New House Pics

Ernie and I have been enjoying our time with my folks at the new house, although I'm finding it very difficult not to drive the usual route that leads to the old house. Turning north instead of south onto Rt. 897 goes against 31 years of habit. But the new house is absolutely beautiful. During my first walk through, all I could say, over and over, was, "I can't believe you live here!" These pictures don't do it justice, but since the housewarming won't be until spring, they will have to do.

View of the living room (and sunroom through the archway) from the front door:

View of the living room from the "south wing":

View of the kitchen from the dining room:

View of the sunroom from the dining room:

View of the piano room and new baby grand:

Not pictured are the master suite, guest bedroom and bathroom, or dining room. Why? Apparently I was distracted during my picture taking and didn't realize I had forgotten these rooms until I had downloaded the pictures. Oops. As for the exterior, the driveway hasn't been paved, the yard has yet to be seeded and no landscaping has been done, so the outside of the house is not quite ready for pictures. I'm sure it will be magnificent in the spring, so stay tuned!

The Ancient Chinese Art of...Lip Syncing?

Watching this will make you dumber, but at least you might get a good laugh out of it.

2005: Year in Review

2005 has been a year of change for me. Here's a summary of what's happened in my life during the past year:

FEBRUARY: My good friend Tom passed away. He was 39 years old.
MARCH: I broke up with Jose.
MAY: I spent a week in London.
JUNE: Team Arrow (of which I was a co-captain) won the Corporate Wellness Challenge at Body Zone and raised over $4,000 for The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
SEPTEMBER: Beatty, the stray pup I brought home from Beattyville, KY, in the summer of 1988, passed away. She was 17 years old. Also, I left my job at Arrow International for a government contractor position at Ft. Detrick and moved from Mohnton, PA to Frederick, MD.
NOVEMBER: I turned 31.
DECEMBER: My parents sold the home they owned for 33 years, the home I grew up in, and moved into a beautiful new home they built on nine acres of woodland in PA. Also, I met Brian.

Overall, I am 24 pounds lighter, rather content, and thankful I’m healthy enough to see 2006.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to Mom and Dad's house I go. I will be leaving town this evening, heading to PA for Christmas. This will be my first visit to the new house since it was finished and they moved in earlier this month. How exciting!

Here are the plans following Christmas: Lee is flying into Philly from Orlando on the 27th. We'll probably do pizza at Riviera's, Christmas in Hershey, spend the night with my parents, then start our trip to Cleveland on the 28th, stopping to pick up KB and spending a night with her parents. We'll meet up with Gurney and Jonathan in Cleveland for a few days of New Year's festivities, which are sure to include dinner at my favorite restaurant, J. Alexander's, some revelry at Howl at the Moon, our traditional snack food buffet (no ginormous cheese planet this time, Gurney!) to accompany various card and board games, and many hours of non-stop laughter. Lee, KB and I will head back to PA on the 1st, then I'll drop Lee off at BWI on my way back to Frederick on the 2nd. Good times, noodle salad.

Obviously, blogging will be light until next year. So until then, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

36 Things I Hate

1. When supposedly is pronounced supposably or supposively
2. Clowns
3. Incorrect use of their/there or your/you’re
4. Tomatoes
5. Diaper commercials
6. People who don't wash their hands after visiting to the loo
7. When someone asks a ton of questions during a movie
8. Baby Gap
9. Writing in all lowercase letters
10. Bridal shower games
11. People who pay for their groceries with food stamps and then buy a carton of cigarettes
12. Celebrity couples
13. When someone is chronically late
14. The words beard and sausage
15. When someone talks on the phone while I’m sitting in the same room
16. When a busperson at a restaurant wipes a chair/booth, then wipes the table with that same cloth
17. Sloppy kisses
18. Orange juice with pulp
19. People who don't cover their mouths when they sneeze or cough
20. When you see a movie with another person who has already seen it and he’s constantly saying things like, “You'll like this part,” or “Wait until you see what happens here!”
21. Liars
22. Spiders
23. Cameron Diaz's laugh
24. Tofu
25. The fact that Starbucks beverages aren't sold as small, medium or large, but as Tall, Grande and Venti
26. When someone says, "I gave 110%" -- that's not possible
27. Chat ebonics
28. Having to make multiple trips to the car to bring in groceries
29. Magicians
30. Smooth talkers
31. Women who fall for smooth talkers
32. John Madden's voice
33. Atonal music
34. Those Mazda "zoom-zoom" commercials
35. Watching someone lick a knife
36. Generic Q-Tips

37 Things I Love

1. The look on Ernie’s face when I walk through the door
2. The smell of freshly brewed coffee
3. Pens that don’t smudge
4. My mom’s apple pie
5. Finding a sassy pair of shoes in my size on clearance
6. Decorating a Christmas tree
7. Singing in the car
8. Flannel sheets
9. Voting
10. Hearing the 20th Century Fox theme at the beginning of a Star Wars movie
11. Ms. Pac-Man
12. Big Macs
13. Laughing until my sides ache
14. My chiropractor
15. Waking up to realize it’s Saturday and I can spend all day in bed if I want
16. Dancing to 80’s music
17. Sushi
18. Having breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall diner in the wee hours of the morning
19. Handwritten letters
20. British accents
21. The feeling I get when I listen to Luciano Pavarotti sing “Nessun dorma” from Turandot
22. Anything written by Florence King
23. Anything sung by Nat King Cole
24. Playing cards
25. A day at the beach
26. A night at the opera
27. Seeing Salvation Army buckets and volunteers outside stores at Christmas
28. Marching bands
29. Funnel cakes
30. Watching birds on a birdfeeder
31. Napping on the couch
32. The national anthem
33. Pumpkin Spice lattes from Starbucks
34. Wagging dog tails
35. Foot rubs
36. Playing piano while sucking on lollipops
37. Making lists

Les Miz Quiz

Which Les Miserables character are you?


You're Enjolras!
A person with a cause, you charm everyone around you with your revolutionary ideas (not to mention your natural charisma). Unfortunately, you don't have very good social skills, and your impulsiveness is liable to get you in over your head.

Take the quiz.

Storytime: The Christmas Broom

After posting the previous storytime entry, my friend Jonathan e-mailed me to ask, "Why not a Christmas story, or more specifically, a Christmas BROOM story?" So, for all of you boys and girls out there who don't know about the Christmas Broom, let me share it with you.

Once upon a time, in a town called Cuyahoga Falls, there lived a young woman named Mandy. Every year, Mandy had the loveliest, most beautiful Christmas tree in all the land.

Each Christmas season began with Mandy spending hours at the Christmas tree farm, hunting for the perfect tree. Then, she would bring the tree home and display it in her front window to share its splendor with all who passed by.

Mandy would spend several hours wrapping each branch with delicate white lights, until the tree was aglow with the Christmas spirit.

Next, Mandy would spread out all of the ornaments; some classic pieces she’d collected over the years, some elegant pieces she’d found by chance, and some unique pieces she’d received as gifts. Mandy would expertly select the proper ornament for every branch, stepping back after placing each one to ensure that the location she chose was perfect.

When all of the ornaments were in place, Mandy would sprinkle white snowflakes over every branch, giving the tree the snowy, glowing aura of nature.

Lastly, there was the bow. Most other trees had a star or an angel on top, but not Mandy’s tree. Atop her tree was a handmade bow of scarlet and gold, with ribbons cascading down through the tree branches. After all, the tree’s beauty was a gift to the eyes, so it was only natural to top such a gift it with a beautiful bow.

Finally, after devoting so much of her time, thought and effort, every light, ornament, and flake was in place. The tree was done and it was absolutely perfect. Mandy sat in front of the tree, basking in the beauty she had created.

The next day, Mandy was at work when her supervisor told her, “You have a phone call.” Mandy wasn’t expecting a call and wondered who it could be? She ducked into the office and answered the call. It was her friend Lee.

“Now, don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” he said with a worried tone in his voice. Becoming a bit concerned, Mandy asked what he meant. Lee replied, “It’s not as bad as you’re going to think, but don’t worry about anything. We’ll fix it.” Mandy started to contemplate the worst as Lee continued, “OK, here it is. The Christmas tree...kind of...fell over.” “What?!” Mandy screamed. Lee explained, “Jonathan and I came home to find the tree lying in the middle of the living room. Some of the ornaments broke, but we’re cleaning it up right now. We’re just having a hard time getting the tree to stand up. But don’t worry, we’ll figure something out. Everything will be fine.”

Mandy hung up the phone. She didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or do both. She fumbled through the rest of her day in a daze, dreading her return home to see her masterpiece in shambles.

Later that evening, Mandy pulled in the driveway, being careful to keep her eyesight directed away from the front picture window where her beautiful tree had been. She nervously walked up the steps and, with a jittery hand, opened the door.

And there it was. With a few remnants of broken decorations still scattered about the carpet and a dusting of snow all around the room, Mandy’s once perfect tree was nowhere near perfect anymore.

But then she noticed a new addition to the tree’s decorations. There, sticking out of the center of the tree, propped against its trunk, keeping the tree upright, was a broom.

Lee and Jonathan both began talking at once, hurrying to explain, “We wanted it to be standing when you got home… It just wouldn’t stand up…We thought we’d use the broom to hold it up, at least temporarily…We can figure out another way to keep it up, but for now…”

Mandy burst into joyous laughter. How could she not? The guys didn’t have to clean up the mess. They didn’t have to do anything, but they did. And they were so creative in their problem solving and so concerned about minimizing her disappointment.

So the tree wasn’t perfect. Big deal. Mandy knew she had two good friends and the Christmas Broom to make her smile for a lifetime.

The end.

Storytime: My Trip to Friendly's

Lee reminded me of this story the other night, so I thought I'd share it here.

I love Friendly’s. Well, I love one thing at Friendly’s: the Reese’s Piece Sundae. That peanut butter topping is to die for. And when it mixes with the hot fudge, melted ice cream and Reese’s pieces and gets all gooey and messy...heaven in a dish.

Living in PA, I took Friendly’s for granted because they had restaurants on every corner. There wasn’t a Starbucks to be found, but there were Friendly’s aplenty. I was thrilled when I moved to Frederick and discovered a Starbucks about a mile from my home, but much to my dismay, the nearest Friendly’s was about 45 minutes away.

When Columbus Day rolled around this year, Kirstin said, “I have the best idea ever! Let’s go shopping at Tyson’s Corner. And you know what’s not too far from there? Friendly’s!” It WAS the best idea ever. So, we got the address for the Friendly’s in Arlington from the Friendly's web site, MapQuested it, and spent the next few days dreaming about how good those sundaes would taste.

That Monday, I met Kirstin at her house and we set out for a day of sundaes and shopping. Although highly unlikely, we joked about the restaurant being closed for the holiday. That would be just our kind of luck.

It took us about an hour, but we finally found Lee Highway, the street where the restaurant was located. The area was pretty built up and the street numbers were not easily seen, so Kirstin drove slowly down the street as I looked for number 5222. Next thing I knew, we were in the 6000s – we had gone too far. As Kirstin turned the car around and asked, “How we both could have missed it?” I pointed and said, “Um, I think…that’s…it.” There, at 5222 Lee Highway where Friendly’s should have been, was a chain link fence and behind it, a pile of dirt and rubble. The restaurant wasn’t closed for the holiday. It wasn’t even closed and boarded up. It was demolished. Friendly’s was no more. I screamed, “Nooooooooo!” as Kirstin laughed hysterically and pounded the steering wheel.

As my friends and I say so frequently, how is this my life?

The Joy of Food

Last night, I took Kirstin to Bonefish Grill for her birthday. What a magnificent meal we had! Everything was delicious, but without a doubt, my favorite part of the meal was the Ahi Tuna Sashimi appetizer we shared.

It was absolutely exquisite. Upon taking my first bite, I found myself in one of those rare instances where you have to put down your fork (or chopsticks, in this case), close your eyes, and savor the pure pleasure you're experiencing from tasting something so marvelous.

Sigh. My Lean Cuisine lunch is even more disappointing today than it usually is.

Christmas at BK

I will never stop laughing. (Make sure your speakers are on.)

Thanks to KB for the link.

'Tis the Season

With Christmas just around the corner, I'm getting into the holiday spirit by offering help to those in need. So, for my generous readers who need to find a Christmas gift for me, here is some help:

Philosophy Bath & Shower products (anything)
Fodor's Thailand, 9th Edition
Bangkok Inside Out
STET, Damnit! (2-for-1 deal at NRO)
The Passion of Joan of Arc - Criterion Collection
Stephen Sondheim's Passion DVD
The Lark in the Clear Air
Red - John Stevens
Eileen Farrell Sings Torch Songs
Cuisinart Chef's Classic Non-Stick Hard Anodized 10-Piece Cookware Set and Open Stock
L.L.Bean gift certificate

Be merry!

Day of Infamy

...December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

2,403 Americans died. 1,178 Americans were wounded.

You can read or listen to President Roosevelt's Day of Infamy speech here. Here is Time's photo essay from that day. Here are answers to FAQs about that day.

With confidence in our armed forces -- with the unbounding determination of our people -- we will gain the inevitable triumph --- so help us God.

Success?

Sarah over at Misadventures asks, "'How do we define success as women?' Is a female CEO more successful than a proud mother of seven children?"

Obviously, you can’t define success for all women because success depends on each individual’s own goals in life. For some, it’s running a successful company. For others, it’s raising respectful, well-behaved children. Both are admirable, but in entirely different ways.

I see so many women trying to balance a full-time career with their young children. I don’t think it’s a challenge; I think it’s just about impossible. Something is bound to be neglected in that scenario and, unfortunately, it’s almost always the children.

I’ve seen so many women have a baby, then send him or her to daycare weeks later so Mommy can go back to work. Many of those women have told me that they simply cannot afford not to go back to work. But then I look at their lives: a home filled with expensive things, a driveway with a new car every few years, expensive vacations, dining out frequently, manicures and pedicures, etc.

Many of these women believe they have it all – the husband, the kids, the job, the home, etc. It doesn’t matter if their husbands are lousy partners and they are completely unfulfilled in their marriages. At least they’re not single and alone. So what if the daycare provider spends more time with their children than they do. They’ve got the nicest house on the block. They don’t have to be frugal or sacrifice anything to stay home and raise their children. They can furnish the kids’ bedrooms with TVs, DVD players and all the latest video games.

As I said, success depends on the goals each woman sets for her own life. But, honestly, what goals are being met here?

Medicare "Benefit"

I had a discussion with my friend Lee last night about capitalism. This is not a new topic for us by any means, especially since he frequently finds himself having disputes with the socialists at the university he attends for graduate school. But last night he made a fascinating statement:

The ultimate goal of a capitalist society should be to advance medical research.

My initial reaction to this statement was to crinkle my brow and wonder where he came up with this crazy notion. We talked about the idea a bit more, but it was late and I had to go to bed. Today, I've continued considering what Lee said and I think he may be onto something.

While reading this analysis of the additions to the Medicare prescription drug program, which are scheduled to take affect January 1, 2006, I was struck by how much it seemed to validate Lee's statement.

Though we all enjoy the fruits of the recent burst in pharmaceutical R&D, no one wants to pay more than he or she needs to, even for something as valuable as medicine. But if no one can recoup the expense of developing new prescription drugs, no one will undertake that expense.

[...]Government will inevitably influence the marketplace, even if only through public browbeating and the threat of political action. Far worse, however, would be for government to impose price controls, whether enacted formally by legislation or implemented informally through indirect controls. Vernon, Santerre, and Giaccotto warn, “While the federal government’s success in exerting downward pressure on real drug prices may have benefited consumers in the short run, because lower drug prices improve access to existing pharmaceuticals, this influence has undoubtedly come at the cost of reduced levels of pharmaceutical innovation.”

I think this is the point Lee was trying to make. What motivation is there to develop new and better drugs if there is no payoff? Obviously, there are elements of humanity included in invention, but how can you force the drug companies to produce if they won’t even be able to recoup their R&D costs, let alone profit?

This change to Medicare will benefit some seniors now, but we will end up paying for it down the road with our lives.

Today in History

Today is the 335th day of 2005. There are 30 days left in the year.

On December 1st:

1885 - Dr. Pepper is served for the first time.

1900 – Tunnel diggers from England and France meet more than 130 feet below the English Channel seabed, connecting Britain to the European mainland for the first time since the Ice Age.

1913 - Ford introduces the first moving assembly line in Highland Park, Michigan.

1945 - Better Midler is born in Honolulu. Hawaii.

1955 - Rosa Parks is arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man

1969 - The draft lottery is held for induction into the US Army and the Vietnam War. The first number drawn is 258 (September 14).

1981 - The first case of AIDS is diagnosed. World AIDS Day is observed on this date each year.

2000 - The Florida Supreme Court denies Al Gore's petitions for recounts and refuses to order a new election in Palm Beach County after the "butterfly ballot" draws protests from Democrats.