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I can report that I worked on my garden, got some reading done and never once touched my knitting. (Oh well. Back to being behind in my KAL afghan again.)
On Sunday, I did my Bible study through the mail.
Did you know that elves get depressed? I didn't realise they have self help books about greiving when your elfin soulmate kicks the bucket (thimble?), yet I'm holding one in my hands. According to this book, elves go to church. Who knew?
This is Ozarks Acre. I'm not sure what the dealio is with it right now, because every other day there was frigging rain. It washed the dirt off the seeds. Then I'd cover them again. Then more rain, so I'm not sure whether the seeds croaked from all the water. *sigh* I bought the tomato saplings (near the flag in back) at WalMart, so I'm sort of okay with them surviving the crap weather.
Then there was the day I saw this magical golden ball hanging off the railing near our door. I couldn't get close to it (trash can in the way), so I couldn't tell if it was a honeycomb/wasp nest, or some weird clump of birdseed/birdpoop, some sort of tree thing. I leaned as close as I could to take the picture. Then I gave it a light puff of air...
...and a kajillion little baby spiders went all over the place. It was friggin' awesome to watch. I only wish the camera had a better focus of when they went in every direction. (It doesn't do well with close ups.)
Speaking of not doing well, I HATED the end of the last House. To go with the Hollywood Happy Ending made me wanna puke. Never mind House was on a floor on fire, not able to leave earlier because when he opened a door, he was trapped, but somehow after the roofs falls in front of him and there's a massive explosion on the floor he's on, he simply says he went out the back. Ah, yes. Because while wasted on drugs, inhaling carbon monoxide, hallucinating almost the entire cast, you can somehow book it WITHOUT A CANE to the back door that's an inferno worse than the one you're in and can survive. And ride off into the sunset with your best buddy to enjoy his lest months on earth. Presumably with a new cane. So you cheapen the entire episode of being suicidal and going through with it so you don't have to watch your friend die by saying, "I can change!" at the last minute and survive the impossible. UGH.
Yes, House has pulled that shit before, but that's when he's doing something for reasons others aren't aware of. People think he's dying of cancer, when really he just wants to get a good buzz from a drug trial. People think he's jumping off a balcony despairing over his breakup with Cuddy, when he's actually cannonballing into the hotel pool. But this episode is different, because we're with him the whole time and KNOW where his mind's at. You can argue that this is a homage to Sherlock Holmes' death/comeback tour from the Falls. Except that only happened when readers got pissed that Conan Doyle offed Holmes and so he wrote Holmes back to shut up/please the fanboys.
I want to hurt the ending of this show, is all I'm saying. I want it to feel the hurt I feel.
I spent a good part of the week readin House and Philosophy. Think of it as philosophy for dummies. It takes different types of philosophies and applies them to situations/characters from the show. There are tons of this series. Most of them are about tv shows, but some are about books and hell, one is about Metallica!
Then again, this is true of every teenager in history who wears black because it's cool/shows they have a shit life/are original, just like every other teenager in history who's worn black.
Since he was going 60 MPH and didn't even have a second to react to what happened, he got shipped to Charelton hospital in Fall River. Long story short, he was bleeding from the head and I saw the big gash (directly in the back of his head). His back, chest, side was killing him, but that's kind of expected. At least he was coherent, aware of his surroundings. The doctor shows up, jabs him with what looked like 12 feet long needles for numbing, then does't even wait for the meds to take effect before she staples his gash shut, one staple right after the other. The boy was in massive pain, and how he didn't scream in agony, I dunno. After that, hey said he was fine to go home (I mean, they gave him some meds, but otherwise, yeah. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.)
When Brother & Lady Fair went to check out his car a few days later to get what they could salvage, Lady fair took pics with her phone. The car is a frigging mess. The hood is this upward bent triangle. Stuff from inside the car were hanging out like vital organs after a sword ran it through. The engine was go longer where the engine should be. They discovered what they believe caused the gash on his head - a piece of metal from the air bag that's no supposed to move broke in half. They think the other half swung around his head and bashed him when the air bag deployed. Basically, Brother is beyond lucky to be still alive. Lady Fair says he was wearing a shirt of Da's, so Da was watching out for him. Based on the condition of the car, I'd have to agree.
This was the key in the ignition.
It's been a long, painful and extremely boring time for Brother this past week. There's only so much recouping you can do before you get cabin fever. But at least his has his humor about him. He can walk, doesn't have brain damage and most of all, isn't dead, which Ma says is her best Mother's Day gift.
Me, Ma & Brother, Mother's Day.
Ma, Brother & Lady Fair, Mother's Day.
Me, Brother and Lady Fair, Mother's Day
- Mood:
grateful
Complete 6 activities.
While walking in the woods with Rory the Wonder Dog recently, we came across this rock wall circle against a hill. The suburb I live in (built in the mid sixties, which is why our streets are called by wild west names, even tho this is New England) was once a farm. There's a patch of wood behind my house, nothing deep. You could walk out of it in two minutes or less, which leads you to a big open field. Housing and the Navy are beyond it.
Yet there's this deal. We have a lot of old, decripid historical cemetaries around here. Since Rory jumped the wall, I followed, to see if there were any slate gravestones to be found. None. It's not a well. It does have a small opening, though (whatever door that might have been there, long gone). You wouldn't store grain there. I think it might have been an animal pen. With the low wall, it could be perfect for pigs. Not so much chicken or goats, but pigs, yeah, I could see them using it as a pig pen. What it was, I have no idea and no idea how to find out.
Regardless, I've needed a brush, because a comb and the snarls I've been fighting are not a happy match. So I said, "What the hell, let's do the shopping adventure today" and bought the following.
This brush was about $4.50, one of the cheapest ones there that had a flattened brush head. Most of them were curved, and I have enough problems without having my hair get stuck on a curve's brush. Ooo, it's brushed my hair wonderfully.
It took forever to find something I've never had before and could use in ailse 18, which was mostly expensive makeup (got plenty, thanks, without the hefty price), hair styling products (don't need moose, thanks), or insane priced creams to make you look forty years younger (yeah, right). However, they had chapstick, which I needed, in a brand I've never had before. It was $2.50 (which to me is expensive), came in the flavors cranberry orange, strawberry or peach, and has the delightful touch of having a brand name that gives me an earworm ("Suck My Kiss").
Only problem with this is it has no smell or taste at all. I mean, on the good side, it's not over waxy or slimy, but when you can practically jam the thing up your nose (which twists at the top, which is weird) and not smell anything, that's a big minus for this brand. Go with the cheapo chapstick that has an obnoxious candy flavor. (My favorite type is the Cinnabon chapstick.)
We watched "Missing Granny" and "Bumps His Head". Found out which episode started the yo-yo think with Stottlemeyer (that would be "The Captain's Marriage") and watched that as well. I read the mystery game I made out for the 'Fest/online Monkies. For the months of aggrivation it took me to translate that game to make it Monk related (it originally was about super heroes) and write/print out all the cards, clues, etc, my memory of the game seemed to make it go on for hours. In reality, reading it was wikkid short. Still, I giggled at a couple of personal digs at jerks I knew once, now immortalized in the game. Best. Revenge. Ever.
Still, this left me with a lot of blank time to kill, so I started reading Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu (yet another story dealing with a Union strike!), as that was one of the prizes offered at MonkFest 2007. The prize was it would be autographed by Lee Goldberg, which he obviously couldn't do until someone won. There's a whole side story to that which, of you know me, leads me to bone crushing reality, and I'd like to pretend I'm enjoying myself for a change, even if it's only for three days.
Thanks for hanging around at my MonkFest 2007 Revisited.
We then proceeded to do the Yo Yo Contest. Neither one of us were good at it. I couldn't even get it back into my hand. But considering the string for the yo-yo was taller than Ma - and she's 5 foot even - I'm surprised we could accomplish anything with it.
First up, Me in my Normal, Illinois sweatshirt Lee gave me. Hopeless at yo-yoing, but having fun.
Then Ma, equally hopeless. She had better memory of the yo yo flipping technique. She said she used to do Around the World possibly, but our living room at a 5 foot stringed yo yo is not a good combonation.
This is my "foot wine", as I don't care for wine and couldn't drink it anyway. And yes, I did it correctly. I stood by myself in the dark on the side steps and did the Five Steps. See, Swirl, Sniff, Sip and Spit. Spit that stuff into the holly bush next to the step's railing. It was a bizarre experience. Almost religious. Like doing some weird ceremony that no one remembers the origin of, but people do it every year, anyway. An odd peacefulness to it. Not sure what that means.
The original MonkFest 2007 went to a diner for lunch and then an English restaurant for dinner, where Lee claimed the steak was good. We can't afford all of that. Lucky for us, our kitchen dining set is red and white 50's diner table & booths. With Coca Cola table stuff. To add the English restaurant portion, we cooked a (very) old frozen steak and I made Yorkshire Pudding.
During the salad eating, I had a suddenly friendly furry friend. I should mention she's a junkie for lettuce and carrots.
Then we ended the meal with an English sweetie, the Mars bar. It's basically what we in the States would call a Milky Way. Still space related. *shrug*
The day was capped off with watching the pilot for "Stark Raving Mad". Neil Patrick Harris is pretty much playing either Niles Crane on crack or a proto Monk. I smile at the fact that I've now seen two people from "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" on Tony Shalhoub television shows in one day. Where's Nathan Fillon? The show seemed a little lame, trying to hard to establish characters and how "wacky" they are. Tony Shalhoub's character is built up to be this frightening guy that no one can stomach for long, but once his character shows up, looking like a Freddie Mercury reject, you start to worry. Really? Playful sword fighting makes people run in fear? The only thing going for it is NPH, who sometimes is over the top characature, but other times hits the funny mark dead one.
After that, it was time to go to bed, with Ma wishing me a "Happy MonkFest". Good night, fellow Monkies.
- Mood: cheerful
Very long and boring story about looking for a new pair of glasses. I am allergic to metal and am sick of constantly painting the metal parts that rub agaist my temples with nail polish so my flesh doesn't rot. So I was looking for plastic frames that aren't too hideous. I also have eyesight like Mr. Magoo, so when I try on frames, I can't see a damned thing. Ma suggested bringing my camera, so she could take a photo of me wearing the frames. Then I could put my glasses on, look at the photos and see what I like best. The last one I call "Milton Burle Glasses", cos cripes, those glasses are huge! I eventually chose the frames on the bottom left.
Once home, we started cooking pizza, as there was a pizza party that night. While Ma was making a salad, I noticed how uneven her slacks were, and how that would make Monk cringe. We then sat down to shows mentioned in the 2007 rules. Except first I made the declaration, "I find this MonkFest 2007 Revisited to be well and truely open! Or something!" Then started the movie and chow.
As there were no episodes on tv - therefore making it "preempted" - we watched the Series Five season finale (Goes to the Hospital). Still felt bad for Randy, having his idea shot down but then everyone believes it a few minutes later when Monk says it. DAMNED RIGHT, Randy. It IS the same thing. I will defend Disher until people understand that he's not an idiot. He knows that Monk thinks out of the box and his weird theories are always right in the end. So he tries to do that too, to show Stottlemeyer he's just as capable of Monk, but everyone laughs at him instead. I feel ya, buddy.
Then came the in between House show. I looked it up on line, so I knew which episode would have rerun on USA Network that day. It was "Half Wit", guest starring Dave Matthews. As Ma put it, "Dave Matthews, like The Dave Matthews Band?" "Yes, Ma. AND the ice cream!" This episode wins 100 internet points for playing the beginning of "I Don't Like Mondays" twice. Yes, I clapped at the part. I owned a Boomtown Rats album as a teen. I qualify. I find it funny odd how one of the story lines is House sneaking about to get accept at a hospital in Boston to treat his brain cancer (except seemingly everyone on the planet knows his secret and won't leave him alone). Just odd that this would air at the same weekend Lee offhanded mentioned getting chemo "again" to people at MonkFest, but never brought that up with me, ever.
The next Monk episode was an up for grabs season 5 episode, so we chose the Garbage Strike episode, as it has so many scenes that make us laugh our asses off. There's the insane "Alice Cooper killing someone for a chair" theory (Ma like Alice Cooper), the burning the whole town and starting it up again with a "new town smell" suggestion, the microchip processor room scene, the Whisper Corner ("AW, HELL!") scene... they go on and on in this episode. Fun for all!
MonkFest 2006 and 2007 blogs with photos
MonkFest 2007 Souvenir Totebag Sign Up
So I'm thinking about recreating some of what happened then, for the five year anniversary. A lot I can't do, as it involved Michael Shahloub, which I don't seem to have hidden in a draw somewhere. But the following is the activities list, minus some people's full names and condo numbers, for obvious reasons.
MONKFEST 2007
Friday, March 9th
(ALL TIMES ARE Central Standard)
4:00 pm to 4:45 pm
Check In To Treeloft Condo Units AT Lee’s Condo Unit
(Please, NO early check-ins as the Treetop Village cleaning crew and staff won’t be finished with cleaning and preparing condo units for us until 4:00 pm.)
(Michael Shalhoub will be checking into The Lodge of The Four Seasons Resort Hotel.)
5:00 to 7 pm
Meet and Greet other Monk fans and our special actor guest, Michael Shaloub! (Light refreshments and snacks will be available.)
7 pm to 8 pm
Pizza Hut Pizza Party Supper with soda pop, potato chips, and other snacks; includes meeting our guest, Michael!
8 pm to 9 pm
Watch MONK repeat episode on USA Network Cable TV (If this repeat is preempted, we will watch a videotape pf the MONK Season 5 finale). Soda pop, popcorn, and other snacks and drinks will be served.
9 pm to 10 pm
Discussion of the MONK episode viewed, and the parts or dialogue we liked best (Michael included!)
10 pm to 11 pm
Watch HOUSE on USA or take a bathroom or stretch break to prepare for the second showing of the MONK episode.
11 pm to midnight
RE-WATCH the MONK episode (if pre-empted, a videotape of some other Season 5 MONK episode from USA Network will be shown!)
Midnight
Retire to your Treetop Village Treeloft condo unit to hit the hay! (Ralph and Diana will drive Michael back to the hotel.) Or, for those night owls among us, such a group can gather in the Treetop Condo Unit living room to view other MONK episodes, Tony Shalhoub series, or feature films of his while looking at other fans’ Monk or Tony Shalhoub items, photos, etc. as they continue to decorate Unit into a Monk/Tony gallery of collectables!!
Midnight or beyond
HIT THE HAY!!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
8am to 9am
Breakfast in assigned condo units: coffee (w/dry creamer), tea, hot chocolate or soda pop along with dry cereal, milk, sugar and such are available gratis in condo unit’s kitchen.
10 am
Unit # - The Stottlemeyer (Trick) Yo Yo Contest will be held - with gag prizes awarded to the best and worst yo-yo-ers!! (Stottlemeyer type yo-yos ARE in your Souvenir MONKFEST 2007 Tote Bags which you picked up when you checked in Friday night at Condo! Special Prize for person who can skip rope (as Monk does in the perfect world Monk USA Network promo) as they yo-yo AND play jacks 9all equipment for this special division can also be found IN your MonkFest 2007 Souvenir Tote Bags)!
11 am to 12:30 pm
Michael Shalhoub talks about his roles in MONK episodes and what it’s like out on location (Ned the Beekeeper) filming vs. on the set (Ronnie the ex-Weatherman radical type who now teaches grad school courses in English and creative writing). Fan questions and Michael’s answers included.
12:30 pm to 1:35pm
LUNCH with Michael Shalhoub at Fazolli’s Deli (about a mile or so down the road from Treetop Village) with great and very reasonable lunch selections! Fans and Michael can ask questions about anything from The Ozarks to the TONS of snow Colorado got this winter! Kick back, relax, eat lunch and chat!!
1:45 pm to 2:45 pm
Michael Shalhoub discusses and illustrates how “an actor prepares” for T roles (such as on MONK) vs. film roles (SILVER CITY & MADE-UP) vs. live theater roles (Taratuff)… Short scenes from each medium greatly appreciated, Michael!
2:45 pm to 3:45 pm
Questions for Michael Shalhoub about being an actor, the long road to even becoming an actor, what background is a good one to have for acting (besides some talent)..
3:45 pm to 4:45 pm
Break - stretch, walk around, go to the bathroom…
4:50 pm to 5:30 pm
Barefoot Wine Cellars Barefoot Wine Tasting. Unsing the “Monk Gets Drunk” Five S’s of Wine Tasting - INCLUDING SPITTING!! Sparkling Grape juice and water will be available…
At 5:45 PM we will leave Treetop Village and drive to Benton’s Fine English Restaurant (with Michael) for a great dinner (steaks are done to order and the service in great!) including superb nightly specials…
8 pm to 11 pm
Returning to Condo Unit videos (and DVDs) of shows, films or series Tony Shalhoub has been in will be screened followed by reactions, impressions and discussion of seeing Tony Shalhoub as Ian Stark in the “Stark Raving Mad” sit-com: as Antonio in “Wings,” or as any film character he’s ever portrayed…
11 pm
HIT THE HAY! Late Night Owls may wish to continue viewing Tony’s series, films, or MONK episode portrayals IN CONDO UNIT living room…
MIGHTNIGHT OR BEYOND
HIT THE HAY!
Sunday, March 11th
Please remember to set your clocks and watches ONE HOUR AHEAD when you go to bed Saturday night or early Sunday morning as we spring forward into Daylight Saving Time at 2 am Sunday morning (or you will be an hour late for things!)!!
8 am to 10 am
Breakfast in UNIT kitchen, gratis
10am - 12:30 pm
Come prepared to play THE MONK STYLE MURDER MYSTERY GAME, written especially for MonkFest 2007!! We at MonkFest 2007 will be playing against an on-line group of players from our USA Net MONK Bboard (hosted by Twinrogers online) to see who/which group can solve the murder mystery first and correctly!! Michael Shalhoub will participate and be the person TO READ/ANNOUNCE The Solution to Who Done IT, why and how!!! Certificates Awarded to ALL MonkFest 2007 Monk Fans who correctly Solve it!! WE will find out which group placed first and correctly on Tuesday (after MonkFest has ended) when Spinner and Twinrogers post all the details and winners! On-line players who get the solution right will be awarded on-line Certificates they can down-load, save, and brag about!!
1 pm to 2:30 pm
Quick Lunch At Either Denny’s or Wendy’s
3:00 pm to 3:34 pm
The determination of The Monk Fan Charity Auction Items’ Winning Bidders!! Formulation and writing of PMs and e-mails (to be PMed or e-mailed to winners by Diana) to THE LUCKY Winners with info on how to pay, when payments are due, and where to send them (NOT TO WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY SENT BIDS)!
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Michael Shalhoub: The Man and The Legend! Other jobs Michael has had, his big break, his stand up comedy routines and what it takes to do what Michael does - act!! Fan questions answered.
6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Dinner At The Horney Toad Restaurant
9 pm to 11 pm
MONK Episode Viewing (our favorites) in Condo Unit - and will include one of Michael’s two (either “Missing Granny” or “Monk Bumps His Head”)
11 pm to midnight
Discussion of MONK episodes viewed and/or watch more MONK/Tony shows - Then Hit The Hay!
1 am
Hit The Hay Already!
As I'm labeled "higher functioning" compared to some of the others there, they just expect me to be a genius for some reason. (If you knew how many times I have just typed the word "genius" - "genous" "genious" "geneous" - you'd realise I'm not.) But they are a perky people who look only on positives, which I suppose works for most of the clients, but I do not dig fake cheeriness and platitudes. You will get less out of me, trying to build me up in such a manner. These are the same people who consider me a "computer expect" merely due to the fact that I know how to go online or type a letter, and insisted I should teach others.
So for reasons unknown, K.M. has decided I should figure out a craft - "Go online and find something! I know you can!!!" (groan...) - and then, even though I know nothing about crafts and she's the self admitted craft lover, she decides I SHOULD TEACH THE CLASS. Do what, now?!
We went to the Christmas Tree Shop to get craft ideas (I guess because the craft stores are too commercial?). She sees things and explodes into millions of ideas. I just stare at everything and think, "Everything's already made. What the hell are we doing here?" She babbles about a hundred Easter ideas, and I said I didn't look for any online, because not everyone at Riverwood is of the same denomination, and it's damned rude to make Jewish people do Christian holiday stuff and not make any Jewish holiday stuff as well. She lowly said, "You're right". A second later, she's talking about how to make wreaths with colored eggs or carrots & bunnies. *facepalm*
She kept pestering me for ideas, and I don't have any. I kept telling her, "I'm a knitter, not a crafter. I don't know ANYTHING about crafting." She talks about stuff to use for crafts and different methods and all I can give her is this blank face, because I seriously do not understand a frigging thing she's talking about. And now she wants me to teach it?
Pray for Jojo.
- Mood:
indescribable
Employee: Yeah! Have you seen "Buried"?
Me: I haven't seen it yet. It's on my Netflix list. I heard it's really good.
Employee: Yeah! It's really suspenseful! Aww! Except that (tells us the ending).
Me: Blank stare
- Mood:
aggravated
