The Tiger's home opener was this afternoon at 1pm. I've done everything in my power to stay away from the radio, TV, and anybody who might know the score because although the game is being replayed at 7pm tonight, Vic taped it for me so I could zip thru the commercials. I'm really looking forward to baseball & cross-stitch. They both just sound like they should go together, don't they? I plan on getting a lot of cross-stitching and scrapbooking done over the next 7 months of Tigerball. Go Tigers!
This past weekend we didn't paint or caulk anything. That's pretty much how I figured it would be. I'm really hoping, really hoping that we can get the tub done this coming weekend. We'll see.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Random Thoughts
I decided yesterday that I'm going to paint the craft room. What this actually means is that I'll talk about it for a few weeks and then feel bad in August when it still isn't done. It will be a sunny yellow. I hope. This weekend Vic and I are going to caulk the bathtub. I hope.
Monday is the Tigers' home opener. Weather guy is predicting 4" of snow on Monday.
We've been really super busy at work lately. It really doesn't make the day go by any faster; I'm just tireder when I get home. (Yes, I said tireder.)
I have a big foam Tiger claw. I'm taking it to work Monday to hang in my cubicle. Everyone will want to be my friend.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
you betcha, yeah!
Believe it or not, but I've actually started back to treadmilling again. I used the "gotta babysit Mom" excuse for the last couple of months, but now that she's a big girl and doesn't need me anymore I'm out of credible excuses. So I tidied up the Craft/Workout room and have hit the not-so-dusty treadmil trails again.
The best thing about treading is that it gives me the opportunity to watch movies I might not otherwise view. I have a TV/DVD setup in the C/W room and have sweated with some really stellar actors like Casey Affleck for instance. He mumbles so much that I have to turn the volume up to like 40 and turn on the closed-captioning. But hey, not only do I get the chance to shape my bod, I also get to watch average movies and do a little scrapbooking. After committing to the first 30 or 40 minutes of a movie, I feel obligated to stick around for the rest of it, so I scrapbook (the C in C/W room).
I've also finally watched all of the Academy Award Best Picture nominees. Almost. Please see below for my reviews.
Atonement
I really like movies with characters with British accents. The Muppets could've starred in this movie and as long as they said things like bugger or Shropshire I would've loved it. The story was at times slow and at times confusing, but overall I'd probably give it a B.
Juno
This was a really cute movie, but how the heck it ever got nominated for Best Picture is beyond me. Some of the scenes actually made me laugh out loud (not an easy thing to do) and the story, although a little trite, was still nice. Allison Janney was beyond wonderful as the put-upon stepmom and she definitely needed to be in more scenes. I give it an A-.
Michael Clayton
Okay, so I didn't actually see Michael Clayton yet, but I have seen old ER episodes and I've seen one of those Ocean 11 or 12 movies, so really, I'm thinking I've probably seen Michael Clayton, too. I think I would like to see Tilda Swinton, though. She played the evil White Witch in the Narnia movie and scared the panties off me! No grade on this one. Besides, somebody told me it was boring.
There Will Be Blood
Absolutely nothing could be as boring as this movie, though! I think the best part of the movie was when I fell asleep half-way through it. I actually slept for about 15 minutes and when I woke up they were still on the same scene! And I never got to see any blood! Where was all the blood?! There was plenty of boring, but no blood. F for a frigging hour & a half of my life I'll never get back again.
No Country For Old Men
Which brings us to the winner. (If you didn't already know who the winner was, shame on you for not knowing!) I actually managed to stay awake for this one...but just barely. Not only was it slow, but the ending left me with that "what the hell??" look on my face. The guy with the bad haircut was mildly amusing at first and then just plain dumb for the remainder of the movie. The only reason I stuck around till the end was because it was made by the Fargo brothers and I love love love Fargo. As a matter of fact, I've included a Fargo-esque YouTubing for your pleasure. Enjoy!
The best thing about treading is that it gives me the opportunity to watch movies I might not otherwise view. I have a TV/DVD setup in the C/W room and have sweated with some really stellar actors like Casey Affleck for instance. He mumbles so much that I have to turn the volume up to like 40 and turn on the closed-captioning. But hey, not only do I get the chance to shape my bod, I also get to watch average movies and do a little scrapbooking. After committing to the first 30 or 40 minutes of a movie, I feel obligated to stick around for the rest of it, so I scrapbook (the C in C/W room).
I've also finally watched all of the Academy Award Best Picture nominees. Almost. Please see below for my reviews.
Atonement
I really like movies with characters with British accents. The Muppets could've starred in this movie and as long as they said things like bugger or Shropshire I would've loved it. The story was at times slow and at times confusing, but overall I'd probably give it a B.
Juno
This was a really cute movie, but how the heck it ever got nominated for Best Picture is beyond me. Some of the scenes actually made me laugh out loud (not an easy thing to do) and the story, although a little trite, was still nice. Allison Janney was beyond wonderful as the put-upon stepmom and she definitely needed to be in more scenes. I give it an A-.
Michael Clayton
Okay, so I didn't actually see Michael Clayton yet, but I have seen old ER episodes and I've seen one of those Ocean 11 or 12 movies, so really, I'm thinking I've probably seen Michael Clayton, too. I think I would like to see Tilda Swinton, though. She played the evil White Witch in the Narnia movie and scared the panties off me! No grade on this one. Besides, somebody told me it was boring.
There Will Be Blood
Absolutely nothing could be as boring as this movie, though! I think the best part of the movie was when I fell asleep half-way through it. I actually slept for about 15 minutes and when I woke up they were still on the same scene! And I never got to see any blood! Where was all the blood?! There was plenty of boring, but no blood. F for a frigging hour & a half of my life I'll never get back again.
No Country For Old Men
Which brings us to the winner. (If you didn't already know who the winner was, shame on you for not knowing!) I actually managed to stay awake for this one...but just barely. Not only was it slow, but the ending left me with that "what the hell??" look on my face. The guy with the bad haircut was mildly amusing at first and then just plain dumb for the remainder of the movie. The only reason I stuck around till the end was because it was made by the Fargo brothers and I love love love Fargo. As a matter of fact, I've included a Fargo-esque YouTubing for your pleasure. Enjoy!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Easter
Holidays, for some reason, are a really big deal for Vic. I think because she really likes to cook and she doesn't really get much of an opportunity to do so with me. Vic doesn't know how to cook for 2 people ~ she's more of a "cook for the whole freakin' neighborhood" kinda girl. So this Easter was a disappointment for her. We spent the day with her mom ~ a mom who can only eat a few forkfuls of food at a time and who makes Vic crazy almost all the time now. Personally, I'm all for going out for dinner at a nice restaurant and having someone wait on me. Instead, my holiday was spent with a grumpy girlfriend and a whiny mother-in-law. Oh well.
My evenings have been pretty relaxing, for the most part. Since I have neither Mom nor school to worry about, I've been working on the scrapbook and just enjoying dumb TV shows. I actually watched an entire episode of The Andy Griffith Show last night. That Barney's a hoot!
My evenings have been pretty relaxing, for the most part. Since I have neither Mom nor school to worry about, I've been working on the scrapbook and just enjoying dumb TV shows. I actually watched an entire episode of The Andy Griffith Show last night. That Barney's a hoot!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Lately
Vic's mom had another trip to the hospital this weekend. The ambulance took on Saturday morning because she was having intense abdominal & back pain. So Vic & I spent all day Saturday at the hospital sitting in the ER with her while she waited forever for test results, blood draws, painkillers, etc. She ended up staying overnight for "observation" and came home Sunday afternoon. They never did figure out what was causing the problem, but she has an appointment to see her doctor next week and Vic is going to go with her to make sure we get some explanations to why she is still in so much pain. We're looking for something other than "every body is different" and "it takes time."
Since school is over and Mom wants me to spend fewer nights with her, I've had more time at home. And I don't know how to act. I'm not used to not studying or watching endless episodes of House Hunters or Design On a Dime. I guess I could use this time to work on my scrapbook again, but I think for the rest of this week I'm going to just sit and catch up on some TV watching and kitty holding.
Since school is over and Mom wants me to spend fewer nights with her, I've had more time at home. And I don't know how to act. I'm not used to not studying or watching endless episodes of House Hunters or Design On a Dime. I guess I could use this time to work on my scrapbook again, but I think for the rest of this week I'm going to just sit and catch up on some TV watching and kitty holding.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The Quirky Caseys
We were just sitting around the house today when Vic asked me if I'd ever googled my name. Ya know, I never had. So I did. Seems there is a website called (of all things!) www.caseyoconnell.com. Casey is apparently a San Francisco artist and she has stolen my name for her website where she plies her wares. Hmm. I've included a self-portrait of "the other Casey" (TOC) to the right. All of TOC's renderings are pretty similar, and a bit on the quirky side. I actually wouldn't be opposed to hanging a few pieces on one of our cluttered living room walls...if I didn't have to pay for it. I wonder if TOC would like some of my art work? I can make a mean stick figure girl. And like TOC's work, most of my creations are similar ~ for instance, all of my people only have 3 fingers on each hand...even the animals. Quirky, huh?
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
We're Outta Here!
Vic & I reserved a lovely motel in Mackinaw City for 3 lovely days in May. Mackinaw City is across the bridge from Mackinac Island in the Upper Peninsula of the great state of Michigan. And more importantly, it's way far away from work. Yea!! The plan is to take the ferry across to the Island and spend the weekend exploring lighthouses, fudge shops and over-priced trinket shops. I'm really hoping to find a cute little snow globe of the bridge. We would drive to the island but that would involve me driving over the bridge with a hysterical, bulging-eyed, sick-faced girlfriend curled up in a ball on the backseat. It seems safer to just take the ferry. We didn't really take a vacation this year because Vic's mom was sick all summer, so we're really looking forward to some vacation time. We had originally planned on flying over to Ireland for a return trip to visit the green we missed the first time around, but since the euro sucks butt, we've decided instead to take a few smaller trips. The first will be Mackinac Island! More on our summer adventures as they materialize!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Mom
Today is my mom's birthday. I probably won't call her, though. I talked to her on Friday, so that fulfills my obligation. My mom and I haven't been close since I was about 17 and the divide has just gotten wider over the years. At first I thought it was mostly my fault (mostly because that's what she's drilled into my head), but for about the last 15 years or so, I realize the opposite is true.
When she was younger, my mom had definite ideas about how her life should be. I don't think she ever sat around as a teenager dreaming of being married to a loser and working menial jobs her whole life. But instead of doing something about it, she just played the martyr. And she also had definite ideas of how my life would turn out. Again, I'm pretty sure they didn't include me moving to another country and falling prey to lesbian vampires who brainwashed me into thinking I could lead a happy, fulfilling life without a man.
It seemed like every time I called or went home for a visit, she would blame me for something else tragic that happened when I was 6 or 7. So, I just stopped calling or visiting. I decided that as an adult, I wasn't going to allow another adult (even a mom adult) to treat me that way. The good part is that now when she calls, she's civil. We have a nice "how's the weather" conversation and no blood is shed. The bad part is that we both missed out on a really important relationship in our lives. And before anybody gets that Lifetime movie "it's not too late to try" thought in their head ~ I have tried. Dozens of times.
I think our relationship is at the best possible place it has been in well over 20 years. I call her 4 or 5 times a year, on holidays and her birthday, and we have a politely strained conversation. So on this, the day of my mom's birth, I will spend the day grocery shopping for Vic's mom and spending the afternoon taking care of her.
Happy Birthday Mom.
When she was younger, my mom had definite ideas about how her life should be. I don't think she ever sat around as a teenager dreaming of being married to a loser and working menial jobs her whole life. But instead of doing something about it, she just played the martyr. And she also had definite ideas of how my life would turn out. Again, I'm pretty sure they didn't include me moving to another country and falling prey to lesbian vampires who brainwashed me into thinking I could lead a happy, fulfilling life without a man.
It seemed like every time I called or went home for a visit, she would blame me for something else tragic that happened when I was 6 or 7. So, I just stopped calling or visiting. I decided that as an adult, I wasn't going to allow another adult (even a mom adult) to treat me that way. The good part is that now when she calls, she's civil. We have a nice "how's the weather" conversation and no blood is shed. The bad part is that we both missed out on a really important relationship in our lives. And before anybody gets that Lifetime movie "it's not too late to try" thought in their head ~ I have tried. Dozens of times.
I think our relationship is at the best possible place it has been in well over 20 years. I call her 4 or 5 times a year, on holidays and her birthday, and we have a politely strained conversation. So on this, the day of my mom's birth, I will spend the day grocery shopping for Vic's mom and spending the afternoon taking care of her.
Happy Birthday Mom.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Hi Again!
Geez. I haven't blogged in forever! Let me catch you up on what's new...
* Vic's mom seems to be doing better. She actually wants us to spend less time at her house taking care of her. She said she really wants a little "alone time" and she's sure that Vic & I would like to spend some time in our own house, too. (She's right!) So tonight, I am at home blogging in front of a beautiful dancing fire.
* Vic is also home in front of the beautiful dancing fire. The doctor thinks she may have pneumonia. If she's not feeling better by Friday, she'll have to go into the hospital. So for the rest of the week she'll stay home from work and be a sickie.
* Speaking of work...I got moved to another department AGAIN. I am now part of an "elite team" of individuals in charge of inbound calls for a special client. Blah, blah, blah. I think the "elite team" thing actually translates to "smoke up the ass." It's nice to be "honored," but I would have preferred to have tranferred permanently to the Respiratory team. But really, why would you want to make the employees too happy?
* This past weekend we experienced a heat wave of sorts. I actually went to work with no coat! Tonight, the TV just ran a "beep-beep" across the bottom of the screen to tell us we are under a severe winter snow warning and we're in for like 10 feet of snow by the morning. Really makes me want to get up early in the morning to shovel a path to my car to drive out to my new elite job.
* Only two more weeks of school and then I'm off until June. Yea!
* Vic's mom seems to be doing better. She actually wants us to spend less time at her house taking care of her. She said she really wants a little "alone time" and she's sure that Vic & I would like to spend some time in our own house, too. (She's right!) So tonight, I am at home blogging in front of a beautiful dancing fire.
* Vic is also home in front of the beautiful dancing fire. The doctor thinks she may have pneumonia. If she's not feeling better by Friday, she'll have to go into the hospital. So for the rest of the week she'll stay home from work and be a sickie.
* Speaking of work...I got moved to another department AGAIN. I am now part of an "elite team" of individuals in charge of inbound calls for a special client. Blah, blah, blah. I think the "elite team" thing actually translates to "smoke up the ass." It's nice to be "honored," but I would have preferred to have tranferred permanently to the Respiratory team. But really, why would you want to make the employees too happy?
* This past weekend we experienced a heat wave of sorts. I actually went to work with no coat! Tonight, the TV just ran a "beep-beep" across the bottom of the screen to tell us we are under a severe winter snow warning and we're in for like 10 feet of snow by the morning. Really makes me want to get up early in the morning to shovel a path to my car to drive out to my new elite job.
* Only two more weeks of school and then I'm off until June. Yea!
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