A Retrospective Look at 2008

My final post of this year will be a retrospective look at 2008 as it pertains to me; followed by things expected in 2009.

December: Decided to go to Disneyland in January. Drove mom around because I have a SUV and her car was stuck in the driveway during the "December Storm." Did not receive bunny or boat as asked for on Christmas.

November: I met Ryan Rowland-Smith! During Thanksgiving: mom burnt my stove top and I forgot to add sugar to the pumpkin pie.

October: After 2 years, I returned to the gym to work out (yes, I'm still going). Traveled to and from St. Joseph's to visit dad in hospital (he had an aneurysm on top of an aneurysm).

September: Jeremy and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary. Went to Tristan's 1st birthday (had a smashing good time).

August: Went to Mexico for my brother's wedding. Took a mini vacation with Jeremy to San Diego to touch dolphins and macaroni penguins.

July: Estelle Getty passed away.

June: Worked way too much.

May: House, cat and dog sat.

April: Went to a Rascal Flatts concert. Took a photography class which renewed my interest in picture taking.

March: Went to Mariner's opening day at Safeco Field. Did not receive bunny as asked for on Easter; perhaps due to Dad having a stroke.

February: Jeremy celebrated his 26th birthday.

January: Had my 23rd birthday. Did not receive bunny or boat as asked for on my birthday.

As for 2009

January: Jeremy and I are going to be in Anaheim, CA from the 9-14 to play around in Disneyland. Will celebrate my golden birthday; 24. I plan on asking for a bunny and a boat.

February: Jeremy will turn 27. My brother will turn 30! Anticipating on going to the Brad Paisley concert.

March: Might finally be used to writing 2009 instead of 2008.

April: Going to Mariner's opening day at Safeco Field. Plan on asking for a bunny for Easter.

Top Ten Politically Correct Christmas Carols

I found this card (made by Carlton Cards) at Target, but I have nobody to give it to as I forgot about it then bought everyone different cards yesterday. I will share this with my readers.

10. O Holiday Tree

9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Day of Winter

8. Frosty the Snowperson

7. Chestnuts Roasting on a Safely Contained, Continuously Monitored, Eco-friendly, Nontoxic Outdoor Fire (For Which I Do Have a Permit)

6. Higher Power Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

5. Grandma Allegedly Got Run Over By an Unidentified Non-Human Perpetrator

4. Deck the Halls With Boughs of Unendangered Foliage (If Office Policy Permits)

3. Hark! The Herald Mythical Winged Creature Sings

2. I Saw Mommy Greeting Santa Claus With a Purely Platonic Expression of Inoffensive Mutual Affection

1. I'll Be Home for a Short Period of Time in December

OTR: December Storm edition

Snow may result in the excessive consumption of hot cocoa, but it also brings the stupid drivers. My On The Red this month will focus on those stupid drivers.

1. Just because you have one or more of the following; an SUV/Truck, snow tires, chains and/or 4 wheel drive, doesn't mean you can drive 60 mph even if that is the posted speed limit.

2. Don't ride my tail because I'm being cautious when the roads are icy. You may be at fault for the accident, but I still don't have the money to pay for repairs until your insurance company coughs up the dough.

3. I don't care that the sand/de-icer truck has been down the street, ice and snow does accumulate.

4. I understand stopping takes a bit more finesse during these conditions, but don't go 30 mph down an obviously unkempt hill and not even make an effort to warn other drivers that you are indeed going to blast through the solid red light like a liquid explosion.

To those who actually drive extra cautiously in the snow and those who just stay inside, thank you for being safe and smart.

To those who think driving in snow is the same as driving while eating an ice cream cone (because it too is chilly), I hope you find yourself in a ditch...with minor car damage...not too much, just enough for me to laugh at you without feeling guilty.

Not in a Mini!

This past summer I started using the "Tide to Go" pen. It has not only save many of my clothes, but Jeremy's white work shirt (my delicious spaghetti sauce) and Allie's white tank top (ketchup from fair fries) as well. I highly recommend keeping one handy for just such emergencies.

A few months ago I saw a rather delightful commercial for the "Tide to Go" pen, now in a mini! I was very excited to learn about this. So for the past few months I have been making stops down the laundry detergent aisle and even checking the end caps of check out lines at the stores and have not been able to locate said pen. I have made multiple stops at QFC, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Rite Aid and even Big Lots and still have not found the mini version of it.

I am starting to question its existence. If any of my (I think 3 now) readers know where I can find the "Tide to Go Mini" I would love to know. It would also make a great Christmas gift!

Round 2

Breaking News in Palm Desert California:

At Toys "R" Us two men have died due to a quick gun fight. It has not been released whether or not this was gang related or a fight over a toy.

Don't you just love people?

Tis the Season...for death

Black Friday

These two words evoke so many thoughts and feelings for most. The thoughts of how early one has to wake up to get a good place in line for the 4 am opening of stores, which stores have the best deals, is it possible to divide and conquer to hit multiple stores at the same time or even how to go from store to store as they open in sequence. Some just think of it as a day to stay home, start pulling holiday decorations out of storage and eat some left-over turkey.

One thing many people don't think of, until it happens, is death.

This morning at a Wal-Mart in New York a 34 year old temporary employee was trampled to death by an unruly mob of people in order to score one of the advertised deals. While the exact cause of death has not been released, I'm positive it wasn't due to excessive kindness by customers waiting their turn to enter the store in a calm manner.

The New York Times is even reporting that the customers started pulling the doors from their hinges. Four to five other customers, including a 28 year old pregnant woman, were injured in this frenzy.

AOL usually has some sort of poll with each of their news stories. One question asked was "Does this news surprise you?" At 11:36 am PST 53,133 people had voted. 80% of those people said "No."

What is the world coming to when people aren't surprised by death during the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season? What's next, tainted turkey meat on Thanksgiving, a country-wide internet crash on Cyber Monday that includes compromised personal information? I just wonder how many people will no longer want to participate in Black Friday because they could be next.

To those customers at that Wal-Mart this morning, I hope you got your TV. I hope every time you watch it you remember you killed a man. You have frightened others by your greed and lack of ethics.

You are an American Terrorist.

On The Red

Today will be my first in the series On The Red. Basically, it is my monthly (sometimes for 5 days straight) post about things that I complain about due to my heightened irritation from the red and people in general. This post will be short as I need to pace myself.

1. Stores who put up Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving.

1a. Stores who put up Christmas decorations before Halloween!

2. People who put [Christmas] lights/nativity scenes/inflatable lawn ornamentation up before Thanksgiving.

3. Radio stations that play Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

Do we see a pattern?

Now, I enjoy the holiday season as much as the next person who also happens to enjoy it, but seriously, can't you wait til Black Friday? Come Friday I will be into my Christmas spirit, why you ask, because it is after Thanksgiving.

Note: Buying some gifts for Christmas early is acceptable, as long as you don't decorate. You should also buy me some :)

Wocka Wocka Wocka

As many Mariner fans now know, Don Wakamatsu is now the new Mariner’s manager. While most people could use the google to find his biography, see past job performance and compare whether or not his “style” is something that has proven to work, I find more comfort from reading one specific article from the Seattle PI.

If you are too lazy to click the link and read, I will give you a quick synopsis. He has a rabbit named Dexter. The rabbit attends his son’s baseball games. They also have a 6 year old shelter dog named Asia. Asia is a border collie/German Sheperd mix*. When they got her they thought she was too hyper and took her back to the shelter. After sleeping with guilt for a night, they went back and had to pay the fee again to get her back.

*Another trip to the google using the images feature can produce an assortment of possible dipictions of the dog. (Using border collie and German shepherd as the search term)

Note: There are a few more paragraphs in there about other things not dog or bunny related. I felt they weren’t as important.

For more on the google see what Bush has to say. If uncertain about the internet, please refer to Former Senator Ted Stevens.