WHO ARE YOU? WHO WHO, WHO?

This is driving me and Rayray crazy!  Someone left this in my mailbox last week.  I didn't find it until Friday night when TCW and I went to get Lotry Tix.  What a nice surprise...2 Auburn shot glasses!

At first I thought it was my friend VJ.  She is always picking me up little things at garage sales and so on.  But, I called her and it wasn't her.

I asked Rachel if one of her friends put them in there (they all love me), but she asked around and said it wasn't anyone she could think of. 

I asked various other people who are my friends and live close by, but so far, we have not been able to figure out who left them....

...not that I am complaining!  Hell, I will take anonymous presents left in my mailbox anytime!  Grazie!

USELESS INFO TUESDAY

~  Wynton Marsalis was the first jazz musician to when the Pulitzer Prize.  he won in 1997 for "Blood on the Fields," his epic jazz oratorio on American slavery.  His Pulitzer was the first awarded for a non-classical composition.

~  Edward Albee found the title for his hit play "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" scrawled on a mirror in a Greenwich Village tavern.  The tavern invited customers to write slogans and graffiti with a bar of soap.  Albee, who spotted the phrase in 1954, gave it immortality in 1962 after discarding "Exorcism" as the title of his play.

~  Bill Clinton had a seven-seat hot tub installed on the White House lawn.  (Why am I not surprised?)

~  A standard pool ball weights 5.5 to 6 ounces and has a diameter of 2 1/4 inches.

~  The city of Plymouth, England got its name from its location at the mouth of the Plym River.

FEELING LUCKY FRIDAY!

Feeling lucky?  I am...that's why TCW and I are heading up North just across the state line to get lottery tickets!  I was so glad that I checked on line to see when the MegaMillions draw is because it is tonight!  And guess how big the pot is?



$312 MILLION!

...and PowerBall's pot is...

$125 MILLION!

I am feeling real lucky!  I think great things are in store.  And remember...you can't win if you don't buy a ticket!

Have a good weekend!

SOUTHERN FRIED THURSDAY

Two Words...pineapple sandwiches.  My family used to eat them all the time.  I thought all Southerners did, but come to find out, most people from the South that I ask "Did you ever eat pineapple sandwiches?" reply no.  I really am surprised.  We ate them all the time...I mean everybody in my family - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins....

They were so light and refreshing....just white bread, Hellman's and pineapple...kind of like a tomato sandwich.  I did find one Alabamian from Arab that ate pineapple sandwiches, and I have found several people from South Alabama that ate them...maybe that is it...it is a South Alabama thing.  My family IS from Montgomery and below.

By below I mean funny places in South Alabama that you see on the way to the beach like Naftel Station, Ramer, Snowdon, Pintlala (pronounced pent-la-la), Fort Deposit, Ebeneezer and the like!

My favorite Sunday lunch when we didn't eat out was to come home and have what mom called "cold plate."  This would consist of white bread and crackers, pimento cheese (usually homemade), celery, tuna salad with apple, pineapple, potato chips, pickles, cheeses, deviled eggs, sometimes ham.  Then we would all crowd around the table and make whatever kind of sandwich or cracker spread you wanted.  You could have a pimento cheese sandwich, or celery and pimento cheese or pimento cheese and crackers...make a tuna salad sandwich, or just eat it alone...or a pineapple sandwich...and the best part was you could have a half a sandwich of this and a half a sandwich of something else. 

We would laugh and enjoy each other....good memories.

USELESS INFO

 ~  Irish surnames had an original significance.  "O" meant grandson of; "Mac" meant son of.


~  Catoptrophobia is the fear of mirrors.

~  Miss Piggy's full name was Miss Piggy Lee, in humor and tribute to singer Peggy Lee.  The Lee in Miss Piggy's name was used only once on the show.  It was dropped to avoid upsetting Peggy Lee.

~  The name polka dots dates back to the mid to late 19th century, when the dance, the polka, was popular, and businessmen attempted to cash in on the craze by adding "polka" to the names of all sorts of products, ranging from socks, hats, and curtains to dotted fabrics.  The latter outlived the fad, and the rest disappeared.

~  Uranus, because of its unusual (almost 90-degree) tilt as it orbits the sun, experiences 42 earth years of constant summer followed by 42 earth years of dark winter.

MR. ROOTER, MR. JIMMY, MR. ELECTRIC AND MR. ROOTER AGAIN

I was running out of hot water.  It started Friday morning.  Halfway through my shower I was freezing.  I told Jimmy about it when I got to work.  We both figured that one of my elements needed to be replaced.  I left work a little early (2:00) which wasn't hard since it was Friday and a beautiful day. 

Upon arriving home, I placed a call to Mr. Rooter asking them to please send someone out there to check my hot water heater.  I have always trusted Mr. Rooter with all of my plumbing needs.  The service has always been quick and affordable.  Then, on Friday, they sent some yahoo who didn't know what the hell he was doing.  He was telling me it wasn't a water heater problem, it was an electrical problem because the water heater kept blowing fuses (yes, my house it still on fuses).  Well heck, I don't know about these things, so I said ok and he left without charging me anything.

Jimmy came over Saturday to asses the situation.  He called Mr. Rooter to see why they didn't have someone familiar with electricity to come and look at an electric water heater.  After getting frustrated with them I suggested "Let's just call an electrician."  We did...Mr. Electric (Chris)...and he came at a cost of $150.00 because it was Saturday.  He was a nice guy, and proceeded to tell us that the fuses keep blowing because the element is out (or grounded).  The plumber should have just fixed it last night instead of trying to diagnose a problem that he obviously knew nothing about.

So I called Mr. Rooter back asking them to please send someone back out here - my element was out - and it should have been fixed yesterday when they were here saving me $150 I paid Mr. Electric.  Now, get this, the plumber (can I even call him that) from Friday called me and asked had I gotten the electrical problem solved.  I just handed the phone to Jimmy and let him "tell" Mr. Rooter he was a dumb a**. 

To make a long story (kinda) short, they Mr. Rooter sent a real plumber (David) who replaced the element at no cost to me because the not real plumber (Drew) didn't know what he was doing.  We could tell that this was not the first time good plumber had come behind cleaning up bad plumber's mess.

Lessons learned:  I will still continue to use Mr. Rooter, I will just tell them never to send Drew....I highly recommend Mr. Electric for any of your electrical needs...and (as Mr. Jimmy wrote) "Chris = Good" "David = Good" "Drew = Bad."

SOUTHERN FRIED SURVIVOR

Got a great e-mail from Btut about Survivor last night....thought I could use it as a guest blog...Yes, I am a cheap date!  Thanks Btut - Pink Panties Rule!

Good morning!


Of course, I had to come home from cards and watch Survivor! I was just dying to text LL during the whole thing, but my phone was charging, and it was late. So, I made some notes! Please remember that this is only the second season I've been watching, so my thoughts and observations might be off, but, oh well. I am also sending these to you before stalking Jeff Probst's blog and the blog on EW.com. I hope you enjoy!

Boston Rob called Phil's underwear, "pink panties!" I thought I would die! Too funny!


I love how when Phil is talking, they put up his name and then Former Federal Agent? A couple of episodes before I thought there was a question mark, but saw it again last night for sure.


Matt is kicking some redemption ass. Might it be time to bring him back to camp?


Andrea & Phillip just might be smart. (but he's still annoying in his pink panties!)


I love the frog that they kept showing last night, in between stuff. It's cool lookin!


Ralph is OMG backwoods redneck! I mean, I already knew this, but there were a couple of things he said last night that made me really say, Wow!


Boston Rob is GOOD! Fantastic move with switching the clues! "You gotta hustle if you wanna make a dolla!"


How did Mike get gel in his hair? At one point near the end, his hair was all fixed & there was a part of it that was all gelled up! Really?!


Did Ralph fray the sleeves of his shirt that he wore to Tribal Council? He really doesn't have to try and look backwoods. All he has to do is open his mouth!


You can always tell who Ralph votes for, because his backwoods, redneck ass doesn't know how to spell!


Well, that's all I got. Not much on game-play but I was more into people watchin' last night. I do think it's amazing how things can flip so quickly!


Hope you have a great Thursday!


I love me some Boston Rob!

I hope you all have a great Thursday too!

CRAZY WEEK

Hey all - It has been one crazy week...and it is just Wednesday!  Please be patient with my lack of blog content...I have been working late and just exhausted once I get home. 

News from the Pennylane:

1.  Rayray is in Colorado visiting the J Man and I miss her sooooo much!
2.  Had a great time at Khef's (pronounced Chef's - you all know why I had to insert the K for a C!) birthday - what with all the trees burning, great pizza, red velvet cake by Miss Sweephay herself, red red wine and great company like TCW, Wino Bill, Btut, the Right Wrights, the Big Dawes, and Andy AndyRandy - who wouldn't have a great time.
3.  I just took my Mom a print out on Folic Acid deficiency - let the symptoms begin!
4.  Fixing to relax and watch Survivor (who would be crazy enough to DVR it and watch it later?) and then Modern Family - two of my favorite shows!

USELESS INFO TUESDAY

~  Flamboyant All-Start pitcher Dock Ellis wore curlers in his hair during pregame drills during the 1973 baseball season because they helped him throw illegal spitballs.  he used them to straighten the hair behind his head, enabling sweat to drip down and provide moisture for the banned pitch.

~  The letters C, D, E, F, L, O, P, T and Z are traditionally used on Snellen eye exam charts.

~  Indonesia is home to the world's largest active gold mine.  It's Grasberg mine is located in Tembagapura, in Irian Jaya province, on the western half of the island of New Guinea.

~  In 2005, Halle Berry accepted a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress while clutching her previously won Best Actress Oscar.  The Razzie was for "Catwoman" (2004) and the Oscar was for "Monster's Ball" (2001).

~  An osteoblast is a cell in the human body that makes bone.

RAYRAY HAS A FEELAPHOBIA...

...She can't stand to touch....wait for it....dry dog or cat food!

Isn't that the funniest thing you have ever heard.  On the rare occasions in which she does feed Spike or Sally, she will pick up their bowl, dip it in the bag, and scoop up the food with the bowl.  What is even weirder is that she will touch a milk bone dog biscuit.  I mean, really, what's the difference?

When she sees me just stick my hand in the bag and grab some food, she is like "that is so gross."  I reply "what are you going to do when you have a pet of your own?"  Rayray "I am sure as h*ll not going to touch it with my hand!"

I see problems for her children!

Love you boo!  I am going to miss you!  (tear)

REMEMBER, TODAY IS ASH WEDENSDAY...

...so if you see someone with a smudge on their forehead don't tell them they have something on it!  

The following excerpt is from Wikipedia:

Ash Wednesday, according to Christian tradition, in the Western Christian calendar, is the first day of Lent and occurs 46 days (40 days not counting Sundays) before Easter. It is a moveable fast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter. It can occur as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.



Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of adherents as a sign of mourning and repentance to God. The ashes used are typically gathered after the palms or Palm Crosses from the previous year's Palm Sunday are burned. After the ceremonial burning of the remains of the palms, the ash is mixed with a small amount of water to create a more adhesive substance.


This practice is common in much of Christendom, being celebrated by Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Anglicans.

At Masses and services of worship on this day, ashes are imposed on the foreheads of the faithful (or on the tonsure spots, in the case of some clergy). The priest, minister, or in some cases officiating layperson, marks the forehead of each participant with black ashes in the shape of a cross, which the worshipper traditionally retains until it wears off. The act echoes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of throwing ashes over one's head to signify repentance before God (as related in the Bible).

HUH?

Charlie Sheen is really getting out of hand.  I can't make myself listen to his rants - I just feel so embarrassed for him - I can hardly make myself read them.  Then I read this one and I just had to say "HUH?"

"This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales. It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of their bazillions, never have to look at whatshiscock again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension." - Charlie Sheen

Somebody give this poor guy some coke so he can get back to normal!

USELESS INFO TUESDAY

~  In 1952, a tiny listening device was found hidden in the American Ambassador's residence in Moscow.  It was beneath the beak of the bald eagle in a carving of the Great Seal of the United States that had been hanging behind the desk since 1945.  It had been presented as a token of friendship by a group of Soviet schoolchildren.

~  The Miami Dolphins were the first team to play in a Superbowl without scoring a touchdown.  It was Superbowl VI in 1972 against the Dallas Cowboys.  The final score was 24-3.



~  The White House had electric lighting installed in 1891.  Hawaii's Iolani Palace had it installed in 1887.



~  600,000 gallons of water flow over Canada's Horseshoe Falls at Niagara Falls per second.

~  Of its nine seasons, Seinfeld was rated No. 1 in the Nielsen TV ratings twice - seasons 6 and 9.

JOHN PRINE, RUTH'S WINE, AND JIMMY TIME!

Saturday night was a blast!  Jimmy and I headed over to Huntsville to see John Prine and Emmy Lou Harris in concert at the VBCC.  We are both biggggg John Prine fans.  This is the 4th time we have seen him.  We ate at Ruth's Chris (yummy filet and asparagus and potatoes and wine) and stayed at the Embassy Suites...and our suite was sweet!

This view was looking from the couch/sitting area.  You can see there is a couch, desk, TV room, then a bar and the bathroom, and then the bedroom.  Very nice...

Here is the couch and sitting area...a little dark in this picture.



Spacious bedroom also with a TV area...



...and look, it comes with your own bartender!  How nice he looks in his red shirt and cowboy boots....wait a minute....that's no bartender....



...it's my sweet Jimmaymay!  Thanks for the wonderful time!

THANKS

Below is an e-mail from Btut...this has been a really stressful week for me at work...I really appreciate the kind words of encouragement!  Thanks Btut.

"Love it! Even when you don't have time, you still manage to pull a few out! I love it and I love you for taking the time (even when you don't have it) to fulfill us blog-stalkers with our weekly fix!"




LOVE!

PUBLISHED TIMES DEUX

It's official!  I have successfully published another word on Urban Dictionary...textacussing!  Read below to find it's meaning.  If you need an autograph I will be at the John Prine/Emmy Lou Harris concert tomorrow night!

---------- Forwarded message ----------


From:

Date: Mar 3, 2011 7:10 AM

Subject: Urban Dictionary - textacussing was published

To:



Thanks for your definition of textacussing!



Editors reviewed your entry and have decided to publish it on urbandictionary.com.



It should appear on this page in the next few days:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=textacussing



Urban Dictionary



-----



textacussing



When someone uses a text message to cuss another person out



She could not believe her exboyfriend was textacussing her for going out with another guy.



You should textacuss her and tell her to stay away from your man!

USELESS INFO TUESDAY

NO TIME FOR PICTURES TODAY...SORRY

~  George Washington owned the largest commercial whiskey distillery in 18th-century America.  At it's peak in 1799, the five-still distillery produced 11,000 gallons of whiskey.

~  Clint Eastwood was Boot Camp swimming instructor at Fort Ord, California when he was in the Army during the Korean War.

~  Superman's biological mother's name was Lora Lor-Van.  She was a librarian on the planet Krypton.

~  Why is the island of Stromboli, off the west coast of southern Italy, called the Lighthouse of the Mediterranean?  Because it is an active volcanic island that has been erupting - and giving off a red glow - almost continuously for over 2,000 years.

SWAMPED!

YES I HAVE BEEN!  And I don't see it getting any better before the weekend.  I would love to take time and discuss many things with my blog readers, but I have no time.  So, lets make it short and sweet...

1.  Oscars kind of sucked
2.  Was Scarlet Johanson drunk at the oscars?
3.  Where is my tv show "The Event?"  It was supposed to come back last night.
4.  Love Fashion Police with Joan Rivers.  That woman will say anything.
5.  Got a haircut Sunday
6.  Open House at work today....Success!
7.  They are out of the buy one get one free Prilosec at Walgreens on 6th.
8.  I am on a horse
9.  Rachel made another 98 on a Psychology test!  So proud.
10.  Re-read number one.