Open Letter to My Neighbor

It's a gorgeous day. Not too hot; not too cold. Yet I have to shut my window because I'm sick and tired of listening to you hock loogies. Dude, that is just so wrong. Find some manners. And some class while you're at it.

Laughter is the best medicine

One of the ladies I know through scrapbooking's mom is a stand-up comedienne. She's quite funny. Check it out.

When I grow up I wanna be just like Mrs. Hughes.

I feel accomplished today.

For the first time in weeks I feel like I've gotten something done.

I got up early.
Started work just before 8:00 a.m.
Got a couple loads of laundry washed and dried (we won't talk about the folding part).
Went to Costco and ordered a new pair of frames (my beloved eye glasses busted a few weeks back) and thankfully they still carry the ones I have.
Went to the gym.
Got six campaigns out the door.
Wrote up production calendars for two clients.
Wrote up set-up documentation for two more clients.
Got dinner in the crockpot.
Scrapped four layouts.

The only thing I didn't get done was taking the car to get washed. I'll take care of that tomorrow.

Fall Returns!

Ah Fall is in the air. There's that little bite of cool-ish air in the wind mixed in with the still warm breezes. Plus there's the return of my favorite - the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks.

I want to know where the heck August went. I haven't blogged in over a month. That's bad! I've had so many observations and so much to muse about. Like why there's 10+ hubcaps strewn along the left shoulder of a stretch of southbound I-25 near downtown Denver; or why the hell does Scarlett Johansson stare off into the distance during every sketch she's in on SNL; or why is it that the full moon seems to have such a powerful influence over people, causing needless stupidity?

One thing about Fall that I am so looking forward to is the cooler temperatures. It's been a pretty miserable summer. 52+ days of 90 degrees and above. Eeesh. I love Summer just as much as the next person, but I prefer temps around 85 or so. I know I'll be complaining once again when temperatures dip below freezing. Especially when we get the inevitable snow storm while we're away at Disneyland and (of course) will arrive home completely unprepared for the weather.

Of course the greatest joy of Fall for me comes with decorating for the season. Bring out the pumpkins, the colored leaves, the gourds, the dried corn! And with that the ghosts, goblins, bats, and scarecrows. I'll be the first to admit I'm one of those crazy people who's already planning their yard display and dusting off the indoor Halloween decorations. Go ahead. Shake your heads. Laugh. Start inching away. It's ok. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday and Fall my favorite season. I'm used to it. It doesn't bother me one bit. I'm too busy enjoying the season.

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape

This video rules. I crack up every time.



If you're a Harry Potter fan (and even if you're not) check out the Harry Potter Puppet Pals on YouTube. They're so silly they're funny.

Snape, Snape, Severus Snape
DUMBLEDORE!

For the record, I've seen Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix already *and* have finished reading Book 7. Now I'll probably re-watch the first four movies and start re-reading the series (unless we find the complete set in audiobook form).

Something is Rotten in Denmark

Very rotten. Rotten-er than rotten. Let's hope I'm wrong. Although I'm probably not.

The Dog Days of Summer Are Upon Us

...and its freaking hot.

I don't do well with extremely high temperatures at all. This means I probably wouldn't do very well someplace like Phoenix. Of course this begs the question "then why on earth were you guys considering Phoenix during the Big Move discussions?" Well, those happened back in March when it was rather cold here and not-so-bad in Phoenix. Today, I'd probably be more inclined to entertain a move to Alaska than Phoenix.

I've always wondered why they call this the "dog days of summer?" Perhaps because the heat drains you and makes you dead-dog tired? According to Wikipedia, the term originated from the ancient Romans who named these days after Sirius, the "dog star," and the brightest star next to the sun. The Romans believed this to be an evil time when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, and the dogs went mad (so what makes this different from any other day - especially if your dogs tend to be mad anyway), and all creatures became languid. I can see that. Around these parts the period between July and early September (the typical dog days of summer) tend to be particularly hot and miserable. Our only relief here comes from the Monsoons that should be starting up anytime now. At least one could hope.

When I was a little kid, I thought the term meant that there was a holiday for dogs, kind of like Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, etc. One day I asked my Grandma "what day is Dog's Day?" She gave me a quick smile and said "Honey, every day is Dog's Day. Just look at that mutt out there lying in the sun," as she gestured to Pepe, her little, and not to mention ornery, dog.

I miss those days. As a kid, you don't complain quite so much about hot weather. I say either it wasn't as hot as it is right now, or I just tolerated it better. In all honesty, I say I didn't care about it because I didn't have to worry about the electric bill from running the central air all day long like I do today.