Boston Finale; The next Best Thing

Boston Legal's Finale was great! Brad and Denise' baby made her debut! Cute. Jerry (Hands) and Clarence take a case in which a woman is issued a line of credit by a casino, and loses it all, wrecking her credit because she cannot afford to pay off the loan. Alan offers the number of a friend who is an expert in the behind the scenes happenings in casinos. But, it comes to be, that she only speaks Russian. They get an interpreter and they find out that casinos pump something into their air that makes people feel happy and comfortable. I can't remember what they called it. The attorney for the casino is told this along with all the other things that make you comfortable and feeling good in the casino like the scantily clad cocktail waitresses and waiters that bring the players drinks free of charge as long as they are playing, all the bells and whistles, the lighting, the music etc. So he mentions the feel good air enhancement. Enter Shirley Schmidt. She doesn't think that Jerry and Clarence can handle the case and advises them to take an indian nickle if that is what offer comes down. However, the offer is 225,000. After Jerry looks at the note, then Clarence, then Shirley, Shirley says quite cooly, we'll advise our client of your offer. Man!

Meanwhile Denny Crane and Alan Shore are defending two brothers that are accused of killing their abusive father. (Menendez brother like) Their mother swears they didn't do it, but all the evidence points at the boys. She has the alibi of being at the dentist, which her dentist confirms. then she comes up with a ploy by enticing the dentist into an affair and sends Alan and Denny the used condoms in blank, though watermarked, medical stationary. That doesn't work. They don't believe her and the prosecuter tears the dentist to shreds. So they come up with the idea for the boys to take the stand and defend themselves because if they cannot convince the jury, they are going to get life in prison. So on the stand they go. And they snitch on each other! One says the other one shot their dad and then the other one does the same! Why? To create reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors! Genius! Naturally the jury comes back with Not Guilty for both boys and Denny Crane's legendary undefeated status still stands! To the Balcony for scotch and cigars, boys! Oh, and yes. There's the sleepover. Can't wait till next season!



Did you watch The Next Best Thing? I agreed with judges on all their picks. I do think that the chick who did the Ann Margaret impersonation was good, but she never shut up! So, she didn't get picked. But, the Jackie Gleason/Art Carney duo was the best! They nailed it! The guy who did Robin Williams, and the one who did Jack Nicholson was awesome. Not so great was the Bono impersonator, the Al Pacino impersonater, but they made it through. Eeeh on Celine Dion, Lucille Ball. The Little Richard impersonator was really good too. And the one who did President Bush (George W) was so funny! Really good make up (4 hours worth, he told them) and had the voice and the mannerisms! He was REALLY good. 9 acts going onto Burbank. So we'll see what they get next week from New York...... It is definitely not Idol!

Yard Work, Small Party, Race Day, Memorial Day

Friday after work, I stopped by Option Supply and got a yard of red mulch so that we could put the finishing touch on our yard and it would like nice for the Holiday weekend. Now, as most yards do, our yard blends into the neighbor's yard. Not only that, but her house is the same color scheme as ours, White siding with black shutters. So, she was out as well, planting the things she had bought and putting her fountain out and some Landscape lights and such. So she walks over to Dean, me and our other neighbor Jim, who, unfortunately for Dean and me, is moving in the near future. I digress. So, Mary Ellen comes to us and asks if any of us are NOT afraid of snakes. I said I wasn't. Both Jim and Dean apparently are afraid of snakes. City boys......There was one under the shutter that had blown off in the wind storm and could I get. Sure. No problem. Most of the snakes around here are Garter snakes, which it turns out, this was one. I move the shutter and the snake starts to slither toward the skirting on her house, so I reach down and grab it! I wiggles all over the place, pees, and I drop it! I put my foot gently on his mid section, reach down and grab it again, but not as close to the back of its head as I would have liked. Apparently, this pissed him off, because he promptly turned around and clamped down on my findex finger between the knuckle and the first joint up. A Nice fleshy part for him to get hold of! It didn't hurt since they really don't have "Teeth" so to speak. Well, I pull him off my finger, carry him to the hillside and toss him. I then look at my finger and it has started to bleed a bit. I show Dean and Jim and they are convinced that we have to go to the hospital! I laughed. Dean says, I know we're going to have to go to the hospital. I know it. It's only a garter snake for crying out loud. Kids every where catch garter snakes and put them in a jar! So, I went inside washed my hands, went on the internet to show Dean that there will be no ill effects from my snake bite and I am still fine at this posting. No swelling or anything. Goofy men..........

Saturday, we went to our usual spot for breakfast, then to the nursery to look at trees. I want to put 2 trees on the upper side of the house to try and shade the house from the brutal sun we get from 11:00 to sunset everyday. And it was cleaning day since we finished the outside of the house on Friday. Cleaning. Uneventful. We had friends over Saturday night. Tom and Lisa and Jeff and Jessica. We cooked out, ate, drank and watched the Busch Race and shot the bull. We had a really good time. At one point, Lisa and I laughed so hard, we cried. That was good. I needed that.

Sunday, I woke up hungry. So, it was off to Bob Evans for a wonderful breakfast, then the cemetary to put the flags on our Dads' graves. While at the light waiting to turn in to go to Bob's, our neighbors Jim and Shar(on) pull up beside us. They are headed to Home Depot to get supplies to work on the house they just bought. So, we tell them we will stop at the new house when we get done at the cemetary. (They are the ones I referred to earlier that are moving). They are wonderful neighbors. Willing to help when you need it. Always there for you. We can always count on them. When Dean and I go away just for an overnite, the come and feed and let out dogs. I really hate to see them leave, even though they are just moving a few minutes away. It's not like having them right across the street.

Monday was Memorial day. The day we remember the lives that have been sacrificed so that we may enjoy the freedoms and pleasures we experience in everyday life. I can't imagine living somewhere that I couldn't just get in my car and go and do what I pleased when I pleased. That is just beyond me. So, we were going to make Monday our do nothing day. But, there was laundry piled up that needed done, so we were going to knock that out. Dean had invited Sara and Jordan to come over, but she had thought she would have to work. Turns out, she didn't. So they came for dinner. I was getting the house red up (yes, a Pittsburgh phrase) and made the bed. When I did, I pulled the pillow and it hit the nightstand, knocking my glasses to the floor. I bent over to pick them up and Wham! my back goes out. I get myself to the couch and sit down with my back against a pillow and my feet up. Dean comes out and knows by the look on my face something's amiss. I tell him what happened. He makes me a cup of Tea and I take some Motrin. In about an hour, I feel I can be mobile again and take my cup to the sink and throw my tea bag away. And Wham! my back goe s out even worse than the first time! He comes to my rescue, but doesn't know exactly what to do for me. So, he puts his arms under my armpits and tries to carry me to bed. I get on the bed (no, this isn't going there) and just try to get comfortable. The excruciating pain finally subsides enough that I can arrange all the pillows to lean against and watch tv. After an hour and a half, I get up and seperate the clothes and start the laundry. All is fine, or at least good enough for me to be functional. Sara and Jordan came over and she did the dinner dishes, which I was grateful for. They went home shortly after dinner, and I got some more laundry done. Today at work, I was holding Tara's foster daughter, she's 6 mos. old, and out goes the back again. It still isn't good. I go to the chiropractor tomorrow after work. It hurts to do anything but sit right now. But, I am going to try and go to bed. I did watch the Boston Legal season Finale. It was great! Well, I'll post about that tomorrow, in case Dave had to Tivo it................

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday......

Well, as most of you know, I haven't been posting about trivial things like reality shows lately. I just couldn't. Being still emotional about Jerry's sudden death has really taken a toll on me. My eyes still well up when I think of him. My sister is doing as well, if not better than I expected. she was such a worry wart when my mom was sick, but not over my mother's health issues, as much as she was about how my dad would be if anything happened to my mother. I think he would have been alright eventually, just as she will. I have gotten reports from my sources that she is eating more than just Lean Cuisines. So, that's good. My son is going to visit her over this holiday weekend and through next week. So that will keep her occupied. Then she's having surgery, and that will keep her occupied too for a while. Not, pleasantly, however.

Sooooooooo. Monday brought the end to The Bachelor. Handsome Lt. Andrew Baldwin chose Tessa. She is pretty, almost Polynesian looking, and I think her feelings for Andrew are sincere and she wasn't in it just to win. I really thought it was going to be Bevin, but I was sure wrong!r. I hope it works out for them. It seems it never does on those shows. Like Joe Millionaire. They certainly went their separate ways! Zora (the winner) does weight watcher commercials. Like she was even fat to begin with in her size 10! Now she claims to be a 4 due to weight watchers.Hmmmmmmm.

Tuesday, the finale of Dancing with the Stars. The three finalist were Laila Ali, the female heavyweight boxing champ and the daughter of boxing great Muhammad Ali, who ended up in third place, was really quite good as time went on. Since she is a heavyweight boxer, she is much bigger than those little, petite professional dancers. Therefore, her professional dance partner never could do lifts with her because of her size. Did that hurt her score? I really don't think so. She had charm and grace and when it called for it, she had that hippy hippy shake! Joey Fantone of NSYNC fame wound up in second place. He was a true showman and very entertaining to watch. And during the process of this show, he shed a good many pounds! He looked great in the last few weeks of the show! And the winner was Apolo Ohno, the Olympic Gold medalist for speed skating. He deserved it. He worked hard and was very fluid on the floor. His moves flowed and once he got the pointers from Len Goodman in the practice studio, he was even better. He wasn't a pigeon toed dancer anymore!

Wednesday brought us the final 2 hour American Idol. After much ado that was somewhat boring and unnecessary, the new American Idol is Jordin Sparks! She is so awesome. 17 years old, the daughter of a bi racial couple and can sing her patutie off! Her version of This is My Now was phenomenal. She was so emotional when she sang it, that at the end her eyes filled up and her voice cracked that she felt the words in her heart. THAT's a singer. When you feel the in your heart the words that you singing, that's when it's best. I think that her performance of that song on Tuesday put the nail in Blake's coffin. But Blake will do well in his own right with his beat boxing. It is not my taste in music. I couldn't listen to a CD of ten songs or so and they were all beat boxing songs. Jordin? Could probably listen to her all day!

So, now that we've had all the finales, it will be back to summer reruns. Yuck. But, it will give me a chance to see some shows that I missed the first go round. I'll be able to catch the NCIS shows I missed because of Idol.

Tonight, there was nothing on new. I watched part of the re run of Ugly Betty. Then dean and I rode to Dairy Queen to get ice cream. My new thing is a banana split, but not in the traditional sense. I just like the banana, vanilla soft serve topped with hot fudge. No whipped cream. No nuts. No strawberry or pineapple toppings. Dean always gets soft serve vanilla with a cup of cherry topping on the side. Then mixes it himself when we get home. And of course we got baby cups for the dogs!!!!

Tomorrow (Friday) I guess I will be able to catch Ghost Whisperer, Close to Home and Numbers. Love those! Jennifer Love-Hewitt is so cute and plays her role as Ghost Whisperer so well. Close to Home is about a prosecutor's office and it's workings and set in Indiana. Numbers is an FBI show whose agent's brother is a mathematical genius and helps him solve crimes using those math skills. Oh, the genius? Played by the guy who played the head elf in the Santa Clause. Very cool. So, hopefully they won't be ones I've already seen. And hopefully I can catch them. We are mulching the yard tomorrow after work. I will stop and pick up a load on my way home from work since I am the one that drives the truck everyday. Besides, the supplier is right on my way home! Saves a trip. And GAS!!! 3.09 a gallon! Ridiculous! I don't know what they expect people to do. And the Big Oil companies reported record breaking profits for the first quarter. AGAIN! the government needs to step in and put a stop to that!

Since it's the title of my blog, I had to post this

http://info.org.il/irrelevant/may02-smilepop-soapbox4.swf

It's just what I needed!!!!!!

Now, LOL, everybody!!!!

can't delete emails or a cell phone number

I know my sister kept every single email that my brother in law sent her. I know I have received alot of them from him while he was in Iraq as well. Some of the pictures he emailed are of beautiful things in that area of the world. Some are really scary things. And others are funny things. I just can't bring myself to delete them. My sister sent me an email this morning (4:30 in the freakin' morning her time! What in the world was she doing up at that ungodly hour?) saying that she wishes she could talk to him, kiss him, and hold him one more time. But we wish that of all our loved ones that pass away. There's never enough time that you can spend with someone you care about. time is precious and life is so short. Jerry's was extremely short. I must say, though, that they she was married almost twice as long as she was single. She married him at age 20. That was in 1968. I was 7. My brother was 18. But it doesn't matter. It wasn't long enough. It's never long enough. That is why we hang on to momentos. The memories we have of that person. So, I am hanging on to all the emails, funny, beautiful, or horrid, that Jerry sent us. I just can't delete them. I will eventually save them to my desktop at some point...........Then there's his cell phone. I put his cell phone number and his work number in my cell phone when we were working on the big Christmas surprise of '05! Jer was working at TA then. See, I had gotten this great idea to fly down and surprise my sister for Christmas. Originally, we were going to drive down, but with the price of gas on the rise then, I did some cypherin' and figured it would only be a few more dollars to fly, but that would give us to more days to visit with my sister. So, I coordinated everything with Jerry. Calling his cell phone, calling him at work to let him know what was happening with our plans. And of course, he was more than happy to pick Dean and me up at the Little Rock airport! So, those numbers have been in my cell phone all this time. I deleted the number to TA when he left for Iraq. I can't bring myself to delete his cell number. I accidently called it when I was on my way down for the funeral. I got voicemail. I was shocked when I heard that ever familiar voice say "Leave a message! We'll catch up to ya as soon as possible! Thank you!" Now I call it just to hear that voice. Cheery, upbeat with that little hint of southern accent that was ALWAYS Jerry. I don't know what I'll do when Dar decides to shut his service off...........

Mother's Day, a Bumper sticker I read....

Well, I had a nice surprise on Mother's day, but turned into an unpleasant task. Nick called me from where he works in South Carolina. Actually, he text messaged me Happy Mother's Day! and I called him back. I got his voice mail, then he called me back. Tallk about phone tag! So, I had the unhappy experience to tell him about his Uncle Jerry. He called his Aunt Darlene and was very upset. Understandably. Uncle Jerry is the reason taht we got into Spirit Soccer. Nick was only 2 1/2, not even potty trained when we started going to games. He knew every single player and named them word for word and with the same intonations as the announcer at the arena as the players were introduced. We got so many soccer balls from the players! It was a great time! We used to ask Nick "What does Uncle Jerry say?" he woudl answer "Coke is it!" We sould laaaaugh. the phone tag and the unhappy task all happened while Dean and I were in line to be seated at the Mother's Day buffet we go to every year. The Comfort Inn on Rodi Road in Penn Hills. They have a banquet room/lounge called the Seasons Room and Inndigo Room. Inndigo. A play on words there, eh? The food and service always exceptional. Prime Rib, Ham, Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine, Pasta something, Turkey Tettrazini, and Lemon Pepper Sole. Strawberry and Romaine Salad with Poppy Seed dressing, tossed Salad, Ceasar Salad, a variety of rolls, and desserts out the wazzoo! YUM-O!
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I saw a bumper sticker on my way home from work today. "If Mary were Pro Choice, we wouldn't have CHRISTMAS!" I think people are taking the Pro Choice thing the wrong way. If you are Pro Choice, it doesn't mean YOU choose to have an abortion. It doesn't mean You Choose to not have an abortion. If you are Pro Choice, it just means that people have a right to choose what's best for them. But I think the statement is more ridiculous than that for the fact that the people in Biblical times didn't even know what abortion was, let alone make a choice about it! The medical people back then, well, were scary if they even existed! They didn't go to college or Med School! For cryin' out loud. They weren't educated people. All they had was the little religion that was taught them and the fear of God. All they had was Moses and the tablets. That was WAY before Jesus was born. It was way before Mary or Mary's mother was born! The bumper sticker just struck me as an odd thing to say is all.

I'm not O.J., saying goodbye, feeling funky

Well, I have not posted since April 28th, a little over two weeks ago when I got the news of my brother-in law. There are several reasons for that, which I will get to. One of which is that my brother and I flew down to Arkansas for the funeral and to be there for our sister. We were there a total of 5 days, leaving on the 6th day. My brother has very long legs, being he is 6'5'. I am a mere 5'5" and had a very hard time keeping up with him as we were going to the gates at the airport(s). We flew on his wife's brother in law's buddy pass, so we were anxious to get to the appropriate gate for the flights, plead our case by telling the sad tale of our need to get to Arkansas, so he was walking at good clip with his rolling carry on bag. I had my track bag as carry on which has no wheels.
Also, when you fly on a buddy pass, you must dress appropriately. You can't look like a vacationer. So, I am in heels, carrying the track bag and my purse with all I will need for the trip and running to keep up with my brother! Leave the running through airports to O.J. I can't do it!.........

There must have been someone above, or several someones, that knew we needed to get there as early as possible because we got on the 7 a.m. flight out of Pittsburgh, and got that connecting flight in Charlotte to Little Rock. We landed in Little Rock about 10:15 a.m. (central time) and was leaving the airport in the rental car at 10.30 a.m. We did not get bumped from any of the flights to or from Little Rock. I was talking to the heavens under my breath the whole time we were at the airports, plus had my fingers crossed, and someone must have heard me or something!!?... So we got to my sister's at about noon, her time. So we were there in plenty of time to go to the funeral home for the first afternoon viewing with her, my nephews, their wives, and the grandkiddos. I am so glad we went. It was very hard to see my sister hurting so badly and there was nothing I could do to fix it. She seems to be holding up quite well, considering. The next day was the funeral, It was so hard to say goodbye to him. We all cried something awful, as expected. the service was really nice by Brother Perry, the Pastor of my nephew's church. He is a really nice man, with a wonderful contemperary way of teaching God's word. The family had chosen a lifestyle service as opposed to an orthodox service, which would have suited Jerry to a "T". Brother Perry took what he learned from all of us telling him stories about Jerry and put it into a wonderful service that actually made us laugh quite a bit. Jerry certainly would have wanted it that way. He was a man that did enjoy life and all it's adventures and always made the people around him smile. It will be hard to think that he won't be sending those goofy emails, and jokes, or doing that happy dance he always did, alot of times for no other reason than he was happy and wanted you to smile too...............

We came home on Tuesday and I went back to work on Wednesday. But, I admittedly have not been myself since my return. I feel it. My husband definitely noticed it, my co-workers commented on it. I just feel like I am in this funk and can't shake it. Another reason for my not posting, I just haven't felt like nor had the ambition. Life goes on, but I just need it to stop for a few more days. However, I did start to feel like my ol' self a bit today. Since I wore heels for 3 days out of five and was on running through the airports and being at the funeral home and funeral, standing so much, and never sat with my feet up while we were at my sister's, my feet were quite swollen. They are just back to normal today. When you take an ol' girl out of her routine, the are adverse effects. So, the funky feeling is about 95% gone and I don't know that I will ever get the other 5 back with such a hole in my world. When a man steals your sister away when you are 7 years old, and you spent every weekend and every summer at their house growing up, you definitely feel the funk when he's not there anymore.........

And the last reason for it taking so long to post is that I just didn't want the last post of April 28 to be taken away from the top of the blog. Even now, it's hard knowing that it will be moved down. But the picture of Jerry with his Cee Cee will always be to the right..........