Not on the bandwagon. Really.

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My office room mate at work took Friday off so she could stay home and watch the wedding.  I'm sure I don't have to clarify which wedding I'm talking about.  


I did see all the pictures and when it was re-run later in the day I watched, as much as I watch anything with both eyes on the computer most of the time.  


But it was very bittersweet for me.


In 1981 I watched Diana and Charles get married.  I had just been married myself, the month before.  I was an insecure girl, not as young as Diana but I related to her.  She gave birth to William and I gave birth to my son.  She had Harry - and I had my daughter.  Diana's separation from Charles was announced at the end of 1992, my marriage fell apart early in '93.  My divorce was final in 1995, hers in 1996.


When Diana died, she had finally become a confident, happy woman.  For whatever reason, I was devastated when she died, I literally cried off and on for days.  It was so sad and so senseless.  My eyes were puffy for days - the coverage of the extent of the mourning, the flowers that went on forever .. and oh, her boys.  Watching them walk behind her casket was heartbreaking. 


The wedding yesterday was beautiful and a wonderful and happy occasion, it seems William and Catherine will have such a better chance at happiness than Diana ever had.  And as I watched how easy they were together, how tender William was toward her and how sure he was of himself all I could think was - oh how proud Diana would have been of her son.  Her Wills.

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Oh - and does she think being noticed for any reason is better than not being noticed at all???  YIKES!  This made me vomit in my mouth a little.  Just sayin'.

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Maxine Monday

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Happy Easter!

Have a blessed day ~

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I deleted my Facebook account.

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Actually, I think I just deactivated it.  I would like to delete it but I'm not sure they let you do that.  But I won't miss it.  There is something about it that I have never been comfortable with.  Obviously I am comfortable on the Internet, I have several blogs.  But there was something about putting myself out there with my last name, my maiden name, my hometown and all that stuff - I didn't like it.  Eeewww.  It's probably not that unusual though if you consider the fact that I rarely answer my home phone and consider most phone calls an intrusion, hate it when people ring my doorbell unexpectedly, and rarely shop outside my home unless I have to.  


Groceries, yeah.


So I deactivated my account.  Goodbye Facebook.  I barely knew ye.

Anybody else uncomfortable with it?

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OMG Cat ~

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I wanna see what HE'S looking at!

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Maxine Monday

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It's a long shot ..

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.. but I would really like to see Abby stop being so aggressive.  The first and only, time she ever went to the vet was to get spayed.  Basically they had to wrap her in a towel and treat her like a feral cat because she can't be handled like any other house cat.  She doesn't walk around the house and just attack people.  But if she is perched somewhere and someone walks by - inside what she considers her territory or comfort zone, she swats or snaps at them.  She's like a cobra, and just as fast, I swear.  And she doesn't just nip to deliver a message, she bites down and I don't know how to explain it - only lets up a little to bite down harder, and she kind of grinds her teeth against bone she hits.  Sort of like someone plunging a knife and twisting it to do maximum damage.  


Anyway.


Mostly we have just given Abby her space, never forced affection on her, never tried to crowd her or make her interact if she doesn't want to.  But I would like her to enjoy being around people and other cats - or at least tolerate them better.  I am pretty sure she would be a candidate for kitty anti-depressants, yes they do give them to animals, but I really don't want to be on the giving end of anything that goes into her mouth.  Besides, thyroid meds for Riley are inexpensive.  Prozac for kitties?  A heck of a lot more.  At least I think so.  


Today I put a collar on Abby.  First one she has ever worn.  See that tiny bit of purple under her chin?  Yeah, collar.  Not sure how on earth I managed to do it without getting teeth marks in my skin - I can only guess that she simply had no idea what I was doing.  

It's a pheromone collar, designed to "calm" her.  They are recommended for cats with anxiety issues, separation anxiety, aggression .. AGGRESSION??  I'm IN!  Although I'm not sure they are meant for cats who just have tortitude, but I think Abby's disposition is a bit more than a tortie with an attitude.  From the testimonials I have read it takes at least a few days to as long as a week to see a difference and I am willing to wait.  If it works I will buy one every month for the rest of her life because it will improve her life, as well as sparing me some spilled blood.  Because I can't imagine she's a happy cat.  And I would like her to be.


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Not the look I was going for ..

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So do you think I can put my super duper revitalizing, firming, wrinkle-reducing, skin cream on at night?

Yikes!

S'cuse the blur - no glasses on!

Looks like a slick cassette player, doesn't it?  

I set it up and fitted the mask, and laid down for a couple minutes to try it on my side, see how well I could turn over, see if the mask leaked in different positions, etc.  I was kind of hoping the machine would scare the cats so I could sleep without any of them demanding to be let under the covers or anything but Riley came in and purred while he sniffed the mask.  He seemed intrigued by the exhalation holes and the air coming out of them.  Oh great - he thinks it's cool.  


Oops - shiny objects - forgot I had a post sitting here unpublished.  I'll let you know how my sleep goes!

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S'cuse me while I stomp my feet a bit.

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$4.17 a gallon.

This is where I frequently get gas, it is close to my house and for me it is all about convenience.  Usually. OMG!  Tonight I went about a mile and a half out of my way to save 12 cents a gallon.  Enough already!  Lift the moratorium on off shore drilling, start drilling in ANWAR and the other places in the United States where oil has been found.  YES we need to develop other types of energy.  But right now?  Right now our infrastructure is not set up to accommodate other types of energy.  Eventually it will be and of course we should continue to move in that direction.  But we can't throw the baby out with the bath water right now.


We are being held hostage by people in the Middle East that hate us when we have plenty of resources right here at home.  Yes I know people in Europe are paying twice what we are.  SO?  Let me tell you why that's different.  The U.S. is much larger geographically, than Europe.  Things are more spread out here unless you are in the heart of a large city.  Most of us aren't.  The rest of us are in suburbs surrounding large cities, and in small towns and rural communities around the country.  And we commute to where we need to go.  Should we be more conservative with our energy usage?  Maybe.  But we have the resources right here in our country to last the next hundred years - at least - and that should give us plenty of time to develop other types of energy and not be dependent on anyone else.

Almost $60.00 and I don't have a big tank!

Canada has oil.  Canada can sell oil to the U.S.  Canada likes us, for the most part.  So why was the president over there in Brazil pledging money to them to help them develop their oil resources?  Why was he telling them he would love the U.S. to be their biggest customer?  WTF?  


I am sorry that Europeans pay what they do for gas.  But if we don't have do, and we don't, why should we? WHY ARE WE?


The end.


Go back to your regularly scheduled blog reading.  Thank you for your time and attention.

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Maxine Monday

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Procrastinating and hating

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I have stuff to do.  But I sat down to eat a sandwich and was surfing a bit.  I came across a slide show - Stars Who lost their looks.  WTH??  I clicked through it and it occurred to me how incredibly mean our society is.  I mean - I can be as snarky as the next gal when it comes to how people look or dress.  But an entire slide show dedicated to just being mean?  Sheesh!  


And really, some of it are people who have the audacity to age naturally, the NERVE of those people!  And then of course there are the people who went over the top with plastic surgery in order to avoid aging.  Or what about the person who is coming out of the gym with no makeup and a funny look on their face?  Does that constitute losing one's looks?  Ugh.


Just thought I'd mention how much I hate the emphasis put on looks in this society.  It's gotten to the point where normal aging is looked upon as abnormal because no one in Hollywood is doing it and they appear to be our role models.


They shouldn't be.


Okay, now I have to go get stuff done.  It's 84 degrees today - didn't we have snow last week?  But a big windy storm seems to be blowing in so I have to stop stalling and get a move on.  


Later!

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Lurking, painting, and grownup hair.

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I must admit to being very, very selfish.  Recently I have subscribed to a whole slew of blogs, mostly home design blogs, shabby blogs, that I stalk and lurk on.  And since I have added about 50 blogs where all I do is look at the pretty pictures and try to figure out how to make this house so pretty - I haven't been spending nearly enough time paying attention to my regular blogs.  


You know, the ones I generally comment on.  Ahem.  


I spent a good part of my day painting furniture and some other stuff, but this evening?  This evening I am going to catch up on my blog reading and commenting.  Really.  


Oh -and I got a new haircut.  Although to anyone here it probably looks the same ... but my hair had gotten past my shoulders so yeah, short again.  I went to a real stylist, it cost more than 12 dollars!  And then I went back the next week and let the same gal color my hair.  I think I might make a habit of this.  


Try not to look at my fridge, okay?

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It's a Maxine birthday kind of day!

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Okay well, I mean mine. 

But look at Riley.  He's about 17 now.  That means he is well into his 80's so he's REALLY old, right?  RIGHT??

Oh yeah, that made me feel a LOT better.  Sigh-h-h.

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Maxine Monday

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