring yourself out of a funky mood?

Misunderstood Web sites

Have you stumbled across a Web site and thought as to why/how it is successful? I was playing around online over the weekend during a drunken stupor so I am really not aware of exactly how I found it. I have no idea what I googled and/or what link led me to a link that would have gotten me to the site.

Here is the premise: There is a Web site designed to have men’s bulges pictured. Now this isn’t a site where someone is posting pics of athletes or someone on television but of amateur (everyday Joes) men. These men send in pics of themselves (mostly from chest to knee level) and the Web master host them. Most of the pics are just men in their everyday underwear or tight pants showing their bulges. However, some of the underwear pics are very revealing as they are wearing see through undies.

I am not talking like 10-15 pics…I am talking hundreds of pics. There are more men’s baskets to look at than you can shake a stick at ;-)

Then from that site, I also found the bulge report which is a site dedicated to talking about men’s bulges. This page is more of an athlete/star site talking and showing their clothed crotches.

Can anyone tell me what the purpose of the site is and whom are they catering to? Do straight women find it arousing? I guess their target market could be gay men but I don’t if it is my cup of tea.

Am I the only one that finds it strange?

Here is the smut

I hope this hits the spot

Dreams and commercials

That’s right…dreams and commercials. I had dreams all night last night but early this morning I had a dream that takes the cake. Literally! I was dreaming that someone was trying to break into the house and Kahlua was going crazy barking and jumping up and down. In the mist of the madness I then started dreaming about a new Duncan Hines cake mix! There was some little ditty singing in the background.

I woke up and was in total disbelief in what I had just dreamed. I must have been singing the ditty out loud because when I woke up Kahlua was standing over me looking at me like WTF are you doing. I then had to start LOLing and I got giggle pants and have been awake since 5:45am.

I think I have officially had too much vodka! My mind is mush.

I will try and get some man candy up today too. I am slacking in the smut department.

Sordid Lives

This movie was done with a very small budget with tons of laughs. It stars Olivia Newton-John, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Bonnie Bedelia and Leslie Jordan. The movie is about a family of rednecks that is planning their mother’s funeral. The laughs are continuous as they argue their way through.

This movie has a classic cult following here in the south as most of the things are so redneck but we all have family members just like them. I bet if any of you watch the movie you will be placing your own family members in the actors roles.

Here is what the DVD jacket says of the movie:

The hilariously sordid details about a southern family surface with a vengeance when relatives converge for the funeral of “Grandma Peggy,” who died after tripping over her lover’s wooden legs! Toss in a couple of feuding, big-haired daughters, a jumpy aunt who just quit smoking, the scorned neighbor from hell, and crazy, cross-dressing “Brother Boy” (Leslie Jordan) – and you’ve got an outrageous “train wreck you can’t help but watch!”

I give it a 4 out of 5 for it’s slap stick comedy.

Gift dilemma solved!

The gift dilemma has been solved and products have been purchased! We went local with a television station that does these little 4-5 minute segments called “The Heartland Series”. A reporter goes back in time and recreates how things took place in East Tennessee years ago. Some times they go back to civil war times and others it is a human-interest story about someone that did something really outstanding for that time frame.

The reporter has been doing this for years and has won numerous acclaims for the series. I think there are over 1400 stories and have over 25 volumes and we bought 6 of them. One reason why we went down this road is that the man (the gifts are for) says he really enjoys telling his grandchildren how things were when he was growing up. We thought it would be a good idea to let them see those things being done the way their grandpa told them.

I hope they enjoy them!

Holiday Gifts

To all those reading that also visits that other place will remember (or maybe you won’t) that my family was recently united with cousins that we never knew we had from New York. To make a long story short for those that don't know how it went down:

My dad lived with two of his cousins for the first 8 years of his life. At that point the two boys mother moved to New York City and took the boys with them. For 62 years my family wondered what happened to them but as of this past summer one of the boys (now a 70 year old man) reunited with all his family here. One of the boys fell out of sight but last heard from he was in New York City but no one has any idea where. The man that was reunited with us has 4 children and all of them are married and with children themselves.

My mom made so many pictures at the family reunion we had and most of them were very nice. So, she took 12 of the best pictures and had them made into a 2006 calendar and will be sending one to each family as a holiday gift. I have an uncle that is really in bad shape and relies on my mother for just about everything (paying bills, keeping up with paperwork and things like that) and he has asked her if she will get something to send to the families as a gift. My mom and I are at a loss. Any suggestions?

Moving on!

I kicked the hell outta the blahs yesterday and today is just friggin cold. When I woke up this morning the temps had risen 24 degrees overnight and we had thunderstorms. I went to bed with the temperature at 34 degrees and it was 58 about 10am this morning. Now, it is in the lower thirties and the wind it whipping around like crazy. AHHH, the good ole weather in East Tennessee.

I had to drive by the mall earlier and now I remember why I hate to Christmas shop. I am going to do as much shopping online as possible. I saw where Target has “online only” sales and I think I will check them out. Do you shop the old fashion way or do you shop online?

ICK!

Ever wake up on the wrong side of the bed? I did this morning and am mad as hell at the world! I HAVE to clean the house today and maybe that is why I am so urinated off.

Pet Peeves

I know we all have our pet peeves and was curious if any of us have the same one. I am usually easy going and let things play out as is but one thing really irritates the crap out of me. Merge lanes…

There are two places here in town that if I die in a car accident it will occur at the merge lanes. One place is near the mall and is at the entrance ramp to the interstate. There are some that gets in the lane that goes directly to the freeway and then there those that get in the merge lane that doesn’t know what the crap the lane is used for! There are some that will get in the lane and speed up in order to be able to flow into traffic without any cause for alarm. Then there are those idiots that get in the merge lane and EXPECT someone to slow down so they get in line. URGH!

The second place is near my house where the main road goes from 5 lanes in one direction to one lane in a matter of about two city blocks. During rush hour traffic backs up through 3-4 stoplights because dumb asses don’t know how to use a freaking merge lane. I almost got sideswiped last fall because I would not slow down to let a teenager in line.

If any of you hear of an accident in Knoxville that occurred at an intersection with merging lanes you will know it was volsfan!

BTW: Has anyone seen the movie "Havoc"? It stars Freddy Rodriguez who played Rico on Six Feet Under.

Man candy for today

I posted the first one thinking of HD and he may know who the guy is but I really thought of him when I saw the pic.

The second pic is one of my favs! The guy in the middle is Landon from The Real World Philly and I am so glad he went into modeling.

George and his man

Are planning a ceremony in London. Good luck to them