Happy Fastnacht Day!

It's Fat Tuesday, and last night my BIL made fastnachts. Technically, they shouldn't have sugar or glaze, but really, who wants them that way? The super grocery store near us was advertising curb-side service for fastnacht purchases. I might go by just to see.

And today Girl Scout Cookies arrive in town. I'll be at borough hall helping to unpack the truck and then put them in troop piles.

Old Photo Sunday

My Mom's (old) best friend is Sharon, who lives near Sacramento, CA. Back when we all lived in Southern California, Mom and Sharon would get together alot, and that meant playtime for me and Sharon's son Mark. My memories of Mark are pleasant. We played together well (I'll wait for Mom to say otherwise). I remember lots of Legos for some reason.


But at some point after we moved to Pennsylvania, things went wrong for Mark. As I understand it, he has spent more time in prison than out of it since he was a young man. Can't tell that from his image in this photo, can you?

This photo was taken in Disneyland, in front of the castle.

Olympics

Okay, I admit it. I'm an Olympics fan. Especially Curling ~ which is absurd because I really don't understand most of the rules. But for some reason I find it fascinating. Something about it also tickles me. So-o-o-o serious! I've watched enough of the American teams to recognize some regular audience members.

Since the Olympics started last week, I've tried to have one of the NBC channels tuned in. I've even got the four channel numbers posted on the TV. Even when I'm in the other room, it's on, like a radio.

And my dear Nod sent me this image in case I didn't use Google today:

Didja hear about the Women of Curling calendar?

And here's the story on MSNBC

Yummmm ...

(It's hard to take a picture of yourself.

Why didn't I check my hair first?

And how long has it been looking messy?

Why didn't anyone let me know?)

I'm down to my last marshmallow.

~ sigh ~

Old Photo Sunday

Here is dad (Niks) and brother Nivek. We used to go into the mountains of southern California alot when we were young. Always a picnic lunch, frequently a creek nearby. Lots of water-wading and hiking and exploring. I think that Indian blanket might still be around somewhere, if it's the one that I'm thinking it is.

Giving Blood

When I was in my early 20s, a Red Cross Bloodmobile came to CalArts to get blood donations from the students. Despite my lifelong fear of needles, I was goaded into donating blood. I found out that it wasn't too bad after all.

I continued to donate blood after I returned to Pennsylvania. Since I am O Negative (Universal Donor), I got calls to come and donate as often as it was allowed. Sometimes I was turned away because of a low iron count, but not too often.

But in the last few years, my low iron count became a problem. Not to me, as I have always tended to have a low count. I was diagnosed as anemic when I was a toddler. But the FDA has limits that cannot be overlooked just because a person has naturally low iron levels. As a result, I haven't been able to donate in the last two years.

Taking iron pills is hard on my bowels. Eating more steaks didn't seem to really help. So I've been taking children's chewable Flintstone vitamins for some months now.

So I when I got a call yesterday, I agreed to come in this afternoon. I told myself if my iron count was still too low again, that I would tell the blood bank to take me off their call list. I went in to the donation center hoping for the best, but not too much. I filled out the paper work, had my finger pricked for a blood sample, and waited for the machine to whirl it around. Watched as the tiny tube was evaluated.

Hallelujah!

I was able to donate, to my relief and happiness. The technician suggested that perhaps I can only donate twice a year now that I'm older. So I called the blood bank and asked them to put a hold on calls for six months. Then I asked if they could look up how much I've donated over the years (this does not count the first pint I gave in California).

The woman replied "Oh, wow, you're a Four Gallon Hero!"

I have to laugh, even now. That's REALLY what she said! Four Gallon Hero.

The excited way that she said it helped me feel not so bad about not being able to donate as much as I used to. Hero. Never thought anyone would use that word for me. Not that I really believe it, mind you, but nice nevertheless.

What about you? Have any of you done anything that you thought wasn't such a big thing, but someone else thought was heroic?

Yum ... A Post Valentine's Day Report

Many women complain about their male significant others when it comes to Valentine's Day. Not me. Nod is a gem when it comes to this.

Now, for days I've been racking my brain what to get my husband for Valentine's Day. Wasn't going to Hallmark to get some plush bear holding a heart. We have enough clutter in our home without adding more that proclaim love and affection.

But nothing was coming to mind. That is, nothing short of winning the lottery.

And it got worse when a red rose bud surrounded by baby's breath in a pretty vase arrived on the 13th. Aaargh. Here I am, the day before and nothing purchased.

And so the whole Eve of Valentine's passed without finding anything.

For Pete's Sake. And yet I could not bring myself to just purchase ANY-meaningless-thing!

To my relief, there was nothing on the table when I came downstairs on Valentine's morning. Good. The flower arrangement was it. So I don't have to feel SO guilty. And I still have the afternoon to shop.

But you KNOW that still nothing was found. Poooor pitiful me.

So when Nod came home for work, I was just about in tears, feeling like the lowest of the low. Nothing for my husband! What kind of woman am I? (no ... don't answer that!)

Nod was fine with it, shushing my lament.

Then he said, "well, I don't know if this will make it better or worse ..." as he pulled a gift bag out of the closet.

Instantly I felt worse. What a CAD I am!

But when I unwrapped the package, all the aforementioned was instantly forgotten.

I had a box of Schwartz' Chocolate Covered Marshmallows.

Nod had to call twice to order this - the first time he realized that he didn't have his credit card. But he did talk to Stan's mom. She kinda, almost complained about the number of calls that they had gotten after their appearence on the Food Network's Unwrapped program. Then Nod called back later and got Stan on the phone.

In typical Nod fashion, he had trouble remembering Doug's name or my blogger name. That Nod. But he's always been that way. (I could always tell when he had forgotten the name of someone we ran into - he wouldn't introduce me.)

YUM. Mine, all mine!

Cats and Blogging

Somewhere along the way, our elderly cat Chatham got a blog. He doesn't post all that often, and when he does, it's usually to complain about his younger brother Salem.

As it turns out, there are alot of bloggin' cats out there. Chatham has a good many links in his sidebar. One of the best and most creative is that of Gigolo Kitty. There's alot of work that goes into GK's stories! I'm wondering what Icy would look like in some of those outfits. (Click on image to enlarge.)


Then there is the touching blog of Eponine's Cowboy. Eponine died late last year, and others of the cat-blogging community left very tender comments as Cowboy watched Eponine's health worsen, and comforted him when she finally passed away.

Mad Moses Kitty had been nervously awaiting the arrival of a baby at his house. Some share their house with other cats, like the Calico Girls, the Crew, the Meezers (other Siamese) and the Tuxedo Gang.

It's fun to look at these blogs - it's a whole other world!

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day. I'm too busy catching up with various things to think about it right now ....

So Long, Bonnie. We'll Miss You

me, Doris, TLP and Bonnie

Bonnie is gone.

My cousin called mom a few hours ago to let us know that Bonnie had a massive aneurysm this morning. This evening she died.

Bonnie, TLP, Granny and Doris

Bonnie visited last summer and was great blog material, as some of you may remember. If you don't or missed these great stories, visit TLP's June 2005 archive.

We are all characters in our own right, some more than others. Bonnie was one of those others, but loved and will be missed.

Call Center Life

A funny thing happened when I started to see trailers for When a Stranger Calls. I recognized the bedding that the kids are sleeping on! It was part of our summer line last year. I printed off a couple of screen shots and showed them to our kids catalog manager, who quipped "oh, great, now we'll see how good it looks with blood splatter on it."








Yesterday my "call of the day" was a 21 minute rant by an older woman who dislikes her daughter-in-law.

This Connecticut woman had called to ask if we carried latex foam mattresses. We don't - our mattresses are all the usual coiled stuff. Then she asked where she could buy such a thing. (good lawd)

I suggested that there must be mattress stores in her area, and that furniture stores that sell beds usually sell mattresses, too. She insisted that the furniture stores in New Haven do not do so. Throughout the conversation I repeated that her local phone directory should have companies listed under "mattresses" in the yellow pages - ours does.

She wanted me to give her numbers in the central PA area. I went and got a phone book and told her that none of the numbers were toll-free. She was annoyed about that. I told her that shipping costs would probably make it expensive anyway.

Then she went on to tell me that she needed it for her son ... and then the rant began. I heard "I'm so upset" many, many times. She wanted to know how a girl could "not have more design sense than that" and "what kind of parents does she have and how did they raise her" and so forth. The curtains were too short for the windows. The kids' mattresses are on the floor (actually, this is not uncommon, as some people are nervous about small children being high off the floor in a regular bed). The DIL didn't use the beautiful headboard that had been given to the son by the mother. And they put their bed IN FRONT of the window! gasp! (I didn't tell her that our bed is in front of the window. We do have a headboard, tho')

Blah blah blah for 21 minutes. And of course no sale. I SO wanted to ask what kind of mother her son had . . .

THEN she went on to tell me that for several years now her husband had been using the dining room table as an office. "I'm so upset" was heard again and again. She thinks that the dining room should be a "showcase".

I made lots of sympathic noises. A few times she seemed like she was done with me, but then the "I'm so upset" and rant would start up again.

And to top it off, she finished by saying quicker than I can almost understand "I gotta go I can't stay on the phone like this" and then hung up on me.

Schwartz

Last night, our friend Semisweet1, his parents and family business was featured on the Food Network's Unwrapped program on Chocolate Creations.

Semisweet's grandfather founded Schwartz Candies, where one can purchase "Chocolate Covered Marshmallows that are Out of this World!"


I have personally tasted them, and can tell you that they do live up to their name! The Valentine brochure arrived the other day, and I've been drooling over it. If I lived near them, I would be visiting every day to get one.

It was a fun program to watch, and since I recorded it, I watched the Schwartz segment twice.

Unwrapped also covered other chocolatiers, one of which was Dove Chocolates. I learned that Dove is made in Elizabethtown, PA, which is between us and Lancaster. Didn't know that they were so close!! There is another chocolate company in that general area. Wilbur Chocolates is in Lititz. And of course, there is always Hershey's, which is nearby.

MacGyver is Back!

After all the complaining that twin B, Goa'uld, did the last few days about how obnoxious all the Steelers fans have been, I thought that she would not stay and watch the game. But she did. And when Nod cheered Bobby Engram's touchdown (he's a Penn State graduate), Goa'uld said "HEY!?" We had to laugh. So being born and raised in the Commonwealth did matter in the end. Even if we were surrounded by a sea of black and gold. Even our minister was in on it on Sunday morning. And it will continue for sure now.

Well, we did watch the whole game. It started out that we were watching for the commercials. Honestly. And I must say that for the most part we were disappointed. The best ones seemed to be the cell phone ads. One even had a bit of a tribute to Benny Hill! And the one that made the "crime deterrent" claim was funny, too. iFilm has many of them, if you'd like to see them.

Then came the commercial that made it all worthwhile.

When face popped up on the televisions screen, Goa'uld and I gasped. She jumped in her seat on the sofa - it sounded like something fell and broke, but it was ignored.

This is Richard Dean Anderson, star of the MacGyver series that ran 1985 to 1992. He played Col. Jack O'Neill in Stargate from 1997 to 2005. The commercial is for Mastercard, where RDA is reprising his MacGyver role. Priceless.com has the ad, interviews and more. Hey, AP3, at the end of the interview, he points out that he is mullet-less now!

I really love this commercial!

If you've been reading this blog for long, and that of Goa'uld, you know that we are a Stargate family. A year ago we went to a Stargate convention. Before our girls were born, Nod and I were MacGyver fans. We got to see him play ice hockey at the Hershey Bears' old arena many, many years ago. Somewhere there is a bad photo of me with him.

For a blast from the past, here is the MacGyver theme music. It's my cell phone ring. ;-)

Old Photo Sunday

Well, this is the second time I've created this post. I did it yesterday and saved it as a draft. But lo ~ it's gone. I know it was saved as a draft ... I saw it there! But Blogger has been difficult lately, as many have commented on.


Anyway, this photo has "JAN 80" in the corner, so it must've been taken during Xmas break for me from Penn State my Junior year there. Left to right it Aral, Niks and me. I don't remember what it was that I was reacting to.

Now I'm going to click on "publish post" and see what happens . . .

ADDENDUM: if this photo looks much better, it's because Yesrie fixed it for me. Ain't she a dear?

Jesus Does Disco

A friend sent me the link to this video. It's Jesus Christ, the Musical.











I think it's funny. I'm sure that Little Bar of Soap will hate it. I bet that The Devil will say "Told you so!!"

Groundhog Groundhog

Can't believe that another year has gone by and that it's once again Groundhog Day.


My mom and dad are in Punxsutawney, PA, to watch Phil give his prediction. I'm sure that we're all waiting with bated breath for TLP's report when they return later this week.


Today is also known as Candlemas. A group of people at my church are showing Bill Murray's Groundhog Day movie tonight, and having a taffy-pull. Not sure what the connection there is.

I hope that Phil tells us that spring-time weather is on the way!


To see a video of the event, go here: http://www.wgal.com/video/6682543/detail.html.
CNN has one, too, but I couldn't get it to run.

Rabbit Rabbit

Yes, another month has gone by and it's time for . . .

RABBIT RABBIT!