Yo Ho Ho & A Bottle of Rum

Rusty came by early this morning & surprised us. Normally we've been calling him around 9am with our intended plans of the day. We're going on a boat tour of LA Harbor.

We thought that we'd be off for Catalina today, but the cost of the round trip boat ride has gone up to almost $100 per person. It doubled since I was out here last year. Now there is also a requirement that you book the trip at least 3 days in advance. I'm a bit sad since that is my favorite place in California & really the only place I had my heart set on going to.

We're using today as the "educational portion" of our vacation. We went to the San Pedro fish market, where Joe ate a seafood combo with chips. Other than the deep fried squid, I've got no clue what else was on his plate. After that we took a 45 minute ride around the harbor on a double decker boat. I took a lot of pictures of seals & pelicans. In that same area we saw the Maritime museum, as well as the Lane Victory ship.

To kill some time before dinner we went to Rodondo Pier at sunset. I took some amazing pictures. Then it was off to a sushi place for dinner.

Joe loves sushi, but he even tried some new stuff too. It was my first time trying sushi, so since I don't eat meat, I tried a veggie roll for the first time. I didn't like it, but I didn't not like it either. Sake is pretty interesting, though. I tried it without realizing that was alcohol. Rusty may have had a cup too much of it because he got really talkative. The yummiest thing was the fried ice cream, also known as tempura ice cream. I can best describe it as ice cream wrapped in a fortune cookie.

Now it's late & time to settle in for the night. I hope Joe doesn't get fishy farts from all the seafood!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Walk of Fame

Today we went with Rusty over to Hollywood & took a walk down the streets with all the stars. Joe made me take a ton of pictures of the celebrity stars. He bowed down to the Chuck Norris & Kiefer Sutherland stars. Look for those online when we get home.

We also went to the Hollywood Wax Museum. That was pretty cool. Some of the wax figures were dead-on replicas, while others sorta left you guessing. It was something that I had never gone to before, nor had Rusty, so it was nice for all of us.

Scaratinos was a great little family owned Italian restaurant we went to for lunch in Glendale. We took a mini shopping trip at a set of luxury condos that had exclusive shopping there. I may have to go back, since all I got was a book.

We tried to go to the Warner Brother Studios, but all the tours were sold-out. I know that Joe was a little disappointed, but since he saw the walk of fame & Graumans Theater, he was ok. Oh yeah, he even got attacked by Jason Vorhees at the theater. He also stood in the footprints of Christopher Walken, who based on footprints, is probably about the same size as Joe. My hand prints & footprints matched up with those of Marilyn Monroe.

Now we're just back relaxing at Nana's house & watching the Simpsons. More to follow tomorrow!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Is It A Portal?

Our first day began with me waking up before everyone, per usual. I walked out onto the porch where I encountered a small brightly colored bird that was trapped on the porch. Since Joe was finally awake, he helped me usher it back through the sliding glass doors & off to freedom. As I watched I fly off I thought, "Damn, there went my chance at another pet." I'm sure Joe was wondering why I was trying to free it instead of trying to tame it, but he opted not to vocalize any thoughts he was having.

I really wanted to show Joe the Venice Beach area. So Rusty came by mid-morning to take us to the body building grounds of the "govenator". I hadn't been there since my first time out here in 1995, when mom & I went there with her cousin Patty. The most memorable moment from that day was when we saw a guy who looked like he was wearing a mohair body suit was walking down the beach in a speedo. Mental note: never put Joe in a speedo.

We walked from the Santa Monica pier down the Venice Beach pier. Joe decided that there was a portal that kept the Venice type separated from the Santa Monica type. We watched a machete juggler for a little while. Joe saw a Samoan guy in a speedo, now he has his own traumatic speedo memory. Then we walked down to the water for most of the walk back to Santa Monica. Joe was really surprised by how cold the water was. What do you expect from water that flows down from Alaska?

After that hefty walk we went to Ye Olde Kings Head Pub for a late lunch. Since Joe is more adventurous with food, he ate fish & chips for the first time. He also tried scotch eggs, which is a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage. He loved it & wants that when we get home.

Shortly after that we drove through downtown Hollywood. It was getting dark, so we planned for the walking tour of it tomorrow. We may get lucky & tour the Warner Brother studios too. If Joe sees a celebrity, like anyone from "24", I may have to call people to get some bail money together. Be ready to answer your phones...

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Layover Vacation

We woke up at some horrible,horrible hour of dark blackness yesterday to go to the airport.

We flew out of Scranton to Newark to Cleveland to Los Angles. I'm still not sure why we began the trip flying backwards in order to fly forward. I was told by the airline that it had to do with budget cuts or something of that nature. The flights we all good. The flight from Cleveland had Joe & I separated by about 10 rows because some stupid family didn't book their seats together & because they had small children, they needed to be with them. That flight had 10-12 kids all under the age of 8, but it was surprisingly quiet. I guess they we all playing with their new toys.

Joe read his book during most of the flights, while I took power naps. We got here safely. Rusty picked us up at the airport to bring us back to nana's house. We had dinner there before I promptly fell asleep. Joe stayed up reading for a bit longer & enjoyed the view of the lights of the LA basin.

Now I'm awake typing this, Joe is asleep (he's adjusted just great to pacific time). More blogs will come as the vacation goes on!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Merry Christmas To All

This was a very nice Christmas. I was in the holiday spirit this year, which is a stark change from last year. Last year there was just so much going on & we didn't really decorate for the holidays because we moved in so close to Christmas. Plus, after buying the house money was really, really tight. This year, however, the tree was up & decorated the first week of December. The front of the house got decked-out the following weekend. There was a vast difference in my mood this year, having the time to prepare for the day.

Christmas Eve was spent at Joe's parents house. His mom made dinner for everyone. It was nice to see Mark & Sihbon there. We don't get to see them too much & I know that Joe wishes he could spend more time hanging out with his brother. After dinner, we watched some old home movies of the boys. That was pretty cool. The funniest video was the "lost wedding toast" that Mark had done for a college project. After that Joe sat under the tree & handed out gifts to everyone.

Once we got home, we stayed up until Midnight & opened our Christmas stockings. I really wanted to do the big Midnight breakfast's like I used to have with Grandma Johnson, but we just couldn't stay up much longer, so we reserved that for the first thing in the morning on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day has the two of us staying home. We were invited to go to dinner at my parents & to go to dinner at Grandpa Rizzo's house, but opted to keep it low-key this year. I think that too has helped me enjoy the day more. It's hard to enjoy the day when you are having to rush around to get to a particular place. I just made dinner for us here tonight. I made Joe cinnamon apple coated pork chops with garlic-rosemary potatoes. He ate it up! Now he's down in the mancave playing one of the various video games the he got. I probably won't see him again until we're packing up the car to go to the airport for the California trip.

We got Sugar a new storage bench for her good & toys. Based on the box, it looked fully assembaled... yeah, right. So Joe spent a good half hour putting the dog's toy box together, all the while he was muttering, "We don't even have human kids, why am I putting toys together today?!" I think that was the funniest moment of the whole day!

Well, here is where I end this entry. We hope that Santa made it to everyone & gave you all what you wanted.

Falling Snow

The snow has yet to stop falling. This picture is from this morning when the two of us got home early from work. I shoveled the driveway a few times, Joe did the final run-through until the morning. Let's see what it looks like when the sun comes back up, but so far it's making me smile.

Christmas Cards

Joe & I spent time with Rob & Lauren on Sunday night. It was nice to get caught up with them, swap Christmas gifts, & eat some yummie food.

Joe & Rob were playing Xbox & watching the Dallas vs. Giants game that was on. We still have no clue why it was on at 8pm, but whatever. Lauren & I were sitting around the dining room table, leafing through sale fliers when she mentioned that the Christmas card from us was the first one that they got. Now, I know that my neurosis makes me send out cards on December 1st, but it made both of us realize that there seems to have been a Christmas card shortage this year. Of the 30 or so cards that we sent out, we only got back 7. If I remember right, Lauren said they got less than we did. This made us both decide that next year the card list will be short for both of our households.

I don't know if in this age of email, most people are sending those stupid free e-cards. That just seems a bit tacky to me. Take your lazy asses to the store, buy some cards, fill them out, address them, go to the post office & mail them out. Believe it or not, sometimes family & friends want to you know that you're still out amongst the general population... so that we can be sure to run away if we see you out there.

Addendum: ABC News

What A Wonderful Day

Driving along the back road on my way to work this morning there was a mini rock slide. I managed to avoid all but 1 rock, hitting that huge bastard with my passenger side front tire. I pulled over immediately & inspected the tire. There was no damage as far as I could tell. Things we cruising along smoothly in the fast lane for about an hour when I suddenly heard that horrible, horrible "thwump, thwump, thwump"

Yep, the tire was blown up & shredded. I was standing on the side of I-84 in the rain, staring at my remnants of a tire. A quick call to the NYSP had a tow truck coming to me to change my tire. I know that everyone is laughing because I should know how to change a tire...and I do. However, this car has locking rims, so the standard tire removal junk in my trunk is not designed for what is actually on my car. Yippee

Spare tire gets put on & I head to the cheapest tire place that I can think of- WalMart. There is nothing that place doesn't have. Of course, when I get there it's going to be a 6 hour wait because there is only 1 employee in automotive and a ton of cars in front of me. Yippier

So here I stand, in front of the store awaiting a ride from one of my co-workers. At least I can go to work instead of waisting my day here. Yippieist

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

The NEW Average Joe at the Movies

The Average Joe at the Movies blog isn't about just movies anymore. As a way to add more to the blog on a regular basis, I've opened up the flood gates to include all aspects of entertainment. I'm talking movies, television, video games, comics, sports..........you name it, I'll talk about it. I have an intro to the blog there, and I've already put on a few new entries. I encourage anyone who reads it to give some input, make suggestion for stuff to talk about..........anything at all. As much as I'm doing it more for myself, I'd like to know if I'm getting more out of it too. So feel free to check it out.

Reconciling Renovations

After a year of living here, things have progressed a lot from where we began. I know that we both expected to have a lot more done by now. Innocently enough we thought we would be able to tackle 1 room a month. But, as most of you know, Joe was laid off for several months, right after we bought the house. Oh, then there was the failure of the furnace, along with the hot water heater the day we moved in. Between all that, our savings was eaten up. Then the spring time brought the disaster with the septic. I know that I'm looking at this very bleakly. I have to focus on all the good. The guestroom is done, except for the flooring. Our hallway is completed, so is the project of turning the half wall into a full wall. Once I focus on the good, I'm reminded of the roof leak. That dip-shit home inspector told us the roof was 5 years old.... yeah well, he left off the "1". The friggin' thing is 15 years old!

The house is still worth a lot more than we paid for it, so there is some solace in that. We have decided that the next house will be turn-key ready... more or less. The next house is also going to be the one we plan on living in until one of us buys the farm.

My words of wisdom to people buying homes... forget going on the word of the home inspector alone, have a contractor there the same day as the inspection so that you get the truth. While there are probably some good home inspectors out there, I think that the bulk of them are going to tell you what you want to hear to buy the house & give the bank what they want to hear to give you the loan. I know that everyone says when you buy a house "the work will never be done". I have to think that can't be completely accurate. After all the crap that we've gone through with this place after having a moronic home inspector, I have to believe that there will be some sort of light at the end of the tunnel.

Let The Battle With The Mice Begin!!!!!!

The "Raccoon Wars" have been over for quite some time. The porch has been closed off to the outside, so the raccoons have not been seen since. All has been peaceful in the Rizzo household. Yet, those of this household could not imagine the underground war that would be started by the small infiltrators known as "the mouse."

When we first occupied the home, we knew the mice were already inside. But so far, other than leaving their turds in various spots, not much activity was seen. One mouse was caught by me after the cats had worn it down. After that, there was nothing new to report. Nothing was out of place. There was harmony. Until a few weeks ago.........

The first sign was the return of the turds. This time, they were found in the kitchen cabinets, around the silverware, Tupperware, and other utensils. It was getting out of hand. My wife and I sought a means of properly disposing of the mice without killing them. However, no humanitarian traps were immediatley available, not without a high price. Peace would inevitably come with a cost.

The raids then began to get worse. The spices in the high cabinet were getting ransacked. The paper labels were getting torn off, and plastic tops were torn into. Only the chocolate sprinkles were effectively opened and eaten. Every time we heard noises from the cabinet after, we immediatley opened them, hoping to catch the spy. But all we would see was a glimpse of the mouse's tail as he crawled back up the duct work for the hood fan. The mice were becoming more than a mere nuisance. My wife and I knew they had to go soon.

The last instance where the intruder was almost caught happened today. As I watched television, the quiet essence of the house was disturbed by a bumping sound. I went to investigate the back bedroom, thinking our refugee cats were causing the ruckuss. They were relaxing, and seemed to be making no trouble. While visiting them a second time after a repeat of the noise, I heard it coming from the kitchen. The infiltrator was in the cabinet. I rushed to the doors and opened them. What I saw stunned me just a little. The mouse was right in front of me. So was the overturned bottle of vanilla extract. It was almost as if he didn't notice me. He stood there, reaching one paw into the bottle, pulling it out and licking the extract. The smell of the vanilla was strong. When I regained my wits, I reached out for him. But he was to fast. He crawled back up the duct, and all I could do was stand there in defeat.

What must I do to end this threat without it coming to violence? It's almost impossible to fortify that duct so nothing can get in. The rest of the cabinets even more so. Glue traps, snap traps, and rat posion are unexceptable according to my wife. The only alternative I've seen is an attachment to a soda bottle in a catalog, but it doesn't seem plausible. What can be done to end the mouse's menace? I must find a way before more damage is done. We may not be in this house for long, but dammit we will make sure there is peace!

Polar Express

This past weekend my parents took all of us on a Polar Express train ride. I have to admit that Joe & I were getting a bit alarmed when we saw carloads of children. We were both under the impression that it was going to be more along the lines of an old time train ride.

On the train ride, passengers re-live the experience of the little boy in The Polar Express book, written by Chris Van Allsburg. The story focuses on a little boy who has been told by his friends that there is no Santa Claus. Unwilling to believe this, he lies awake in his bed on Christmas Eve, waiting for the sound of Santa's sleigh. Instead, he hears the hissing steam and squeaking metal of the Polar Express as it stops outside his window, ready to take him and other children to the North Pole. During the ride you listen to the story, children are served hot chocolate & cookies. Santa visits each child, his elves ensure that every child receives a very special bell from Santa. After all, only those who believe can hear the sound of Santa's sleigh bell. Believe me, Joe still hears that bell.... loud & clear.

All trips are pulled by historic antique diesel locomotive #8142 & consists of antique restored passenger cars from the 1950's. The passenger cars were so neat, it really kicked in some feelings of nostalgia. Of course, we just snuggled together in a seat, smiling at all the holiday bliss. Mom, Sean & the kids were all in the same holiday mood. It was a good bit of fun.

It departs from Lehigh Junction located in the Historic Main Street area of Phillipsburg New Jersey. Getting there was a complete pain in the tooshie. Whoever wrote the directions should be taken out & beaten by all the people who get lost.

Highland Lakes

I was on my way to work this morning and I heard that old song "Convoy" I started thinking about Pop-Pop.

Then last night when I was coming home from work, my mind began to drift back to Highland Lakes. That's where I lived with Grandma and Pop-Pop Johnson. I talk to Grandma about all the things that I remember from being there as a kid. It never fails to amaze her how many detailed memories are stored away in my mind.

That big blue house was always swarming with activity. This time of year was always special there. The big piles of freshly raked leaves in the backyard always tempting me to jump in. Or I would get Brandy & Shadow to run right through the piles, while they were chasing after sticks. Thanksgiving was always special. There we always so many people who would be there for the feast.

The Thanksgiving that I remember most is the one where Aunt Nancy tried to teach how to fling mashed potatoes from a spoon. My first attempt hit Pop-Pop in the face right after he said Grace. Then came the mini food fight. That image still brings a smile to the face of everyone who hears about it... or was there.

Early Bender

I was on my way to work this morning, driving along Old Milford Road. I was following behind a white car without incident. Down by Pocono Mountain Lake Estates, a Honda Civic pulled out behind me & proceeded to tailgate.

As I drove along, I noticed in my mirrors how close the car was to me. I thought, "It's really going to suck if she hits me." Sure enough, the car in front of me braked to avoid a deer crossing the road. I too hit my brakes, stopping with pleanty of room. Then I felt the thud. That wonderful Civic had just bumped me.

I got out, preparing to see some damage on my bumper. Out of the Civic comes a skinny, young girl apologizing profusely. I touched her arm & told her it would be ok. I looked at my car, thankfully, there was no damage. The girl, all of 19, kept apologizing. I told her it was fine, there was no damage & no injuries, so there was nothing to worry about. She was crying because she hit a deer the night before & thought that her father was going to kill her. She kept asing if I wanted her phone number or her insurance information. I again told her not to worry about it because there was nothing to report. She started thanking me, profusly. I told her that she needed to give a little more space between cars since we were on an back road, at sunrise, that was coated in black ice. I also, politly, told her to be glad she hit me & not one of these scum-bags out of NYC, looking for a way to make a quick buck by suing her.

Now, I know you're all laughing it up that I told someone not to drive so close so another car, given my history of "drafting". Say what you will, but when it comes to dawn, dusk, back roads, and deer season, I DO know better. The highway is a whole seperate issue...

UFC 91 Thoughts

It was said to be the biggest UFC event of the year.........and simply put, they delivered. With some top fighters competing, it's hard to ignore that these were going to be some good fights. And we even underestimated that by far. Now, because eight of the nine fights ended quickly and they ended up showing every one on the event, I'll be doing a quicker recap of them, besides the main event of course.

The undercard had some promising fights, and ended up being insanely entertaining. Matt Brown defeated Ryan Thomas via 2nd round submission in a welterweight fight he was losing, but kept hanging on until he locked on a nice armbar. Aaron Riley and Jorge Gurgel had a great war at lightweight that Riley won by coming back from the 1st and wining the last 2 rounds to get the decision, and may have gotten Fight of the Night honors. In another lightweight fight, Mark Bocek easily dominated Alvin Robinson, and got a 3rd round submission win. In what was easily the Knockout of the Night, Jeremy Stephens knocked out Rafael dos Anjos in the 3rd round with a BEAUTIFUL uppercut that dropped him. This lightweight fight could've been Fight of the Night too considering dos Anjos was winning while going for submission attempts left and right.

The main card equally shared some great highlights too. The first fight was between middleweights Nate Quarry and Demian Maia. I like Quarry a lot, but this was a bad fight for him to take, and he was submitted in the end of round one by a rear-naked choke by a top-class jiu-jitsu fighter. Next was a heavyweight fight between Gabriel Gonzaga and newcomer Josh Hendricks. As was expected, Gonzaga ended up connecting with a right in the first round, and got the TKO win with ease. Another welterwight fight was next as Dustin Hazelett and Tamden McCrory. This was a great fight while it lasted, but Hazelett locked on an armbar that almost tore McCrory's arm off, and forced him to tap out in the 1st. It easily got Submission of the Night honors. Lastly, there was a highly-anticipated lightweight fight between Kenny Florian and Joe Stevenson. Interesting to note that Stevenson was expected to hold his own......but, Florian dominated Stevenson, and got a rear-naked choke in the 1st round to get the win. Amazing performance.

Then it was time for the big main event fight for the heavyweight championship between Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar. I should mention that soon after the fight started, the power went out here at home, and we all freaked out, but it came back on for us to see the end of the fight. Regardless, we ended up staying up until 3 AM to watch the fight again during the 2nd showing, and see all of what happened. Lesnar won the first round by getting a couple of takedowns, but most of the fight was them attempting to physically control eachother. The second round saw both fighters tiring already, but both were connecting with some hard strikes; Couture drew first blood when Lesnar got cut above his right eye. And then it happened......Lesnar caught Couture with a right-hand that dropped him, and Lesnar got on top, and hammered Couture until the referee stopped the fight. With that, Brock Lesnar, in only his 4th fight of his career, became the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

A fantastic event if I do say so myself. And the UFC is still looking to top it with their last pay-per-view of the year, including 2 title fights and other highly competitive fights to boot. And even though I'll be on my vacation in California during that event, with some luck I'll still be able to see it...........please let there be some luck.........

-Joe

R.I.P. Opa

My grandfather, or "opa" in German, has recently passed away. It's been hard on the family on that side, but we're all doing OK.

Opa was one of the funniest guys I've known. He's always joked around, especially with busting on everybody's chops now and then. Even when he went a little far from time to time, you couldn't help but laugh (as long as you weren't on the receiving end of it). But aside from that, he was known for his stories too. He always had a good one to tell, and as an adult that was always the thing I looked forward to whenever I saw him. Any goofy story he had, any knowledge he imparted from what he knew, and even some of the good dirty jokes were always entertaining. It'll be hard for me to find tales like that now.

He won't be forgotten, and I know he made sure of that while he was around. Good job Opa. You did just that easily.

-Joe

Commercial Holiday

Ok, I'm going to take a page out of my mom's book & list a pet peeve...Why the Hell is there Christmas stuff up already?!? Look, I love Christmas as much as the next person, but can we get through Thanksgiving before we fall into the commercialism that is now the Christmas season?

Thanksgiving is a treasured American tradition, a time when families from all over come together to celebrate... what?

Nobody really seems to know. People just sit down at their tables, over stuff themselves with turkey, while watching football & don't realize that we're celebrating the Pilgrims harvest. Go out & ask people for the origin of Thanksgiving. How many of them will look at you like you have nine hundred heads, before saying something along the lines of, "It's when we gather together as a family & say what we're thankful for."

Ok, well that explanation is the intended spirit of the holiday. But do we really sit around & think about how blessed we are on Thanksgiving? We all celebrate it out of habit, but the true spirit of its meaning seems lost. The true MODERN nature of Thanksgiving appears the next day.

On Black Friday, the Pavlovian bells of retail ring- signaling for tens of thousands people, likened to salivating dogs, be released into store aisles everywhere. Perhaps we don't have time to consider the our blessings when every where we look there are signs for the latest, greatest sale of the season.

Growing Up

25 Signs You Have Grown Up

1. Your house plants are alive, and you can't smoke any of them.

2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.

3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.

4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.

5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.

6. You watch the Weather Channel.

7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of "hook up" and "break up."

8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.

9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as "dressed up."

10. You're the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won't turn down the stereo.

11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.

12. You don't know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.

13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.

14. You feed your dog Science Diet instead of McDonald's leftovers.

15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.

16. You take naps.

17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.

18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at 3 AM would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.

19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.

20. A $4.00 bottle of wine is no longer "pretty good shit."

21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.

22. "I just can't drink the way I used to" replaces "I'm never going to drink that much again."

23. 90% of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.

24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.

25. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking "Oh shit what the hell happened?"

BONUS: 26: You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that doesn't apply to you and can't find one to save your sorry old ass.

Who To Pick

Elections are right around the corner. For a while there I really had no clue who I was going to vote for. Like Leslie, I wasn't proud of not wanting to vote for either candidate. Each time I would start to lean toward one candidate they would do or say something stupid that would push me in the other direction. So, I ignored all the television commercials & did my own research to reach my decision. I'm not telling who I plan on voting for, though. I do agree with everyone that there is a time for change, I do think that change will come with youth.

Say what you will, but if you look around there have been many communities that were run by old, staunchly politicians & it took someone with youthful, naive politician to reboot the system & get success. I also feel that if there were more mature youthful individuals in government, you would see young America taking more pride in the nation. It always bothered me that the national pride that came after 9/11 has floated away for most people. I felt that pride long before & long after that day. With a family full of former military & friends still overseas it's hard to not feel pride for America & her people.

What has also seemed to drift away is the national sense that we're strong enough to survive anything that gets thrown our way. There have been cycles of war, recessions, depressions, & morons in power for as long as we've been a nation. We've always come through it. So cinch those belts a little tighter & stop whining.

First Of November

Halloween has come & gone. We were invited to a party, but opted not to go because we were concerned about leaving the house empty while all those little hoodlums went door to door seeking candy. We only had 3 trick-or-treaters the whole night long. It's ok though, more candy for us to eat! Speaking of candy, right now Sensei is digging into the candy bowl, pulling out the candy & playing with it. He's chasing it all over the dining room floor. It's too funny!

October passed very quickly...Now it's time to gear up for turkey day. I got elected to host the family festivities this year. Not really sure why anyone wants me to attempt to make a turkey again. As far as we know, it's going to be small this year; just the two of us, Mom, Sean, John & Kelsey. Mom told me that Abuelita, Russell, Dolores & Kevin are all going to South Carolina to see Debbie & the kids. I've been crawling over all of my cook books to start making my own traditional dishes for the day. I think I'm going to make a creamy sauce to put over the vegetables that takes about 2lbs of bacon fat to make. I told mom about it & her arteries were hardening just hearing about it. When a recipe makes everyone think they're going to suffer a massive MI, it's going to be good.

Long Overdue: UFC 89 and 90

These events were on back-to-back Saturdays, one of which was free on Spike-TV. Both events are recent enough that I can still talk about them, but I'll keep them a little brief and talk about some of the main points.

UFC 89 featured a main event fight between Michael Bisping and Chris Leben. Before that though, Marcus Davis got an easy win over Paul Kelly by submitting him in the 2nd round by a guillotine choke that was easy to slip in. The next fight between Paul Taylor and Chris Lytle went the distance, with Lytle winning the decision. Though the crowd was unhappy (mainly because Taylor was the hometown hero), Lytle was definitely the winner, though Taylor put up a good fight. The upset of the night went to the next fight between Rameau Sokoudjou and Luiz Cane. After Sokoudjou threw some hard hits throughout the first round, he was already tired out, and Cane dropped him late in the 2nd, and the ref stopped the fight due to technical knockout.
Keith Jardine vs. Brandon Vera was the co-main event, and a fight where I was anxious to see Jardine beat the crap out of Vera. Jardine managed a split decision (should've been unanimous, but oh well), and hopefully Vera will get knocked way down the ladder. Then was the main event: The Count (Bisping) vs. The Crippler (Leben). Bisping was a slight favorite, and sure enough Bisping got the decision win in a fight that both made entertaining. Interesting to note that Leben actually dropped his hands, and allowed Bisping to take some swings at his face to show his toughness. Never seen that in a real fight before. The event was good for a Spike-TV event, and I was glad with the results.

My in-laws were nice enough to come up for the fights on UFC 90, and for me having as many people around to watch the fights together make it more entertaining. The first fight was between Sean Sherk and Tyson Griffin. As expected, this was the most entertaining fight of the night, both standing and trading shots. Sherk got the better of the exchanges, and won by decision. Very good fight between two of the best lightweights around. Immediately after was a shocking knockout victory for Junior Dos Santos over Fabricio Werdum. Dos Santos was in his first fight in the UFC, and Werdum was close to earning a title shot; so you would think this would be a "gimme" fight for Werdum. Just over a minute in, Werdum was knocked out by a huge uppercut. Should be interesting to see where Dos Santos goes now. After all this excitement so far, it got toned down during the Rich Clementi vs. Gray Maynard fight. As I knew would happen, Maynard took Clementi down constantly, kept him down, and pummeled on him a little to earn a decision win.
Next was another promising fight in the co-main event between Thiago Alves and Josh Kosheck. This fight was exciting as promised, with Alves getting the decision win (he came SO close to knocking out Kosheck a couple of times, which I would've loved) and securing his future welterweight title shot. He is definitely a promising contender. Then it was time for the middleweight title fight between Anderson Silva and Patrick Cote. Silva is one of my favorite fighters of all time, and I was expecting another impressive finish. Instead, I got a disappointing surprise. After a slow 1st round, Silva started rocking Cote throughout the 2nd, and seemed ready to finish him in the 3rd. Instead, Cote took a hard step that popped his knee, and forced the referee to stop the fight, and declare Silva the winner via technical knockout (due to Cote's injury). Up until the main event, the fights were impressive and entertaining. Although the main event ended badly, it still had the potential to be good. What did upset me was the aftermath where some general sports writers bashed the fight saying that neither fighter looked good. Yet when I talked to those who know the MMA sport, they saw that Silva put up a good fight, Cote stayed strong in a losing fight, and it was all bad luck in the end. Lets hope MMA gets some better recognition than that bull.

Anyways, the next event is in November, and has some promising fights. You'll be hearing about that soon too.

My New Haircut

I went to Matamoras today to meet my mom so that she could take Solo home (I'll get into that later), so while I was there I picked up my new glasses & headed over to the salon to get my hair cut.

I've been saying for months that I've needed to get my hair cut. I didn't want anything major, just a few inches cut off & the long layers put back in. Well I went to the salon & told the hair dresser what I wanted. After sitting in the chair for about an hour, & listening to the lady just go on & on about her whole life story; my hair is now 7-8 inches shorter than it was supposed to be. I only asked for 4 inches to get cut off! My hair was just above the small of my back, now it's just past my shoulders. Hell, I'm not even sure that the length is even! I'm a bit annoyed & this is why I never like getting my hair cut. It never gets done the way that I ask. It's really frustrating! I think from now on, I've got to tell hair dresser to cut half of what I really want in order to get it right. For example, if I want 4 inches cut off again, I'll tell the hairdresser 2 inches instead. I mean, if I want that much hair chopped off, I want to do something really fun with my hairstyle. Ugh, I know that other ladies out there will understand what I'm talking about. One point I do need to make is that Aunt Andrea is the only hair stylist I've had who listens to me. Perhaps it's because she understands my emotional attachment to my hair.

Ok, now to kitten news. Solo has been adopted by my parents. She was also renamed "Ring-Ding". Yep, you read that right. They say it's because of the white ring around the kitten's neck, but I think that someone was eating a ring-ding for breakfast & thought that would be a good name for a cat. Joe is a bit disappointed with the name change. The rest of the clan is still here, energetic & awaiting a loving home. C'mon people, I know some one out there wants a kitten!

London

London
1997-2007

I know that my mom wrote her own blog about London, but since this marks 1 year since he passed away, I decided to write my own story about him.

I got London in June of 1997 when mom was working at Mid-Orange CF. Mom mentioned that there was a litter of kittens. There was a grey kitten in the litter, who happened to be the runt. Of I course I named him London before I ever saw him. I named him after one of my favourite writers. I nagged my mom for about 2 weeks to let me have him. The day before I left to go to flight school, we went to the prision & picked up this small, small little kitty.

London grew quickly into the largest cat that most people have ever seen up close. Once house guest remarked that London was not a house cat, but a mountain lion. He even had fangs that hung out of his mouth. It added to the intimidation factor, but the truth is London was a mush. He liked to sleep beside me or on top of me...apparently me breathing was an option for him. I always thought that it was cute that he would come wake me up when it was time for me to take the dogs out or when he deemed it time for me to get up. I think what makes me smile most when I think about him, is that when he was still small, he began to sleep on top of Hemingway's bird cage. As London grew, there was a sag in the top of the cage from his muscular mass. The bird never paid attention to him & paid no attention to the bird. When Hemingway was out of his cage & would go near London, it would cause the cat to run away. London was not much for confrontation.

London would spend the majority of his day asleep on someone's bed. When I was working overnights at ERH, I was London's bed buddy. He would come in my room, cloaked in black-out curtains & sleep with me, next to my stuffed animals.

Many people balk at the idea of having a cat who is FIV+. We never knew that he was until shortly before he passed away, but London's 10 year life proves to any naysayer that infected kitties do in fact live long & happy lives.

I visit my parents house now & still expect him to be loafing around on one of the beds. I have to constantly remind myself that he isn't there...at least not in a way that we can visually see him.

Breaking In

This weekend was off to a seemingly normal start, until Friday night when Joe took Ross out to celebrate Ross's 21st birthday. They went out to the Blue Ribbon for drinks, while I stayed home alone with the zoo, just relaxing on the couch, & watching television.

I heard the back doorknob start to jiggle. I popped my head up from my pillow paradise on the couch & looked at the window. I couldn't see anything because it's pitch black, but the dog started flipping out. I quickly got off the couch, ran through the dining room & was hiding. I called Joe to see if it was him at the back door just messing around, but his cell phone went right to voice mail. I knew now that it wasn't him. I snuck into the kitchen & looked out the window to see someone running away from the back deck & into the woods. I called security & Joe to let him know what happened.

Security arrived promptly & drive around the block with the spot lights on, inspected the back yard, along with the surrounding woods & came to the conclusion that it was probably some local kids. Security told me that a lot of times the kids aren't caught unless they're caught in the act. Because I was still upset I called my cousin Kevin, a local firefighter, to come sit with me for a little while. He arrived about 2 minutes later with some other people, who were all armed & inspecting the property again. He hung around long enough for me to calm down & until his fire pager went off.

Joe called home & I updated him on everything. Thankfully he didn't have to cut his night short. When he came home he stayed up for a little while. I was exhausted, so I went right to bed. The effects of the night lasted through the weekend. I was so drained that I didn't do the long list of things that I originally planned.

My Own Star

I came home from work today & Joe had bought me a little stuffed froggie while he was out at the mall. It was a nice surprise, especially because I had a loooong day at work. Well when he bought me the froggie now named "Smilin' Froggie" it meant that you purchased star too. So, I went online & registered to name my star & pick the constellation. Now I have a star named "rizzolovesme" in the pegasus constellation. I'll give the exact coordinates later, for those of you who may want to see.

How lucky am I to have a husband who will buy me a piece of the heveans...

Home Sweet Home

Our House

Since I seem to post pictures of everyone's home, except ours, I thought I would take some pictures this afternoon of our house. It's not fancy, but after all, it's our first home. It's got a long way to go before it's done, but at least some of you can see what it looks like now.

My fall gardening is no where near completed, so once I plop some more flowers in the ground & my folks help us cut down some of the unhealthy birch trees, I will post some more pictures. Speaking of which, I'm off to Ken-Do Nursery to buy some mums.

Morning View

This is a view from the window in my little section of the office.
I took it this morning at about 8am.

Later this afternoon when I was sitting over near the tree, I was watching some little birds sit on my tires & in the spokes of my rims as they were sunning themselves.
It was too cute!

Response To Email Advice

This a copy of my response to an email giving advice about my job. I'm just putting it up here so that everyone can see some of my thought pattern with this situation.

With regards to my job. I would not leave it without having something else to go to, I know well enough how tough the job market is right now. This is not my first full time job. I worked full time hours with all my previous employers, despite often times of having an official status of "part time". When I would have to cut my hours, it was temporary & for school, which every business I have applied to or worked for considers an acceptable excuse for not working full time. The neurology office was full time, until I got promoted, which put me down to about 30 hours. Since it was only 15 minutes from the house, there was no significant loss of income to travel, etc, so it was as though I was earning a full time income. I have an extensive 10 year employment record in health care, most of which involved holding 2-3 jobs simultaneously for long time time periods. That alone makes any employer realize that I am/would be a dedicated employee.

My commute does not provide any down time, because I'm stuck on a highway doing about 80mph with all the other people in a rush to get home. I'm spending more in gas & wear on the car than I would if I took something close to home with a slight pay cut. It is something to think about when $50 is being spent biweekly on oil changes, not to mention the other routine maintenance on the car. My warranty (mileage based) would be done at the end of this year if I keep up at my current rate of travel. Again, one more thing to think about. My "disposable income" is being disposed of right into my car. Hell, if I'm going to drive 1.5 hours to work, I should just tack on the extra half hour & drive into NYC where my salary would be tripled.

Work Drama

Ok, everyone knows that I took a job with a prestigious ENT office in Middletown. I was going to be placed in the Port Jervis office at the beginning of November. Well, I found out yesterday that they will be closing our current office & not lease out office space in the new medical arts building near Bon Secours. My office manager spoke to me privately about it, but she did repeatedly express that all the doctors & support staff would like me to stay. It was expressed that my background & training are greatly appreciated, along with my willingness to pass my knowledge on. At this point, everyone understand that the drive for me is incredibly far & if I can't stay, no one will hold it against me. In fact, if in 1, 3, or 5 years they do go back to Port Jervis, I would be hired again instantly if I reapplied.

I honestly don't know how I feel about the whole situation. I'm at an office that I like, & finally have found a true full time gig in this ever-so-crappy economy. I want to stay, but the wear & tear on the car, along with gas is pretty hefty. Not to mention if I get sent to the offices in Newburgh or Harriman (which my office manager says she will try to avoid). I did express to my office manager that this is something I really need to think about. There is no pressure for me to decided right away, I can take the all the time that I need. I'm just angry to an extent because I can't help but wonder if this was something that they knew they were going to do, but because of the need for help in the Middletown office, hired me. I'm also angry because I would be looking for a new job just before the holiday season or just after the holiday season. At the same time, I know staying there until my MBA is completed would be a good thing.

Ugh, I'm just lost on what to do. I talked to Joe about it & he is cool with me staying at the office until my probationary period is over & then re-evaluating the situation. Maybe then I could even get a bit more money out of them.

Chilly Night

Tonight is the first really chilly night of the autumn. The Pocono's are in a freeze warning for the hours of 3am-9am.

So, tonight we lit a fire & have been watching it roar since about 6pm. I forgot how nice & relaxing it is to sit by the fire. Our ultra comfortable living room set certainly helps the with the whole ambiance of the night. Time to pour a nice glass of red wine & read a book.

Kitten Update

The kittens are 33 days old. Lily is weening them off of her milk & they've begun to eat solid food & drink from the water bowl. The kittens haphazardly get in & out of their box. It's cute. Every time Joe or I go out on the porch, the 3 of them come plopping out of the box to rush toward us. They seem to be fascinated by the activities around the front door. I bought a bunch of little plastic balls for all of them to chase around, plus all the other toys we have on the porch for them.

The nights have been chilly, but have no fear...we've got the space heater keeping them at a balmy 60-80 degrees at night. We go out to play with Lily, Orion, & all the kids. Orion is a good daddy; he has the kittens emulating him. For example, the other day he was cleaning himself as the kittens watched. After a moment they formed a line & were cleaning themselves just like Orion. The followed his every move. It was absolutely adorable!

At night, the whole little family curls up together in their blanket covered box to sleep. It's amazing to watch them. When one parent gets up, the other stays with the kittens. They take turns caring for the kittens in all different ways. It's a big surprise for most people when I tell them just how both Lily & Orion have shared the kitten raising.

We're still looking for homes for the kittens. At the earliest they can part with Lily in 2 week, but we are aiming to have them here for another 4 weeks. If anyone knows a good home for them, please let us know. Joe has said they can stay here if we don't find them homes, but that I can't ever ask him for anything else. Silly boy has yet to learn that I don't ask....I just get.

Stunning Senior Moment

A very self-important college freshman attending a recent football game took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen sitting next to himwhy it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation.

'You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one,'
the student said, loud enough for many of those nearby to hear. 'The
young people of today are much more advanced than people your age. We
grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the
moon and the internet. We have cell phones, nuclear energy, electric
and hydrogen cars, computers, automated manufacturing, amazing
technologies, ...and,' pausing to take another drink of beer.

The senior took advantage of the break in the student's litany and
said, 'You're right, son. We didn't have those things when we were
young.....so we invented them. Now, you arrogant little shit, what are
YOU doing for the next generation?'

The applause was resounding...

I love senior citizens!!

The Doctor's Wife

This week I rapidly read "The Doctor's Wife" by Elizabeth Brundage. I started reading it on Monday during my lunch break. I finished it in 2 hours yesterday. I thought it would be a good idea to review it for all the other book lovers out there.

It's a sordid little story that succeeds only because you can never manage to put it down.

The book begins in a familiar suspense style. Dr. Michael Knowles, an OB/GYN, answers his pager in the wee hours of the morning. He is an over-worked man that is married to his career. His passion for his work is what recently lead him to volunteer at an abortion clinic, which is also run by a former lover.

"The Doctor's Wife" is notable for its larger plot. This novel is focused between two people that have made life changing choices. One by Dr. Knowles to perform abortions, while the other choice is by a religious fanatic to perpetrate violence against him. We go from an attempted assassination, to hiding the truth. Dr. Knowles' problems are not limited to those attempts on his life. His wife, Annie Knowles, is becoming disenchanted with her career as a professor at the local college and is becoming increasingly bored with being known for/as "the doctor's wife." She begins spending a lot of time at seedy motels with formerly renowned, eccentric painter Simon Haas. Haas's own wife, Lydia, is preoccupied with her own maniac fits. When the Knowles begin receiving anonymous threats it is clear that the two couples are more involved than it seemed.

Views from of the story are coming in from all angles, from of Michael, Annie, Simon, and Lydia, struggling with choices they made about how to live their lives. Suspenseful, it's a page-turner with a attention grabbing plot. The problem I saw, is that the story focuses on the least interesting character. As the title very clearly states, the story is less about Dr. Knowles' career choice than his wife's bedroom activites. That's also where the story goes in the wrong direction. Focusing too much on the adulterous and boring relationship between Annie and Simon, the story closely resembles romantic fiction than a moral thriller.

Riley, My Little Man

Riley
2004-2007

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,
Love leaves a memory no one can steal

Today makes it one year since Riley passed away. Because this is his day, I will not get into the specifics. I will simply write about him & what he meant to us...

On August 1, 2004 around 11pm I was working at the Orange County Fair when a customer pointed out that there was a small orange cat under the Mr. Frosty truck. It was the last night of the fair & I couldn't bear the thought of this little kitten being left to roam the midway alone. Since there were virtually no customers at my stand, I went over the the Mr. Frosty truck to let the kid behind the counter know that I was going to try to catch the kitten. He was cool with it. After about 10 minutes of coaxing, I almost had this little kitty in my hands when he bolted over the hide beneath a moving truck. I pursued & he ran again into the middle of pricker bushes. Some fair patrons & the Mr. Frosty kid saw what was going on. They helped chase the kitten right into my waiting arms, which were 3/4 of the way into the bushes. I called Joe at about 1am to let him know I was bringing a kitten back to his house.

When I got back to the house Joe was up awaiting the new arrival. While I was out of the room Riley tried to nurse off of Joe, who was laying in bed without his shirt on. That was hilarious. That first night Riley cried & sneezed all night. The next morning brought the 3 of us to the veterinarian. $700 later, we were told that he would never loose his sniffles. Other than that, we had a healthy 6 month old kitten to proudly raise.

Time passed quickly; Riley became my baby. He liked to sit on my hip & be held like a baby. This was how I usually carried him around the house. He would also sit on his hind legs & stretch his arms out. This became known as "giving huggies" & was how we knew that he wanted to be snuggled. Like any child, he liked to sleep in bed with us...and like any child, he would lay himself right between Joe & I. He always slept in the crook of my arm with his head on my shoulder or on my pillow, still keeping his head on my shoulder. Anytime I would be sad, he would come lay with me to comfort me. He never liked to see me sad & would start to try to play with me.

Because he was always congested, he would always sneeze. He covered everything in boogers. We used to joke that it was his way of marking his territory...that & leaving the remnants of my half eaten my flip flops around the apartment. When we got a faux leather computer chair for the desk, he clawed it to shreds while happily sneezing all over it.

He was a curious kitty & tried to make friends with everything. One day at Joe's parent house, Riley discovered a large snapping turtle & was fascinated with it as it made its way across the backyard. Another time he took a "vacation", disappearing for a week. I was frantically worrying about him. He turned up down the road & the family that found him said he was playing in the swap & eating frogs all week. I guess the frogs weren't as social, so he thought eating them would be better.

He had a little hanging mouse toy we got for him a few days after I brought him home. He proceeded to happily chew off it's arms, legs & part of its head. He would proudly walk around with the toy that we all referred to as "Mr. Headless-Legless Mousie". It was also the toy that we buried him with. I'm sure in heaven that toy has an infinite number of heads & legs for Riley to pop off.

Now a year after his passing, my heart still holds the pain of this loss. There are times that I still feel he is here with me. I still cry when I think about him & this morning he was the first thing that I thought about. I don't think that the pain will ever go away completly. I know that it may sound silly to some, but this was the closest that we have ever been to loosing a child. Riley was the first "baby" we ever had.

Fall TV Time...What To Watch?......

Anyone who has seen our TV list has probably figured out that most of them are mine and not Caseys. And if I wanted to add every show I even remotely watch, that list would be insanely long (surprisingly I'm not really a couch potato......I swear). During the summer it's not too bad, but now that fall is upon us, I'm gonna be in front of the boob tube almost every weeknight. So, I thought I'd just throw some stuff on here about the main shows I'll be watching.

Monday:
Prison Break- The show has been a few episodes into Season 4, and seems to be holding its own. What got me into the show when it started its first season was how they kept you guessing, and didn't make you constantly wait until the next episode to figure something out. Wentworth Miller is also a hell of an actor, while the rest of the cast is hit-or-miss. Still, the show has stepped up since last season, so I'll be keeping my eye on it.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles- I was an insane Terminator fan when I was a kid, so it didn't take much for me to get into this. Now in Season 2, the show has continued with Sarah protecting her son John from the many threats from the future. The thing I like most about this show is that it keeps with the story set by the movies, and the cast is insanely good.

Heroes- As a former comic-book-guy, I was big on superheroes. This show has a new version of that, and has managed to keep me interested. Although the number of cast members makes it hard to keep track of everything, and not all of them are interesting, the battle between good an evil more than makes up for it. I was unable to watch the premiere of Season 3, but it's on tape waiting for me.......

Tuesday:
Fringe- This show has managed to keep my attention, although I was uncertain at first. But thanks to a couple of great characters and the fact that they air it with very few commercials makes it worth my time. Also, I think this show is better than "The X-Files"........seriously, I mean that.

Wednesday:
The Ultimate Fighter- Finally, I get some kind of weekly dose of UFC. Season 8 just started last week, and it already looks like the fighters will be more promising than those of last season. I don't really care too much about the drama that they show between competitors unless it effects an upcoming fight, but they have at least one fight per episode, and that makes it worth it.

Thursday:
The Office- It's been a while since a good sitcom held my attention, but this show managed to do it. I got caught up after getting into it during the 2nd season, and now I'm just waiting for the premiere next week. A great cast and original jokes are all I need, and The Office delivers.

Sunday:
Family Guy- I can't help but enjoy this show. The laughs don't stop, as outrageous as they sometimes are, but at least they don't hold back. Lots of stand-up comedians let it all out, and now we have a cartoon that does it too. This one will have a hard time losing my attention.

Shows I Keep An Eye On:
Smallville- I'm a huge Superman fan, but this show seems to be on a decline. Hope it bounces back this season.
My Name Is Earl- The show is good, but I want to see some changes.
CSI- Watch it here and there, but now that the two characters I liked the least are gone, I may take it seriously.
The Simpsons- Found myself only interested in episodes about my favorite characters (Homer, Mr. Burns and Apu to name a few).
American Dad- Although similar to Family Guy, it holds its own.

Shows I'm Waiting For:
24- Been waiting fffffoooooooooorrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrr for my favorite show of all time to come back on. Thankfully a two-hour TV movie in November will get me hyped up.
Lost- This show just keeps me hooked, and I'm just anxious to see where the new season is gonna start.....so hurry up ABC!
Burn Notice- The show ended its 2nd season, and has continued to entertain. I'm glad they're starting again this winter rather than wait for next summer.
Nip/Tuck- This show is making it hard for me to keep watching, but I'll give it another go this season since a few characters have made it worth it.
Rescue Me- See Nip/Tuck for similar description.

Facebook Me

Yesterday I made a facebook page. I'm not really sure what to make of it at the moment. I'm trying to decide if I want to keep the thing going.
If I have anything important to tell everyone, I just put it on here. Although, with me facing the fact that I will be returning to school in January (or so).... that thingie will probably be helpful. Yes, yes I know that I need to get my Masters. I got discouraged after Mercy changed their program from being mostly online to being entirely classroom. That lead me to loaf for the past year. But enough time has been spent on my ass & now I need to get back up & get the ball rolling. So tonight I'm reviewing information from Boston University. They're program looks pretty cool, but we'll see. I requested MBA information from about 30 different schools.

UFC Fight Night Thoughts

It had been a little while since Spike TV had done a live UFC event, so of course I was looking forward to it. Some well-known fighters were on the card, and a few of the fights were too close to call. How did it go?

The first fight was between Houston Alexander and Eric Schafer. Style-wise, Schafer was likely to win, but I had some hope that Alexander had learned from his past fights since he had lost two in a row. Instead, he got submitted in the first round. Already I was disappointed. Next was a fight between Ed Herman and Alan Blecher. Belcher was my pick, but watching the fight I really thought Herman had won it. Instead, Belcher got the split-decision......so I got lucky there. Next was probably the toughest fight to call: Clay Guida vs. Mac Danzig. I liked both fighters, and I ultimately went with Danzig. As I watched the fight, I really thought Danzig had won the fight until the commentators said they thought Guida won. Guida did win, and I got a little frustrated with that considering the fight was similar to the Belcher/Herman fight. Basically, Danzig and Belcher were winning the fight while standing, but Guida and Herman were scoring takedowns. The only difference was that Guida did less once he had gotten the takedown, while Herman stayed active. Kinda wierd.

Then the main event came: Nate Diaz vs. Josh Neer. Diaz was the clear favorite, and he certainly dominated the fight; the first and third rounds were his, so it should've been a clear-cut decision. And Diaz won by......split decision? One judge actually had Neer picked as the winner. When that was announced, Neer got a strange look on his face. Luckily, the other judges picked Diaz rightfully.

I won't get into this too much, but even though the fights were actually enjoyable, the show itself was pretty bad. Other than the judges, the editing and commentating were awful (I'm really not a fan of Joe Rogan to begin with, but last night he was a complete dumbass). In the end, the fights were good, and that's all that mattered to me.

After the event, the had the season premiere of "The Ultimate Fighter," and the fights on that were actually a little more exciting. Some good prospects showed their skills, and it actually looks like they'll have some good fighters this season. We'll have to wait and see.

Note For My Patients

Please note that Concord Grape Jelly is NOT an effective substitute for contraceptive jelly. But that fact that you think it might be, suggests that you should consider a more permanent method of birth control.

Autumn Love

I've been finding myself in a state of deep thoughts lately. The changing of the season has lead to it, of this I'm sure. As the gray storm clods float overhead, I'm getting hit with the realization that another year is quickly about pass by. I guess it's time to leave the arms of summers warmth for the autumns chilly embrace.
I mentioned the other day that to battle the solemn mood that can accompany autumn, think about all the pleasant things that autumn has to offer. Below is my mini-list, but feel free to leave comments about what you love about the season.

Things to love about autumn:

1. The crisp smell
2. Pumpkins, carved or otherwise
3. Apple picking
4. Brightly colored leaves
5. That crunchy sound leaves make beneath your feet as you walk
   
6. Halloween, candy, costumes...
   
7. Candy corn~greatest form of sugar other than marshmellow peeps!
8. Thanksgiving
9. Football season
10. Football parties
    
11. Baseball post season
12. Warm days, followed by cool nights
13. That first morning "nip" in the air
14. Sweaters
15. Fall fashion season
    
16. Fireplaces~watching & smelling it
17. Hot cider
18. Bugs disappear
19. That certain sense of relaxed sense of emotions that come with the earlier evenings & the cooler days: a perfect mood for spending a relaxing weekend afternoon or evening with a few friends or a loved one drinking good red wine and listening to some good music.
    

Southern Security System

1. Go to a second hand store & buy a used pair of men's size 14-16 work boots.

2. Place them on your front porch, along with a copy of Guns & Ammo magazine.

3. Put a few giant dog dishes next to the boots and magazines.

4. Leave a note on your front door that reads:

Hey Bubba,

Me, Big Jim, Duke and Slim went for more ammunition. Back in an hour.
Don't mess with the pit bulls-they attacked the mailman this morning and messed him up real bad. I don't think Killer took part in it but it was hard to tell from all the blood. Anyway, I locked all four of 'em in the house.
Better wait outside.

'Cooter'

Autumn Days

What I have noticed most recently is the leaves. That beautiful, vibrant green of summer has begun to turn to those faint reds, golds, & oranges of fall. In a few weeks time that pale palate will change to produce an intense color that will provide a striking contrast against the bluest of skies. I believe that this year has provided us with an early autumn season. I think it really came about in August. A few things that can be found unusual occurred last month like,those "Hot August Nights" but instead, coolness tingled our skin at night...sometimes, it was considerably chilly like...like fall weather....

I know that I've previously mentioned that when I'm outside I've heard that familiar sound of a flock of Canadian Geese flying overhead. Normally we won't hear or see them until the mid-later days of autumn.

Many people that I've talked to agree that it's sure to be an early fall. According to some research that I found, we're having unseasonably strong systems moving out from Canada bringing us bouts of cold & unsettled weather, only to be followed by Canadian high pressure. I've got no idea what that really means, but I started to think back over the past several years & noticed this trend...that we get real cold right around this time, then somewhere out of left field September & October become a little on the warm side, while November & December are usually up and down, before we go into the deep hell of winter. That's been starting in January without release from it's icy grasp until early May. Then the weather we actually get in May is typical of late March or early April.

I don't know...autumn has always brought images of beauty, while bringing thoughts of sadness. Everything looks bright & alive, when in reality it's all dying. I think one way to make it through the depression is to try catching the feelings of fall. I think that this best achieved by allowing yourself to get into a relaxed & reflective mood. This will then allow for the thinking of all the pleasant things you associate with the season.

Best Friend Test

This is a fool proof best friend test-

Put your wife & your dog in the trunk of a car for an hour.
When you open the trunk, who is really happy to see you....

Joe As A Kid

You all know Joe did this at least once as a kid....

Work...Work...Work...

Things at the new office are going fine. Friday I was unintentionally thrown to the wolves with 4 doctors, downed computers, & no one was able to figure out how to turn on the Atmos machines. Despite that, everyone felt that I did very well under the pressure. At this office the doctors are actually pleasant. The office staff seems nice (thus far). I've befriended the 22 year old medical assistant. 1 of the older ladies in the office seems like she's got the potential to be a real crabby witch, but I think every office has that person in it.To tell you a bit more about my offices, there are 4 of them & they're all owned by a single female doctor. I'm currently in the Middletown office, on the 3rd floor of the new addition to the Horton Pavillion. I get a view of the NYSP & BCBS, which is actually very nice.

The down side to this job is the 1 hour 15 minute commute each way. It's supposed to be temporary until a new office is built in Port Jervis by November. That will bring my commute back to about a half hour. Right now I'm spending about $80/week in gas, which is a shock because that's what I used to spend in a month! I just have to remind myself it's not permanent.

That's about what's going on with work for me. Joe just got a $2/hour raise (yippee). He should be running jobs here in the near future. I know he's happy about it, especially because people have been getting laid off. I guess that's how they're paying for his raise.

Right now the bathroom drains are getting re-plumbed after a massive clog (not my hair, despite what they all say) backed up all the drains, including the kitchen sink. Joe's friend, Asa, is doing it. Joe just wired up his boiler, so it's an even trade on the work. Thank goodness because we wouldn't have been able to afford a plumber out of the yellow pages coming out on a weekend!

Overcome

"Overcome"
By: Live

even now the world is bleedin' but feelin' just fine
all numb in our castle where we're always free to choose
never free enough to find
i wish somethin' would break cuz we're runnin' out of time

and i am overcome
i am overcome
holy water in my lungs
i am overcome

these women in the street pullin' out their hair
my master's in the yard givin' light to the unaware
this plastic little place
is just a step amongst the stairs

and i am overcome
i am overcome
baby holy water in my lungs
i am overcome

so drive me out out to that open field
turn the ignition off and spin around
your help is here, but i'm parked in this open space
blockin' the gates of love

i am overcome
i am overcome
holy water in my lungs
i am overcome

beautiful drowning
this beautiful drowning
this holy water
this holy water is in my lungs

and i am overcome
i am overcome
i am overcome
i am overcome

R.I.P. Evan Tanner

Those who know about the UFC know who this man is. But what's interesting is what he's known for. MMA fans know that he is a former middleweight champion. People know he was the first to beat Phil Baroni, twice no less. But what he's known for is his way of life. He considered himself a poet, a writer, a philosopher....not a fighter. He worked many jobs before becoming a fighter, and had a successful career. But he never got lost in the spotlight, and enjoyed spending time out in nature. It was his way of looking for an adventure. Everything he did he considered an adventure.

The last we saw of him, he had unfortunately lost his last two fights. But as expected, he never quit either fight. That was his way. You either had to knock him out, or survive. Regardless, he had tremendous heart in the Octagon, and it showed in every fight. The fight he won to become middleweight champion was evidence of that. His opponent David Terrell locked in a very tight guillotine choke early in the first round, and held it tight. Tanner didn't tap, and didn't go out. He fought out of the hold, stayed on top of Terell, and pounded on him to force the referee to stop the fight with only a handful of seconds left in the round. In the fight community, that scene sticks out the most when remembering his career.

He was a good fighter that will be missed. He was a champion that will be remembered. He was an adventurer that will be honored. He was Evan Tanner.

First Anniversary

Today we celebrate our first wedding anniversary!

We had our romantic dinner last night at Fratelli's Italian Restraunt in Branchville, NJ. Paul & Karen gave us a gift certificate to it. What a wonderful place. The food was super yummie & I managed to eat all the huge ravioli that were piled on the plate. Joe finally got a seafood bonanza that he's been craving for ages. Watching him eat the lobster was funny. Our romantic dinner tonight was Dominos pizza with breadsticks that I picked up on the way home from work.

When I Said I Do
By Clint Black

These times are troubled and these times are good
And they're always gonna be, they rise and they fall
We take 'em all the way that we should
Together you and me forsaking them all
Deep in the night and by the light of day
It always looks the same, true love always does
And here by your side, or a million miles away
Nothin's ever gonna change the way that I feel,
The way it is, is the way that it was

When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time
Be faithful and true, devoted to you
That's what I had in mind when I said I do

Well this old world keeps changin', and the world stays the same
For all who came before, and it goes hand and hand
Only you and I can undo all that we became
That makes us so much more, than a woman and a man
And after everything that comes and goes around
Has only passed us by, here alone in our dreams
I know there's a lonely heart in every lost and found
But forever you and I will be the ones
Who found out what forever means

When I said I do, I meant that I will 'til the end of all time
Be faithful and true, devoted to you
That's what I had in mind when I said I do

Truer than true, you know that I'll always be there for you
That's what I had in mind, that's what I had in mind,
When I said I do

UFC 88 Comments

It felt like it's been forever since Casey and I saw a UFC pay-per-view. Maybe that's only because the last event we went to my cousins, and the event before we missed because our PPV service wasn't working. Anyways, this event was exciting, despite the fact that there were no title fights. The show was called "Breakthrough" because the main event fights consisted of young up-and-coming fighters taking on established veterans. Who would prevail in the end?

The first fight was between Matt Brown and Dong Hyun Kim. The fight went the distance, with Kim getting the split decision win. It was interesting to note that the commentators felt Brown had won the fight, but I knew Kim won the first and third rounds. Still had Brown picked to win, but oh well. The next was a highly anticipated fight between Nate Marquardt and Martin Kampmann. Although Kampmann was the underdog, a fair amount of people felt he could win. What was supposed to be the most exciting fight of the night instead ended with a quick first round knockout on Kampmann that Marquardt seemed to get with ease. There was another fight that didn't go my way. They showed an undercard fight between Tim Boetsch and newcomer Mike Patt, and as expected Boetsch got any easy KO in the first round. Finally, I had one fight go my way.

The first of the "breakthrough" fights was between Dan Henderson (the veteran) and Rousimar Palhares. As I predicted, the fight wasn't the best one of the night, and Henderson got the decision win. Palhares had the worst strategy, and because of Henderson's style, it made for a boring fight. But at least Henderson got a win finally. Next was a fight I was really looking forward to: Rich Franklin (veteran) vs. Matt Hamill. Though Franklin was a favorite, I was expecting Hamill to put up a fight. He did, but ultimately got TKO'd by Franklin in the third round that started with a kick to his ribs that dropped him to the mat. Good show by both, and probably the best fight of the event.

Finally was the main event between Chuck Liddell (veteran) vs. Rashad Evans. Evans was a heavy underdog, and not well liked by me because of his ego. I was really rooting for Chuck to get the KO. The first round didn't have much, even though Chuck had landed more shots to win the first round. Rashad danced around and avoided most of the strikes, but didn't get aggressive until the second round. One short melee occured, and once both pulled back, both went for a punch, Chuck with a right-hand uppercut, Rashad with an overhand right. Rashad connected first, and to the shock of the entire world, Chuck was knocked out cold before he hit the ground. My jaw dropped. Of course Rashad showed off, getting me a little more angry, but I'm not totally upset. It's just what happens sometimes.

After the event, they showed an undercard fight between Jason MacDonald and Jason Lambert. MacDonald got the submission victory in the second round, definitely improving since his fight at the last event. Also this morning, the UFC website had another undercard fight between Kurt Pellegrino and Thiago Tavares. Pellegrino got the decision win, and showed that he's definitely worth keeping around. And that was what was seen of the event.

I was left wondering a lot about what will happen in the UFC after this event. Could Liddell's career be over? Will Marquardt get another shot at Anderson Silva for the middleweight title? What the hell is going on with the light heavyweight division now that Franklin, Henderson, and Evans have moved up to the rest of the elite fighters in that weight class? Apparently Evans will get the next title shot against champ Forrest Griffin, and I'll be hoping that Forrest will keep the title away from Evans. We'll have to wait and find out.

S'more Night

As you may have realized, we have been on a bit of a s'more kick this summer. Last night we had Chris & Jen over for a little grilling session. Joe made grilled chicken & steak, while I made corn in a garlic butter. It wasn't bad for an impromptu dinner. Chris & Jen brought the beer & s'more supplies. After dinner we just hung out around the fire pit. They haven't been up to the house in months, so they were surprised by all the changes we made & all the new furniture that we got. Chris really liked the way the basement got painted, while Jen liked the look of the guest bedroom.

It was nice to catch up with them. Joe has know Chris since they were kids & he met Jen while attending college. Not long after we began dating, Joe set the 2 of them up. Now they're engaged to be married next September. Funny enough, we were the last people to find out about it! Jen told me via text message.

This morning Joe was over at Kerry & Asa's house to wire their new boiler. I stayed home & painted trim that will be put up in the guest bedroom tomorrow. Because the weather is so dreary today, I think we'll be spending the day loafing around. Rob & Lauren might come up tonight to watch the UFC PPV. I know Joe will blog about that tomorrow.

Names

Right now Orion is in the house meeting Sensei & Eclipse. All I hear is cats moaning. Lily is still safe on the porch with her babies. We've tentively named them. The black & white on is (Han) Solo....guess who named that one! The all orange one, who looks like Orion, will be named Crimson. While the other orange & white one will be named Clover because of the white clover pattern on its forehead.

Umm.... the cats are being too quiet, so perhaps I should go check on the progress we're making....

New Family

It's cute to see Lily with her new kittens. She lets me help her with them when she is feeding. If she doesn't want my help, she gently takes her paw & simply pushes my hand away while looking at me as if to say, "I can do it." Yesterday when she was eating her food, the kittens would wake up & cry. Orion would then climb by the window & cry to me until I would come out to sit by the babies. This morning Joe & I checked on the whole new family before we left for work.

Sensei & Eclipse know that something is up because we keep going onto the porch. They know about the "outside kitties", but have yet to meet. This week that will all have to change as we do gradual introductions. This ought to be fun....

Schinellar Clan Unites + A Literal Labor Day

As is customary for Labor Day, Casey and I got to go to a BBQ Sunday at my Opa's house. It was actually a nice get-together, and we were only missing two relatives out of that entire side of my family. My cousin Stephen got injured chasing a soccer ball, and ended up going to the ER to get his shoulder looked at (wouldn't be a Schinellar shindig without an injury or catastrophe of some kind). Opa was in a really good mood, and carried on like his usual self: dirty jokes, talking about Germany, and even told some stories of me when I was a kid. He also talked about the medical and retirement systems in Germany right now; now I want to move there. I have to tell one his jokes on here that I thought was good:

An priest in Ireland had married a nice young couple about a year ago. Then during his church service, he sees the couple sitting in the front row of the church. After the service, the priest goes up to them and says, "I'm so glad to see you here at church. But I noticed that you have not had any children yet."
"Well, we've been making attempts to have children, but for some reason we can't," the wife responds.
The priest says, "Alright then, I have a trip planned to go to the Vatican in Rome tomorrow. While I'm there, I will light a candle for you, and prey every night while I'm there."
The couple thank the priest, and the next day the priest goes to the Vatican. He keeps his promise by lighting a candle, and praying constantly.
Ten years later, the priest is conducting service, and he sees just the wife and seven children; two sets of twins, and a set of triplets. After service, the priest goes up to the wife and says, "I'm so glad that you were finally able to have children, and that the prayers have been answered. But where is your husband?"
The wife replies, "Oh, he left for the Vatican a couple of days ago to go blow out the candle."

Anyways, today is actually Labor Day, and the pregnant stray cat we call Lily decided to give the holiday a whole new meaning. She gave birth to three kittens this morning, two orange colored, and one black and white. I'll let Casey do the updates on them as they grow up. Lily is doing fine, and they're all getting comfortable. We'll keep you posted.

Stress

I was wondering about stress responses today. Everyone has some odd bodily expression of stress. For example, the corner of my upper right eyelid involuntarily twitches when I'm under incredible pressure. I became aware of it during my days at Mount Saint Mary College. The other thing that happens to me if I bottle too much inside, I pop the blood vessels in my eyes. It's really uncomfortable, in case you're wondering.
You all know how adorably mellow my husband is, so when I posed the question, "So, what reaction do you have?", I was surprised. Apparently when he finally does reach his breaking point (didn't know he had one) the corner of his right nostril twitches. I've never seen it. Then again, he's never seen my eyelid either.

So, what reaction do you have????

With Sympathy

Let me say to Leslie, Aunt Julia, & Uncle John that our hearts go out to you during this tough time. Miss Frances was a wonderful lady.

I'm With the Band

Last night was the Little Big Town concert. The group formed in 1998 & has the same 4 members now as it had back then. They are, Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads Schlapman, Jimi Westbrook, & Phillip Sweet. The band's musical style is dominated by four-part vocal harmonies, that allows for all 4 members to alternate as lead singer.

But, back to the start of our time at the fair grounds. We parked over by the stables & told Mandy to go to the main gate. Well, she ended up parking by the 4H gate. We were playing phone tag while Mom, Kelsey, & I were trying to find her. After 30 minutes, we did & then we wandered around the fair grounds for about 2 hours before the concert. Mom got us really good seats. We were in the 11th row back, centered with the stage & on the aisle.

Producer Dave from WRWD, was there to kick off the show, as he does that for every single country concert that comes to the area. In the beginning the had all the former & current military, police, firefighters & EMS personnel stand up for the crowd to give their thanks via applause. I thought that was really nice. Mandy was looking at me to stand up. I didn't, but I still applauded everyone else.

The concert lasted about 1.5 hours. Mandy went to the front of the stage with Kelsey, who got 2 autographs on a piece of paper & got mom's cowboy hat autographed. That was pretty cool. You can check out all the pictures on flickr. I'm sure that at her age she was in complete awe of being that close to the band.


I'm With the Band lyrics:

Last night in Memphis
Tonight in New Orleans
Tomorrow I’ll be miles from here
Ain’t nothing to me, nothing to me

Sweet gypsy highway
Won’t you let me chase my dream
Cause I got a song to take me there
And it’s something to see, something to see

Lord I was born with a suitcase in my hand
Living in a life that few could understand
Sometimes it gets so confusing that I don’t know where I am
But I always know who I’m with
I’m with the band

Cheap whiskey midnight
Another round with my friends
Watching the world through the windshield
And we’re rolling again, rolling again

Lord I was born with a suitcase in my hand
Living in a life that few could understand
Sometimes it gets so confusing that I don’t know where I am
But I always know who I’m with
I’m with the band

Oh Lord I was born with a suitcase in my hand
Living in a life that few could understand
Sometimes it gets so confusing that I don’t know where I am
But I always know who I’m with
I’m with the band

Last night in Memphis
Tonight in New Orleans
Tomorrow I’ll be miles from here
Ain’t nothing to me, nothing to me