Leslie's Omnibus

Drive-Bys

Quote of the Day:
No one is really looking? No one is really looking?! I CAN SEE YOUR CASH AND PRIZES! THAT MEANS IT IS TIME FOR NEW PANTS.
The Plumcake, sometimes she makes me laugh out loud.
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Giggle of the Day:

cat
more cat pictures
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The Chinese government takes a page out of the Chicago Alderman's Playbook:
China will punish airlines whose passengers refuse to disembark or misbehave in protest over problems like delayed flights, an official said on Thursday, as the Olympics host tries to lift standards before the Games.

Frustration at mysterious delays and abrupt diversions and cancellations have at times boiled over into violence at Chinese airports, with passengers trying to storm grounded aircraft and police having to be brought in to keep the peace.

There have also been cases in which passengers, after delayed arrivals, have refused to get off aircraft in protest.

Deputy head of the civil aviation regulator, Yang Guoqing, said enough was enough after numerous warnings to airlines to treat their passengers better appeared to have failed.
Yup. Punish the airlines. That'll work.

Leslie

Drive-Bys


Happy birthday to blog buddy El Capitan!
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Some Blogthings, because I can never resist:




You Are a Heart



Your life philosophy can be summed up as, "Love like you've never been hurt."

Your greatest wish is to have harmony in all of your relationships.

You can't help loving people, even when they're incredibly flawed.

You are a true romantic, and you are willing to give almost anyone a second chance.



(A tip of the cap to Sourpuss.)
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You Are Most Like Charlotte!



You are the ultimate romantic idealist

You've been hurt before, but that hasn't caused you to give up on love.

If anything, your resolve to fall in love is stronger than ever.

And it's this feminine optimism that men find most appealing about you.

Romantic prediction: That guy you are seeing (or crushing on)?

Could be very serious - if you play your cards right!



Hmmm...
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This one reminds me of Tammi, whose birthday I missed this week:




You Are Bare Feet



You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down.

Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times!

You are very comfortable in your own skin.

You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide.

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Not a Blogthing, but just as interesting:

I am 33% White Trash.
Not Too White Trashy
The white trash in my blood will not keep me from becoming a doctor or a lawyer, but it will keep me from a good haircut and any sort of fashion sense.


Blame this one on Pammy.
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You know, for someone who the media heaped praise on when he was running against Hillary, they sure are piling on Obama now:
Barack Obama has long been his party's presumptive nominee. Now he's becoming its presumptuous nominee.
Yeesh.
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You know, I kind of wondered about this myself, but shook it off as the kind of conspiracy theory that only nutballs, loons and wingnuts believe are true. Looks like maybe it's not so nutty a theory.
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Leave it to Chicago's aldermen to once again consider using a sledge hammer when a flyswatter would do just fine:

Burke and Rugai say their proposal would not only cut down on the number of strays roaming city streets, but would protect residents from "random, unprovoked attacks by overly aggressive animals."

Rugai, in particular, sees the measure as a way to cut down on pit-bull attacks, one of her longtime concerns.

Chicago. Gotta love it.
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Giggle of the Day:

cat
more cat pictures
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Enough, already! You'd think people would be smart enough to know not to walk and text as they're crossing the street, but, noooooooooooooo. That doesn't mean, however, that we need to have new legislation banning the practice. Ugh. You can't legislate smarts.
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Leslie

The Mom Update

The Princess Mom got sprung from the hospital around noon on Saturday.

Loads of fluids and IV antibiotics finally zapped the nasty bladder infection that had knocked her flat, thank goodness.

She's also now on insulin, as her diabetes was so rampantly out of control. She's not to happy about that, but the alternatives are even less appealing.

She's got neuropathy problems with both feet, which makes her less than steady. (I held her hand more over the weekend than I have since I was about eight years old, only now I'm the one guiding her along safely.)

The memory issues are improving... and they did make for some amusing conversations while I was visiting her in the hospital. Little things like referring to Imodium PM when she meant Excedrin PM gave me fits of the giggles. The docs have requested that we make sure to keep her mind active, so we did a lot of crossword puzzles to pass the time. I'm also thinking about picking up a jigsaw puzzle or two for her, just to mix things up a little bit.

Her hair is coming out by the handful at this point. She's due for a buzz cut and wig fitting tomorrow. I'm strongly considering getting her a Harley Davidson skull cap or a do-rag just for shits and grins. (Oooh, looky! There are more cool ones here.) She is into fashion statements, after all.

All in all, she just keeps on chugging along. She's a like a punching clown -- impossible to keep down.

On a happier note, we did get to go out to the boonies to see MMPC's new home and have a cookout on Sunday. TPM and MMPC are thick as thieves, and that visit was better than any medicine for TPM. We also got to meet the Reverend Grampa (MMPC's maternal granddad), which was a big treat for me. I still can't get over how seemlessly our families have blended!
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Your prayers, as always, lift us up and help tremendously. I can't thank you enough.
Leslie

The Mom Update

So here's the scoop:

Yesterday the Princess Mom's white blood count was sky-high.

Her blood sugar couldn't be stabilized.

Her INR was about 7 when they shuffled her straight off to the emergency room. By one point last night, her INR was 14. (I once had an INR of 5.3 and Dr. Hot Stuff went nuts. You can imagine how concerned they were with a score of 14!)

She wasn't real coherent, and she was having some incontinence problems.

Today's complaints include double vision (caused by the steroid she's on), a bladder infection and dehydration. After several transfusions of platelets, IV fluids and antibiotics and some oral diabetes meds, she's coming around.

She's out of Intensive Care, and in a step-down unit in the Heart wing of Edward Hospital. With any luck, they'll be sending her home after her radiation treatment tomorrow. I'll be heading out there first thing tomorrow morning to spend the day with her.

I'm so glad she's here and not in Florida.

Thanks for all the prayers and kind words. They really do help, you know.
Leslie

Drive-Bys

It's catching:









I got it from the CrankyProf. Will you catch it from me?
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Did you know it's the 40th anniversary of the invention of the cubicle? From one of those to occupies one to the rest of you who do also:

cat
more cat pictures

(Cubicle Kitteh reminds me a bit of Tiger Boots!)
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George R.R. Martin, he taunts me. A Dance With Dragons will NOT be out on September 30th, according to his website.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's not fair.
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See, this would have made me alert the cluebat patrol that some people need to have their license to parent revoked. Geeze.
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You Can Definitely Spot a Liar



Maybe you have good instincts. Or maybe you just have a lot of experience with liars.

Either way, it's pretty hard for someone to pull a fast one on you. You're like a human lie detector.


That's one more thing Tammi and I have in common.
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BlackFive reports. You decide.
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My pal Christine is having a huge sale in her Etsy shop. I'm only telling you now because I already ordered a bunch of stuff I've been salivating over for quite a while. But there's still plenty of good booty to be snatched up. (Do what I do, and start your Christmas shopping early!)
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When you're on your second parent with cancer and things aren't looking great, you can either cry all the time or develop a heightened sense of gallows humor. Me? This gave me a fit of the giggles. Yup. Gallows humor.
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This totally squicked me out. (How yucky is that???) Never heard of it before, and hope to God I never hear of it again!
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The ear worm of the day is totally dedicated to the Princess Mom:



Get better, Babs, will you?
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Leslie

The Mom Update

The Princess Mom has been readmitted to the hospital this afternoon. Apparently there are memory loss issues, personal indignity issues, her blood sugar levels are unstable and more.

It may be that they're able to get her stabilized and send her home. Then again... I don't really want to think about it.

Prayers, please, and keep them coming.

Thanks!
Leslie

Drive-Bys

Quote of the Day:
After copulation, the male stands on the female's back, then jumps off over her head.
Bet that got your attention!
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Did you know that Chicago is the 4th most walkable city in America? (And I have lived in the fifth and sixth most walkable neighborhoods in the city!)
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I've heard of bombing your house for bugs, but this is ridiculous.
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Great Reader outdoes himself today. He just slays me:
...Our Barrack, who's-Named Obama, so hollow be this lame. Thy kingdom come, Rezko's will be done, on earth, as it is in the projects. Give us this day, our daily talking points, and lead us not within 10 miles of Jessie Jackson. May we pile up debt and have Hillary supporters pick up the checks, as we are black, and can't be questioned. And lead us not into the Republican Party (who are all a bunch of pussy's) but deliver us from Karl Rove. For me and mine's is the kingdom, and the power, and the White House forever. Right on!
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Leslie

Drive-Bys

Move complete. Body, mind and soul exhausted, so here are some quick, quick thoughts:

-- Is it me, or does this picture appear to be totally Photoshopped?

-- I really, really don't like the fact that the first joint Obama/McCain joint campaign appearance is taking place at a church. That's just wrong on every level.

-- If this doesn't squick you out, I don't know what will. *Shudder*

-- Not only do I not want the state to give this church money, I want them to get the misdirected funds they were originally promised back in state coffers, as well. This is not tax-payer business. This is church-goer business.

-- He's back!
ME: . . . . . I'm sorry, I'm kinda reeling in shock here. You are actually admitting that you ran away without paying last time, and you STILL think I'm going to send you a cab?
GUY: I didn't have any money last time, but I do this time, so I'll pay.
ME: Oh, that's awful generous of you!
GUY: So can I get a cab?
ME: Absolutely sir! We'll be right there! (I hang up)
Haaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!!!

-- My pal Elisson never blegs... so I know this is really near and dear to his heart. If you've got a buck or two, it would be greatly appreciated.
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Now if I wrote this, I'd be called everything conceivable unflattering name in the book:
Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?
The real surprise here is who did write it.

I'm thinking maybe Obama might want to sit up and take a hard look at the fact that he's beginning to royally piss off his base.

Don't believe me?
For the first few months of the campaign, the question about Obama was, "Who is he?" The question now is, "Who does he think he is?"

We are getting to know. Redeemer of our uninvolved, uninformed lives. Lord of the seas. And more. As he said on victory night, his rise marks the moment when "our planet began to heal." As I recall—I'm no expert on this—Jesus practiced his healing just on the sick. Obama operates on a larger canvas.
Alrighty then.
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Giggle of the Day:

dog
see more dog pictures

And a bonus giggle for Jerry Wiley:

dog
Leslie

Drive-Bys

Giggle of the Day, for LawDog:

cat

Fitting, no?
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Quote of the Day:
If pigs really could fly I imagine more humans would carry umbrellas.
Go meet McKenzie -- canine philosophy at its very best!

(A tip of the cap to Julie, who I really am going to have to meet for cocktails some time...)
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Okay, folks, I'm outta here. The movers are coming in T-minus 123 minutes...
Leslie

Drive-Bys

So Jesse used the "N" word? Yes, he apologized, but his apology for using it is underwhelming, at best. The real kicker are these words:
"I also pray that we, as a nation, can move on to address the real issues that affect the American people."
And here I thought the whole Rainbow PUSH/civil rights movement/race relations thing is a real issue that affects the American people. Silly, silly me.

It was, in fact, a big damn deal when Michael Richards used the same word, and good ol' Jesse was in the forefront of the condemners:

Jackson said on Fox and in his Chicago Sun-Times column that the n-word is a "hate word ... it's a punch in the groin disguised as a word. ... It is divisive, it is painful. One cannot sanitize this. So whether it is degrading or self-degrading, whether it is hate or self-hate, it is wrong."
But apparently only when a white man is saying it on camera. Certainly not when a black religious leader thinks he's off-camera. I've personally witnessed him exhibiting equally lousy behavior and language when he was nowhere near a rolling camera and acting like Mr. Cool when he was in the vicinity of cameras and mics. This is nothing new. It's about time he got caught at it, the big hypocrite.
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Yippee! It's safe for Hairboy to visit Chicago any time now. (Hint, hint, hint!!!)
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In anticipation of The Dark Knight, here are 20 Everyday Items If They Were Designed For Batman. (No. 9 particularly tickles my funny bone!)
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Giggle of the Day:

cat
more cat pictures
Leslie

Drive-Bys

I'm going to marry LawDog some day. Why? The man: a) is a manly man; b) has a not-so-well-hidden soft and smooshy side; and c) cracks me up on a regular basis.
Have y'all seen Terminator 2? Remember the part where Ah-nold slammed the evil terminator face-first into the wall, and the evil terminator kind of shimmered and then his front moved to his back?

That little kitten promptly retracted all of his limbs and other assorted protuberances, rotated inside his skin, popped back 180 degrees out from original position and proceeded to enthusiastically bury five of his six ends in the vet's arm.

A long, shocked pause, and then the vet remarked, quite coolly and calmly -- as if, in point of fact, he didn't have blood dripping out from under an enraged black hairball attached to his forearm -- "I hate it when they do that."

Sayeth the aide: "OhMyGawd."

Kitten: "Mmmrrraaaaooowwwrrrr." Which, of course, translates as: "From Hell's heart I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee!"
It was love at first read, and I fall a little bit deeper every day. Sigh.
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Oh, for Pete's sake. At this rate we'll NEVER get Hairboy to Chicago.
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Quote of the Day:
And as excited as Mr. J is to see the floor to ceiling mirrors in the master bedroom, they must go. Nothing breaks the mood faster than catching my reflection while in the throes of passion and thinking; “Holy shit, I make weird faces during the humpity-hump.”

… And then utilizing the remainder of the ‘ride’ to vogue in front of the mirror.

Nah, the mirrors will be moved to the work-out room.

I don't know about you, but I spewed coffee all over the monitor at that!

Betme has also made it onto my list of must-meet bloggers.
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Da Goddess
points out that Soldiers Angels' and Epiphone have teamed up to put guitars into the hands of wounded soldiers.
The husband of Soldiers' Angels founder Patty Patton-Bader, Jeff Bader, is proud to be participating in Freedom Celebration and points out the therapeutic value of Epiphone's gift. "I am honored to be involved in the whole event," says Bader, "but since I am also a guitar player, this new program and the gifts to our service members are something very special to me. Music truly has a healing power, and guitar-playing soldiers who have suffered from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have improved their memory capabilities by remembering the songs they used to play."
Dig deep if you can, folks. This sounds like a truly wonderful program. (And if you don't have a lot of moolah, how about participating in one of their other programs? There are several that count more on your participation than on your cash contributions.)
Leslie

Tootin' the Horn

It's out! My Author Blog Son Mark Paulson's book, 9/11 and Home, is now available at all the major e-tailers.

I was an early reader of his manuscript, and can assure you it's not a 9/11 horror story. It is, in fact, Mark's story of how he got stuck in Newark on 9/10 and was watching from the airport as the towers fell. It's also about America, baseball, religion, race relations, the necessary and proper use of profanity, family, friends new and old, frustration, sex, drugs, politics, cocktails, diabetes... the desire to go home and what home means to him.

Why should you read Mark? He's very, very funny. For example, I got this hilarious email from him last night:
Don't know if copied u on email, very drunk in new york right now, all star game anmd all, but my book is now on ama azon and barnes and noble dot coms. See ya soom hopefully
(He'll kill me for that later. But he'll do it cheerfully.) He's also a very approachable and likable guy.

Ultimately, 9/11 and Home is like sitting down at a bar next to a complete stranger and having him spin a bawdy, irreverent and fantastic yarn, most of which just happens to be true.

Pour yourself a scotch, pull up a barstool, and meet my friend Mark. (If you're ever in Chicago, I might just be able to make that happen in person, too!) You'll like him as much as I do, I swear.

P.S. -- See you soom, too, Mark!
Leslie

The Mom Update

Here's a quick run-down on what I learned the weekend:

-- The memory lapses appear to be have more to do with short-term memory than long-term memory. They're really not all that noticeable until you run into questions like about what kind of treatment she's going to be undergoing. (I had to correct her in about 5 telephone conversation in a row when she'd tell people she was having chemo. It's not (at least yet); it's radiation.) When she's finally heard a correction about five or six times, you can practically see the light bulb start to glow.

Radiation treatments start today, and go 5 days a week for three consecutive weeks.

They're radiating her entire brain.

She's off to shop for a wig on Wednesday. (My brother suggested hot pink ala Britney Spears. TPM was not amused.)

The doctors will discuss chemotherapy for attacking the lung tumors some time after radiation ends.

The car is coming from Florida. (Stubborn, stubborn little woman... but all the stuff she didn't bring via airplane is currently packed in the car. I can see her point... kind of.)

My cousin is flying in from Boston to spend some time with TPM and give Sainted SIL a break. That's great.

MMPC had a wonderful visit with TPM and I yesterday, and then we met up with CancunAnne and Pistol Pete for dinner. We are so blessed that our families have grown so close!

TMBCITW and TMPAE think I own the Magic Suitcase. Lance Burton couldn't have pulled nearly as many goodies out of thin air as I pulled out of the Magic Suitcase this weekend. (Bribery will get you everywhere.)

I can call Monaco on my cell phone. Cool.
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My family is not the only one who could use some serious prayers. Please say a few for Teresa's family and for Oddybobo's.
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Leslie

Drive-Bys

Because I can be a bit of a geek from time to time:

Your results:
You are Uhura
































Uhura
85%
Geordi LaForge
65%
An Expendable Character (Redshirt)
60%
Will Riker
55%
Deanna Troi
55%
Jean-Luc Picard
55%
Beverly Crusher
55%
Chekov
40%
Mr. Scott
40%
James T. Kirk (Captain)
40%
Data
36%
Spock
24%
Worf
20%
Leonard McCoy (Bones)
10%
Mr. Sulu
5%
You are a good communicator with a
pleasant soft-spoken voice.
Also a talented singer.


Click here to take the Star Trek Personality Quiz



But if I've got to be a geek, I'll take being a sexy one with a good singing voice any day...
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It's an Obamanation, all right! (Be sure to click on the photo to embiggen. The sponsorship stickers rock.)
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Reason number 999,000 that I'm a Cubs fan here. Class acts, those guys.
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That's all well and good, but how are they going to get the SOB out of Darfur and into the Hague to try him?
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Quote of the Day:
Five men accused of plotting to detonate liquid explosives on board trans-Atlantic passenger jets have pleaded guilty to lesser offenses but maintain they never intended to destroy airliners, a jury was told Monday.
Yeah, right.
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Ear Worm of the Day:


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Leslie

Drive-Bys

I read things like this about our current governor, and I seriously think I should have voted for Alan Keyes in the last gubernatorial election. Blago uses the state treasury like his personal piggy bank, and then spanks critical functions of the state government with smaller budgets.

Keyes is a whackadoodledoo, but he'd be a far sight better than Blago.

Argh! This makes me crazy.
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See the Top 100 Female Bloggers of 2008 here. Lots and lots of good reading.
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Neil Steinberg hits it out of the park with his assessment of Jesse Jackson:
Dreams die hard and dreams of power die even harder. The old guard seldom quietly departs, and it was too much to hope that Jackson could age gracefully into an elder statesman for the black community. Rather, he seems set on becoming the crazy uncle in the attic, the guy you can't introduce to your friends, because he has evil thoughts and a dirty mouth.
I've been aware for many years that the man had a potty mouth and an enormous ego, as I saw Jesse throw a hissy fit at a Bulls game during the era of their supremacy. Someone had donated seats three rows in front of where I was sitting, up in the nosebleed section, for use of JJ and his band of goons and thugs. The great man took one look down his nose, found the seats and location wanting, and pitched an f-bomb laden tantrum that must have been heard several blocks away.

A couple of his goons went scurrying off, found someone in security who, in turn, found someone in management to pull some strings and get temper boy seats down on the main floor, directly behind the Bulls bench.

By the time they reached their seats, JJ was talking, laughing and acting as charming as can be.

I was not impressed then, and I'm certainly not surprised now.
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Giggle of the Day (because I really, really needed one):

cat
more cat pictures
Leslie

The Mom Update

I spoke with my sister last night, and the news is just not fun.

The Princess Mom has three tumors in three different spots on her brain. Without radiation, the seizures will continue, and probably increase in both numbers and severity. In addition, they're causing some memory issues which will also get worse if the tumors go untreated. Overall, they're saying she's got six to eight months to live.

She's currently on an anti-seizure medication and a steroid to bring down the swelling caused by the tumors. Monday she starts on a three week course of radiation treatments, five days a week.

Knowing the Princess Mom, she's not at all happy with the idea of losing her hair. (In fact, when she was diagnosed the first time, she was all set to refuse radiation for that very reason. Vanity, thy name is Barbara.)

She's also got to face the fact that she won't be getting behind the wheel of her beloved Cadillac again. It's still down in Florida, and, though the Princess Mom instructed my brother to have it shipped up anyway, my sister has put the kibosh on that one. Good for her. TPM was a terror on the highway before. I can't imagine what she'd be like now... and she'd probably use that memory problem as an excuse to "forget" that she's no longer allowed to drive. Ack.

I spoke with My Most Precious Child last night, too. Finding out that time is short with the surprise grandmother who she's come to love was devastating for her. She'll be coming to visit this weekend. That's a good thing.

I put in a call to her mother to clue her in that MMPC is having a rough, rough time with this. CancunAnne rocks and is a rock. (How I got so lucky is beyond me.) She took the bad news in stride and offered to help with driving TPM to and from radiation treatments.

My Mother-in-Law By Choice, the Sweetheart of Shell Knob, MO called immediately after reading my post, offering love and prayers. I may have lost the boyfriend, but I kept the best parts of that family!

Yes, we're all circling the wagons. We're a tenacious bunch, and we'll get through this together.

I'll be out with TPM and my sibs this weekend. Keep those prayers coming, please. They mean the world to us.
Leslie

PSA

As a promotion for its Generation Kill series, HBO is offering you a chance to support our troops through care packages... at no expense to you. Click the "Support The Troops" link on the right-hand side of the screen and select from a long list of items.

Every click counts. Spread the word!

(A tip of the cap to my favorite witch.)
Leslie

Crash

That's what my heart did when my brother called me this morning.

Remember all those prayers you offered up that worked so well the last time?

Please start offering them up again.

The Princess Mom's cancer is out of remission... and she had seizures last night. She's in the hospital right now, and having a lot of tests. The cancer may have metastasized from her lung to her brain.

I'm heading out to visit tonight, and am hopeful we will have more answers once the docs have run her through a battery of tests.

The Princess Mom has defied the odds before, and cancer treatment improves all the time. We've been really lucky that she's done so well for so long, and her attitude is great.

My friend SuperGurl has a great phrase for what you have to do when the world is crashing down around your ears -- "embrace the suck" -- and that's just what I'm going to do.
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Update: The Princess Mom has been released from the hospital and is headed home to my brother's house. According to Keith, there are three small spots of cancer showing in her cranial x-rays. I'll be talking with my sister later for technical details and treatment plan info. (Yes, hostilities have been suspended for the duration.)

The current plan is for me to head home tonight, do a little laundry, pack a bag and take the train directly out to Marriage-and-Baby-Land after work tomorrow night.

Ugh. I hate this.
Leslie

Drive-Bys

Somewhere out in the ether Old Crankypants is laughing his head off. I can practically hear the cackles.
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Blogging 101. Too right.
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Understatement of the Day:
He said the tracks run along a bluff beside the river and the train "apparently didn't stay on the bluff."
Ya think?
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I don't know which is funnier, the headline...
Bad economy is hurting strippers, too
... or the last sentence:
But Redner says the economy is having another effect on the business — it's bringing out more women willing to give pole dancing a try.
That's hitting a guy where it hurts the most.
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Giggle of the Day:

dog
see more dog pictures

And, BTW, the cat is a Devon Rex, just like the Divine Miss Marilyn. Stupid cats they are not!
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Something else you should know about Obama:
"Our nonpartisan organization . . . was surprised to learn that David Axelrod's public relations firm has negotiated a contract of at least $2 million to lead a campaign against the state's best chance for change in 20 years -- the upcoming referendum on whether or not the citizens of Illinois should call a constitutional convention to deal with the mess in Springfield. While your campaign manager is heading a presidential effort whose slogan is "Change you can believe in," his firm is running a local campaign whose slogan should read, "Change we must fear and undermine."
Just a little something else to keep in mind. You are, after all, known by the company you keep.
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More nanny state nutbaggery in the U.K. here and here. What should be mind-blowing has become increasingly mundane.
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Nothing like painting a gigantic target on your back...

His parents must be so proud.
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Headline of the Day:
Naked man hijacks bus
And, no. This is not a description of the antics at Camp BlownStar.
Leslie

Traveling Companions

cat


My friend Dana emailed me to let me know that her furry pal Benjamin has been diagnosed with FIP. It's a crappy, crappy disease with no good outcome.

Do me a favor and send up a prayer or two for my friend and her buddy. I have a feeling they're going to need them badly over the next few days.

Thanks.
Leslie

Drive-Bys

What's my perfect belly dance costume?

wild, different...rawr... [And it is perfect for a Leo like me.]

What's yours?
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Heard today on Radio Free Texas:



Laughed myself silly, I did. (And I'm truly hooked on that online radio station!)
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Why do I love Mostly Cajun? Check it.
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Well here's the biggest bunch of horse hockey I've ever heard. I used to love the U.K. Now I simply think they're all more than a bit barmy.
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I hate to say it, but they had it coming. What part of klaxons, flashing red lights and warning gates did these idiots not understand? Argh! What an incredible waste.
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The nanny state rears it's ugly head in Chicago theater. If we pretend it wasn't so, I guess it really wasn't... right?
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It takes one to know one, I guess. And he's the reigning expert.
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Leslie

Tootin' the Horn

I was listening to the Technology Tailor on WGN Radio on Sunday. Alex was doing a segment on the most life-altering technology in the past several years, and invited listeners to call in and share their thoughts. I heard about iPods and iPhones, eBay and Google, DVD players, Blue Tooth technology, cell phones, etc. and it got me to thinking.

I picked up the phone and dialed in, because the technology that has made the biggest difference in my life in the past several years has, hands down, been Blogger. Why?

It's allowed me a freedom of expression like no other I've ever experienced.

It's opened up all sorts of dialog with other people, and given me perspective on other people's points of view... especially valuable for understanding those I don't agree with.

I've met innumerable friends, either through email or in person, that I never would have met any other way. Nine blogmeets later, I've traveled to places I probably wouldn't have put on my travel wish list, but now can't live without. I know people doubt that any sort of real friendships can be made over the web, but you'd have a very difficult time proving it by my experience.

I use it almost daily. I can't say that about any technology other than my battery-operated toothbrush. I could live without the whistles and bells on the brush, but I can't imagine not having my little niche in the blogosphere.

When I first started blogging, I had no site meter. I truly was sending love letters out to the ether, not knowing or caring who was reading. After about 18 months I finally added one. I'll never know how many visits my first posts generated... but I know that I thank each and every person who's taken the time to stop by... and even greater thanks to those that return again and again.

Who knew that four years down the road I'd still be blogging and many of the folks who inspired me in the first place would be gone or posting only sporadically? You have to be a little nuts to do this, after all:


Happy fourth blogiversary to me!
Leslie

Drive-Bys

I'm the cheesiest:


What kind of cheese are you?
My Result: Black Mesa Jalapeno Chevre
Myspace Quizzes
Youv'e got a spicy attitude with a bit of a bite. People are drawn to your sizzling demeanor but you can be a bit hot tempered for some.

Take What kind of cheese are you?
Find more quizzes at Quibblo.com
Quibblo


Yum!

(A tip of the cap to Hairboy.)
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Forget the news. Uncle Jay explains ME!
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Despair, hell. Seems to me that cowardice is driving suicide attacks by Iraqi women -- i.e., men too cowardly to do it themselves are forcing women into it. Bastards.
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Leslie

Drive-Bys

I love a good mystery, don't you?
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Seems to be a lot going on with Obama and his tour buses. And you know I love me some omnibuses! This one is my particular fave:



Sorry. It made me giggle.
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Forget Obama and forget McCain. Rachel Lucas for president. Really.
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Giggle of the Day:

cat
more cat pictures
Leslie

Camp BlownStar - Part III

I've got Radio Free Texas playing on my earphones as inspiration for the wrap-up. It's fitting, as Kerrcarto did a wonderful mix CD of Texas artists that played all weekend long.

The last day of a blogmeet is always tough, as we Blown-Eyes really, really, really hate to say goodbye. And huggers? Yes, yes, YES we are!

The only smart one of us was Denny, who was up at the crack of dawn to head out for Las Cruces. That's cruel and unusual punishment to make us get up that early!

We stumbled into the kitchen, a few at a time, and SuperGurl provided gorgeous quiches for breakfast, along with loads of leftover fresh fruit and gallons of OJ. Clean up and pack up was a team operation, actually pretty well choreographed but resembling a classic Keystone Kops caper.

After SuperGurl sorted us out into our various vehicles (it kind felt like Harry Potter's Sorting Hat), most of us headed over to our "overflow" camp, Japonica, for more quality time along the Guadalupe, after much hugging and promising to stay in touch.






Three quarters of us showed up, communed by the river, then we slipped off, a few at a time, hugging necks all along the way.

CharlieDelta and I were chauffeured by Kerrcarto to the airport in San Antonio, with a brief run through the downtown area:





Of course, the batteries in my camera went kaput just before we got to the Alamo. (Rats.) It really is as small as they say it is... but really moving.

And, just like I hate winding up these posts... I guess I'll just mosey off for the holiday weekend. Consider yourself hugged, okay?
Leslie

Camp BlownStar - Part II

Some thoughts on Camp BlownStar:







Yep. That's about right.
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Oops! One more -- my personal favorite!

Leslie