Ebay Treasure

Godawful!

Tonight I looked at about 1000 things on Ebay and most of it was complete crap. This dress however is a treasure, because it made me laugh out loud. Not only is it one of the ugliest pieces of apparel I have ever laid my eyes upon, the description is priceless.

Hello and welcome to my auction. I have an absolutely beautiful and romantic dress up for bid. This dress is made by Germaine Astor and is new. Don't settle for a costume grade dress when you can have a well made designer dress!! This dress would make a fun Saloon, Can Can or even a Gothic Witch. It will be great for the up coming holidays as well! This dress has a very classy and sexy allure to it. It is very flattering on so you are sure to draw attention were ever you haunt! It really will show off your curves!! This dress comes from a smoke free home. If you have not found your costume yet, this could be the one!! Here are its measurements: Bust 40", Waist 34", Hips 44" and dress length is 42". Costume will be shipped with in 24 hours of payment!! Good Luck and Happy Bidding!!! Be sure to check out all my fun costumes!!!!

Godawful From Behind

As hard as it may be to believe, this is a dress, not a costume. It my still have the tags on it, but it is from the 1980's, not the 1880's. The seller has clearly never seen the Can-Can, or she would not mention that dance and this dress in the same breath. No Goth queen would be caught dead (or undead) wearing or standing next to this polyester nightmare. This dress has nothing to do with anything remotely related to saloons, unless of course it was worn by a coke whore at the Palladium in the 1980's.

I surmise that if a coke whore did don this dress, she likely gazed dreamily upon her reflection through the coke glaze that coated her bleary eyes, smiled to herself and thought, "I look just like Alexis on Dynasty." Of course, she then woke the next afternoon hung over lying next to a short, balding, pudgy, and middle-aged man she didn't recognize. Upon seeing the heap of puckered, flammable polyester she wore the night before crumpled at the foot of her bed, she stoically walked to the bathroom and slit her wrists.

That's what the dress says to me, anyway.

Pimped Out Headlines

I walked out of my office today after work and something caught my eye in the bank of newspaper stands just past the valet parking service - the headline of the African-American. I laughed out loud. So loud in fact, that some people turned to stare. I didn't care, I just walked up and grabbed a copy of what I know will turn out to be a very well written and even fair and balanced newspaper. I may grow to love the African-American even more USA TODAY News and The Globe.

Chess Tournament

Con and Mr. Nguyen by MEG

Connor participated in his first chess tournament today. It was a new and interesting experience for all of us. We thought it would be over in a couple of hours (how long can people actually play chess, anyway?). We found out early this morning that the tourney would run all day and end around 5:00 PM. We knew we couldn't take that much chess in one day so we stayed for two hours, left and then came back again in the afternoon.


Con Receives Chess Tips by Finijo

Connor was disappointed that the only game he won in five rounds was the one he won by forfeit when his opponent failed to show up. He had a lot of fun running around between rounds. He met a lot of people and even a tiny girl named Ariel, who chased him around the school grounds, as tiny girls are known to do. It looks like we will be going to roughly a tournament a month for the remainder of the school year. I am waffling between being thrilled that Connor has found his niche and dreading the hours of sitting and waiting for these events to end.


Geek Squad with Napoleon dynamite by Finijo

This is part of his 32 student chess team. Note the Nordic looking young man sporting the insane mane of golden hair. No picture can do it justice, and no words can adequately describe power that his locks holds over those in its thrall.

Congratulations Connor!

Tileburst by Finijo

Report cards are in and for the first time in a year, Connor earned TV, Gameboy, and computer internet time. He gets an hour a week for every A, 30 minutes for every B, 15 minutes for every C, nothing for every D, and he loses an hour for every F. He actually ended up owing us time for the last year, which we collected by giving him extra study work. He has gone from owing us time to earning a whopping 5 hours a week! His amazing accomplishment included 4-A's, 1-B, and yes - even 2-D's. We are so thrilled that we gave him 30 minutes for the "P" he got in a pass/fail class (he'll get an hour for it in the future, if he can bring up the D's). He is proud of himself, and rightly so since he had abysmal grades at mid-term. If he can keep up the good work and bring up the D's, he has the possibility of getting a PSP for Christmas. Cross your fingers for him.

Connor joined the chess team as school and he has his first chess tournament tomorrow. He has a geek chic uniform that includes a white long sleeved t-shirt and a red sweater vest. It's adorable! Stay tuned for chess tournament results tomorrow.

Flightplan

Flightplan

Marilyn, Connor, and I saw Flightplan last weekend, but just now got around to writing about it. The film was suspenseful and even haunting in parts, but the ending was trite - both the dialogue and the visuals. The snowy footage shot in Germany was beautiful, but not so beautiful that it's worth paying full price at a theater to see the film. As always, Jodie Foster gives a riveting performance as she plays every emotion a distressed mother could possibly feel across her face to perfection. In fact, her acting is the highlight of the film. The writing on the other hand, is less than stellar. I think of Flightplan as "Panic Room at 30,000 feet." Flightplan looks like the commercial film a movie star does, in exchange for the opportunity to make a film they really want to do. This one is definitely a rental.

The Corpse Bride

Corpse Bride

Mike and I went to see Tim Burton's Corpse Bride tonight. We enjoyed it, but both felt it wasn't as good as Nightmare Before Christmas. The animation is great, but the story is predictable. I know I shouldn't expect much from an animated movie, but Nightmare Before Christmas was really original, so I couldn't help but expect something equally as fabulous. The music is wonderful, and Danny Elfman sings the catchiest tune, "Remains of the Day" as the voice of Bonejangles. When they played the song again while the credits rolled, a little kid sitting behind us said, "I LOVE that song!" I think Corpse Bride is worth seeing on the big screen, because it is a gorgeous film. Corpse Bride is a fun film, too, but I think it will be more enjoyable if you lower your expectations just a little.

Tom DeLay - Ugly, or Just Vindictive?

Tree Frog by ZooNet

Tom Delay

"Being called vindictive and partisan by Tom DeLay is like being called ugly by a frog."

District Attorney, Ronnie Earle
Austin, Texas

Debacle Foot Repair

Miracle Foot Repair

Today I went to CVS and bought a fairly expensive tube of foot cream. I only had a limited time to shop because I had to pick Connor up at school, so I admit that I did not read the label thoroughly. For that matter, I didn't really look at the pictures on the box. Now I'm at home rubbing my feet with $10.00 lotion and I'm reading the label. The active ingredient in Miracle Foot Repair is MENTHOL. The only things I know that have menthol are Kool cigarettes and Vick's vaporub. I was a little put out to find menthol was the only active ingredient in the lotion, because I have been putting Vick's on my feet for years and paying significantly less. What makes my impulse purchase more comical is the picture on the back of the box. The heels on the feet pictured look like really ugly shoulders, and the toes on featured in the bottom picture look like they were placed on the model's feet backwards. I am a RUBE!

The Good, The Bad and the @#%*&!

Retrographics by Finijo

I started this morning off in pretty poor style, when I could not find my keys. I used the spare car key to get to work, but I gave my spare house key to Connor so he could get when school started, so I ended up leaving the door unlocked. I felt like refried caca most of the day, probably stress from losing my keys and leaving the door unlocked like an idiot. I arrived home and I ended up finding my keys when I stubbed my big toe on the Dirt Devil I left lying on the floor and let out an expletive, to which Connor commented nonchalantly, "I've heard worse." I had to ask, "What is worse than that word?" "That word when you say it with other bad words. I've heard you, you know." Unable to deny it, I said, "You are absolutely right!" He grinned in the triumph that can only come when one has proven their point.

THE GOOD - I found my keys and Connor made a valid point.
THE BAD - I lost my keys.
THE @#&*! - My liberal use of expletives

The Good, the Bad, and the REALLY @#%&*!

Tom DeLay was indicted today!!!

THE GOOD - The indictment
THE BAD - Tom DeLay - he is rotten all the way to the core of his being!
THE @#%&*! - My liberal use of expletives as I exclaimed my supreme delight at what will hopefully be the beginning of the end of Sugarland's own Boss Hogg! May he get the full sentence and no time off for good behavior, and may they tack on extra time for his egregious redistricting of Texas. Tom DeLay is a pariah among politicians, and that is the nicest thing I can say about him!

Clear, Sunny and Off for Two More Days

Sun Shot by Finijo

It is a beautiful, clear and sunny day. People are streaming back into Houston and some businesses have opened (mostly fast food and gas stations). I was notified by phone this morning that I am off work until Wednesday. HISD sent out notification that school is closed until Wednesday, so Connor is off too. Marilyn hasn't heard what is happening with her job, yet. Her office is located in the 4 block section of downtown that has been shut down for repairs, so, she will probably be off , as well. I can't believe I don't have anything to do for two days. What a surprisingly weird and wonderful way to start the work week.

LATER THAT EVENING:

Time Warner Cable Sucks by Finijo

I just need someone to explain to me how we got no flooding, no real damage of any kind, not enough rain to amount to a spitting contest, but this evening the cable went out. We have had a blinding snow storm on the screen for the last five hours, but throughout Rita, we not only had electricity, we had cable. When we called Time Warner (6 times so far), the line is busy. There is nothing on the website. I don't mean to be whiney about this (but yes, I realize I am being whiney about this), but we've been cooped up in the house since Friday with nothing to do but prepare for Rita and fret. The preparations were wasted (as was the fretting), and now the city is a virtual ghost town with no businesses open, and I have an unexpected mini-vacation for the next two days that I really didn't need, since I am still trying to get up to speed on my new job. Tonight the season premiere of Desperate Housewives was on at 8:00 PM and a new episode of Footballers Wives was on at 9:00 PM - this was to be a night of purely raunchy escapist television - and we have no way to express our displeasure with Time Warner outside of blogging it - since they don't have a working phone number. I guess when the cable goes out, having a cable phone is a disadvantage - someone should tell Time Warner.

Rita The Morning After

The Morning After Rita by Finijo

The morning after Rita, this is the scene that greeted me when I opened my door. Not too bad, given the predictions. I propped the rose bush back up and righted the potted plants and went out the gate to see how the world fared in Rita's wake. The only word that can describe what I saw is anticlimactic. It's not that I hoped for mass destruction, it's just that we didn't even get enough rain to water the plants. Seriously, as soon as the wind dies down, we have to water the plants, because I held off watering them while waiting for the downpour and the heavy winds seem to have dried them out even more.

West View The Morning After 9:30 AM by Finijo

East View The Morning After 9:30 AM by Finijo

The sky still looks ominous, but for now we only have wind and some drizzle. The wind seems stronger today than it was last night, but I think we are out of harms way at this point.


Carport Damage by MEG

We didn't get a lot of damage, but part of the carport blew off and a tree behind our place lost a limb. I think we got pretty lucky since the tree was so close to the power lines. I could hear fire truck sirens throughout the night, so I know others did not fare as well.

Tree Damage by MEG

Tree Damage Close Up by MEG

Hurricane Rita Begins (sort of)

Rita Rainbow at 7:00 PM by Finijo

I went out to check the weather conditions at 7:00 PM and the sky did not portend the doom that the media has been predicting. Instead there was a beautiful rainbow that extended from one side of the boulevard to the other. It was too huge for me to get a good shot of the whole thing, so I snapped what I could.

Rita East View at 7:00 PM by Finijo

Rita East View at 7:15 PM by Finijo

It's 9:00 PM the night that hurricane Rita is supposed to roll into town, but nothing much is happening. The weather men all said she'd be cruising through Houston at 6:00 PM, but all was still clear at that time, and it is still clear now.

Rita West View 7:00 PM by Finijo

Rita West View at 7:15 PM by Finijo

I thought Rita arrived about 7:15 PM when the sky changed very drastically in just 15 minutes. I know the weather people keep saying that it will be dramatic and harrowing, but Rita is taking her sweet time getting here and the waiting is exhausting for us. I'm ready to hunker down (yeah, hunker), but we barely have drizzle and the winds are only about 35 mph, so far. Click here to link to a time lapse view of Rita as she rolled into Houston. It isn't a violent storm, but the footage is beautiful.

24 Hours to Rita

Rita 24 Hours Before by MEG

24 hours to Rita, and all is well. Who would think that such a wicked storm would be lurking just a day away?


Ominous Tower of Doom by MEG

We are riding out the storm in Houston and hoping the cell phone tower can withstand Rita's winds.


Drained Pool by MEG

They took the water level down in the pool about 2 feet today, so I'm not too worried about flooding this time around. We will head to Mom and Dad's place tomorrow morning, unless the weather predictions get better. The traffic is such a booger right now, I am not looking forward to driving in Houston.

Hurricane Rita

Lovely Rita by NOAA

I cannot believe that the behemoth known as Rita is barreling down on the Gulf Coast so soon after Katrina wreaked her havoc. I have been told that I don't need to come in to work tomorrow or Friday, but I don't have leave to take and I really don't have anything else to do. Marilyn has been told she is off with pay tomorrow and Friday and Connor is out of school for the rest of the week. I went to Sam's for water and was only able to get cases of Gatorade, Propel (a water drink), and crystal Lite. We have a huge tub of peanut butter, a box of granola and a freezer full of frozen vegetables and ice cream that we should probably eat in the next two days. I cannot imagine what lies in store for us after the horror stories that came out of Louisiana over the last few weeks, but I am sincerely hoping that Rita will weaken in the next two days, so that we don't have to find out. I may not post again until after this thing passes.