HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Welcome back! I hope Santa was good to anyone reading this. My Christmas was well spent eating good food, playing wii and loading up my new ipod with the family. I am now back at work and lack the motivation to do anything. I just keep thinking, that starting tomorrow afternoon I get another super long weekend and I'm ready to get started now. I think next year I may just take the week between the holidays off, just for kicks.

Anyway, I'm a little sad this year as it seems that the annual New Year's gala with all my friends will not be taking place for the first time. It seems very, very strange. I missed a couple of the parties when I was away at school, but other than that, every New Years for the last 13 years have been spent with essentially the same core group of people. It is going to be extremely odd not to be with them this year. So to any and all reptilian friends, have a happy and safe New Year. Same to anyone else who may be reading this as well.

Until next time -
~Shel

Holiday Reruns...

Ok, so I know I posted some (or all) of these last year, but they are funny! So enjoy them again this year. It's almost noon, on Christmas Eve, so of course, I am heading out to do my Christmas shopping... I know, I know, I said I wouldn't do that anymore, but really this year I only need a couple of things, I did get most of my shopping done early - I swear!

Wish me luck. The roads such and I already lost control of my car once today, luckily I was stopped by the curb and snow bank. My car's ok, I think, but it has reinforced my dislike of snow. Stupid snow and rain and ice.

So, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!! I hope you have a fun, safe and fantastic Christmas!

Until next time -

~Shel

Ho, Ho, Ho!!!

So, when I got back to the office the other day, this is what was waiting for me. Yep, that's right, I got a personal visit from Santa. I knew he was real!!! Ha - my big brothers tried to tell me Santa was a fake, but I always secretly believed and it all paid off on Friday! WOOHOO! Of course, he said he was coming by because he noticed that I had been very naughty this year, but I had to set him straight and tell him that his expectations were too high when he puts so many temptations in my path... I guess we will see if he agreed on Thursday.

I will be spending Christmas with the family. I always love seeing everyone open their gifts, especially the little ones. I stay over at my big brothers house and sleep in the living room by the Christmas tree, so I get to witness the first reactions to all the presents being under the tree. It's very awesome. Then we will open gifts, have great food and have some quality time.

A big o' congratulations to the Jones' who welcomed the newest edition to the family this morning. I'm happy to report that Mom, Dad and baby are doing great. Baby is gorgeous. Congrats guys!

I am greatly looking forward to my super long weekends both this one and next. I really need a break from work. The economy is hitting our office hard and it is increasingly difficult to remain positive and not freak out, but I'm working on it. Actually, I am going to ignore it until next year, since there's nothing to be done until then and do my best to enjoy the coming holidays.

I hope everyone has happy, fun and safe holidays. I look forward to seeing you all in the coming weeks.

Until next time -

~Shel

WOOHOO!

My new Blackberry Storm is here! My new Blackberry Storm is here!!! Now, if only I knew how to use it...

Happy Friday!

Until next time -
~Shel

You've Lost that Christmas Feeling...

Has anyone else noticed that it doesn't really feel much like Christmas this year? It's only 14 days away, but I'm not feeling it. I've noticed a lot of people have forgone their Christmas trees. I did that last year, but bought a 3.5 foot tree last January to use this year. The 7 foot tree is just too big in my place, so now I have a nice alternative. I decorated it on Black Friday and have spent a few lovely evenings in front of the fire with the Christmas lights on, but still, I'm just not feeling it. I even tried listening to Christmas music at the office the other day to no avail. Hmmm...

I am going to watch Polar Express with my SIL and nieces tomorrow - hopefully that will help! I hope you all are feeling much more Christmasy than I. Peace out.

Until next time -

~Shel

Turkey-Turkey!

So, I'm a couple of days late, but Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday.  We made a quick run down to the hometown for some family fun, then back to the 'burbs for more turkey. 

And of course, because we are crazy, my partner in crime and I went out for some Black Friday shopping.  We skipped the 5 a.m. crowds this year and headed out a little later (ok, I admit it, I overslept until 7:30).  And because we are silly, our first stop was to Target where Psych Season 2 was on sale for $14.  Yay Psych!!!!!  By our third stop, we were completely slap happy and tried sharing the fun & love with the cashier at Borders, but she did not find us nearly as amusing as she should have... I don't know what was wrong with her, we were hilarious.  By mid-afternoon, I was ready to collapse, so I came home and put up my little christmas tree.  It's so cute!

Saturday was a baby shower (congrats K & B!) and then more shopping, or window shopping I should say.  I had plans for today, but when I woke up and saw the icky weather, I ditched the plans, lit a fire and had a Lord of the Rings marathon in between cooking meals for the week.  It was nice, but I forgot how long those movies are and I only watched two of them.

AND, I've still got tomorrow off work as well!  WOOHOO!  I love making long weekends longer.  Well, that's it for now.  I hope everyone had a great weekend and braves the weather well.

Until next time -
~Shel 

Happy Friday

I was hoping to have a fun post today, but I'm in a crappy mood, so you get this...

Until next time -
~Shel

Friday Fun & Games!

This video proves the adage, it's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, then it's freakin' hilarious! I hope everyone has had a good week. Mine's been nuts, but hey, nothing unusual about that. After a long, stressful week, I think it's best to unwind with some silliness, and since I rule this blog, I've declared it Fun & Games Friday!!! WOOHOO!

If only that meant that I got to blow off work for the rest of the day... Anyway, not much happening outside of work here. My SIL and I took the nieces to see High School Musical 3 last Friday - that was a hoot. The girls had such a good time.

In other news, I am desperately trying to deny that winter is almost upon us. I have yet to turn on the heat, but I have fired up the fireplace a couple of times. The benefit of living on the 2nd floor in a tiny apartment is that when the neighbors turn on their heat, it warms up in my place too. Score! This weekend is supposed to be pretty chilly, so I'm guessing my fireplace will earn it's keep, because I refuse to turn on the heat until December - I. Refuse. I ran the heat last May it was so freakin' cold, that I just cannot bring myself to do it now.

Anyway, enough about depressing subjects - time for more fun!

And you thought Sea World was a family place..

Have a great weekend!

Until next time -
~Shel

Rockin' the Vote

I may have mentioned here before that I enjoy a good political debate and once upon a time, the election season was great fun for me.  However, the 2000 election and beyond have really been nothing but painful.  Even today, as I cast my vote, I did not cast it for the person best fit for the job, or even a candidate I could get remotely excited about.  Today I once again cast my vote for the lesser of two evils.  I do not believe either candidate will make an effective leader and believe both are disasters waiting to happen, each in their own special way.

Today's election is indeed historical, we will either have our first black President or our first female Vice President.  I just wish I could be excited by the prospect of either taking office.  I believe there are better black and female candidates for both of the jobs. 

On a positive note, I have been very excited to see the amount of involvement in this election process, as compared to the past.  My good friend K, who has never voted (for which I give her a hard time whenever possible) is voting for the first time!  YAY K!  It's also fun to see my nieces learning about the process as well - they totally do not understand, but they do understand that they are "rooting" for one candidate, which the oldest (5) told me on Saturday.  My friends and I have debated the issues and candidates more than any other election I can remember.  In that respect I have enjoyed this election much more than the 2000 or 2004 seasons. 

So, whichever candidate you support and whatever your ideas are, get out there and vote!  I hope your polling place has the "I Voted" stickers, because mine did not, and that made me a little sad... 

Until next time -

~Shel

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Hidy ho there neighbors.  Just a quick post tonight as I have miles to go before I rest, but I had to take a moment to blog about my day.  I got to the office this morning, actually it was getting close to noon, when my boss comes in and says let's go the the Sox game.  Now, those who know me well know that I have little to no interest in sports.  I always enjoy when one of the hometown teams are going for a championship, but I generally do not watch or go to games. 

So, my boss and a couple of my co-workers take off to go to the 1:05 p.m. game.  I do not do very well when I am bored and have nothing to do.  My schedule is always packed, so when there's nothing going on it does not set well.  So you can imagine how much fun I was having with a 3 hour rain delay.  Finally the rain stopped and we went to our seats... courtesty of the former govenor, right by the dugout.  I was sitting close enough that I could have leaned out and grabbed Ken Griffey, Jr.'s butt, or Ozzie's or well, any of the Sox players.  I was sitting so close I actually heard Ozzie drop the f-bomb when he had some loser ejected from the game. 

It was a pretty good time, then the Tiger's walked three players and Ramirez came out with a freakin' grand slam!  It was awesome!  We all had a really good time and it was a great game to see, especially so up close and personal.  So now the Sox have to win a tie-breaker tomorrow and then they will be in the playoffs  The Cubs already have a seat in the playoffs, so it should be an interesting post-season for us Chicagoans. 

Well that's it, I just had to share my good day.  It was completely spontaneous and fun.  We do not have enough days like that as adults, just as Kath said as I was waffling on whether to go or stay at the office and get work done, life's too short.  Enjoy your day!

Until next time -

~Shel

I Don't Wanna Be Political Energy...

Hi, my name is Shel and I am so tired of watching the candidates and their camps blame the other guy for the current economic conditions. Like either individual could have changed anything by themselves. But more than that, stop blaming people and work together to find a way to fix the problems. I am no economist (but I play one on tv), but it seems to me that the market is cyclical, we will go through periods of growth and periods of downturns.

In the 1990's we experienced a period of growth; however, I believe this growth was exaggerated by the influx of securitized transactions. We were essentially using credit to secure credit. Unfortunately this led to lax lending standards and unscrupulous people (both consumers and vendors) took advantage of the situation. People who should not have taken out mortgages or credit were able to obtain credit. People overextended themselves and the lenders let them.

We live in the age of entitlement and everyone seems to believe that they are entitled to own a house and drive a Lexus, even if they cannot afford it. I see it all the time in my line of work. There were financial people who were unregulated and consumers who did not take the time to understand their finances or ever really think of the consequences of their actions, which led to people living on borrowed time. Well, the markers have come due and somehow people seem shocked that they cannot afford the $300,000.00 in credit on their $40,000.00 per year income. Imagine that.

So now these markers (home loans, car loans, credit cards, student loans, etc) are due and no one can pay, which means the lenders do not have the money to make new loans or investments, which creates a stalemate. The lenders have started going out of business, the industries that they cater to (automobiles, consumer products, real estate) have decreased sales because no one has cash or access to credit; therefore, the business begin to shut their doors and lay off employees. This means that there are many people with even less cash to pump into the economy than before and they begin defaulting on their obligations. It's a cycle that can only be broken by some form of action. Some influx of cash into the economy so that people can resume purchasing services and/or goods, which will create demand for jobs, and so on. The cycle then begins to move toward growth.

This exaggeration of the growth period has led to an exaggerated downfall. But something needs to happen to bring cash flow into the system. Without an influx of cash, our economy will continue to fall. We will all pay for this influx, whether it is in the form of increased taxes from the $700 billion dollar bailout or through more and more people on welfare, we are going to pay for it. I think everyone knows that I am no friend of George W. Bush. I think he is a horrible president. He is not a leader, but I was out voted twice (once really, but that's another argument). Last night as I watched his address to the nation, I think it was the first time I felt anything more than animosity towards him. Now is an awful time to be a bad leader. Right now we need someone that can inspire us, someone that quells the fear we feel while watching our retirement funds flushed down the toilet and our incomes dwindle as the cost of everything increases. I do not know who that leader is, but I am quite certain it is not McCain or Obama.

So while I feel a little queasy watching the news regarding the bailout and I am certain I will be quite angry when I feel the effects of the increased taxes, I know that something must be done to boost the economy. What I want now is for one of our "leaders" to stand up and say in no uncertain terms that the money the government borrows from me to bailout the market will be returned to me on certain terms, that safeguards will be put into place so that we do not need to do this again five years from now, and that regardless of political party, what is really important is the security (financial and otherwise) of the American people. AND I want them to stick to their statements. I want to be able to believe in our system again.

I find it quite funny that the government is using Bill Clinton to reassure the American people. You may have noticed the President on several news programs in the last week talking about the economy and election. While I know this is partly to support Obama, I think it is also psychology. President Clinton was the leader during a period of great economic growth. Whether it was his doing or not, we associate him with a time of economic prosperity, so when we see him on MSNBC telling Chris Matthews that the economy will turn around and to have faith in America, we believe. We are reassured. I think it is a brilliant tactic. That and President Clinton is a great speaker and I've missed that these last eight years.

So the moral of today's story is.... stop accusing everyone, it makes you look petty, small and quite frankly stupid because we know that whether you voted for something or not, you made money off of it. Two, take a deep breath, tighten your belt and do what you can to ride out the downturn in the economy. We are down, but not beaten and being the betting woman that I am, I would never take odds against America. And three, let's demand that the people who want to lead our country stop bickering about crap that means nothing and focus on rebuilding what is great about our country. It's time to put up or shut up, boys. Show us what you are made of or go home because I have more important things to worry about.

Not quite my usual nonsensical fare, but even I have to have a deep thought every now and again. I will leave you with a little funny, just to take the edge off. They say laughter is a great way to relieve stress, so here ya go...

Until next time -

~Shel

The Best of SNL

This totally cracked me up. Enjoy!

Floods, Jousting and Knights Gallore

Wow, does anyone else think we should have built and ark or something over the weekend?  I have never seen the Fox River as out of control as it was after all the rain Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  I am very glad I live on the second floor - it would be hard for flooding (except when I leave my windows open - oops!). 

My SIL, dear partner in crime celebrated her 21st birthday on Friday, so I was out in the rain all weekend.  We had a great time watching the jousting and such on Saturday.  Of course, SIL and I were oogling the Knights, but in our defense, the one did have Pantene hair and the other was just ruthlessly hot.  Then on Sunday SIL and I went on a shopping extravaganza terrorizing people at Macy's, finally culminating in a joint grocery shopping trip.  Yes, only SIL and I would be out chillin' in celebration of a birthday and end up at the grocery store fighting over the last of the Green Giant veggies on sale.  All in all, a very enjoyable weekend.

I am extremely proud to have gotten SIL addicted to one of my favorite shows, Smallville.  She is now just as enamoured with Clark Kent, a/k/a Tom Welling as I.  Hee, hee!  She totally deserves it as she has gotten me hooked on several things over the years too.  And really, Superman is HOT! 

Speaking of tv, are there any good new shows coming up this season?  I haven't really heard anything.  Hmmm.  I was extremely sad to see the end of the summer season for Psych and Monk last week.  It was very traumatic for me. 

I am off to do some arguing, but if my big bro is reading this - I lied this weekend, the first debate is scheduled for September 26.  Everyone should watch.  Or at least check out Saturday Night Live to see if Tina Fey will be doing anymore guest spots as Sarah Palin - that was freakin' hilarious!  In fact, I think I need to post that here as soon as I get a chance.

For now though, I leave you with more funny pics. 

Until next time,
~Shel

Is it Friday yet?

As I sit here trying to think of anything but the stacks of work covering my desk, I cannot help but think that it is waaayyy past time for Shel to take a vacation... Beyond that, I've got nothing. My brain simply is not working on any higher plains of rational thought today (which is probably bad given my occupation). So, in lieu of my usual thought provoking commentary on the human condition I give you the following, enjoy.

Until next time -

~Shel

Joke of the day:

What do you call a psychic midget who just escaped from jail?

A small medium at large!

You Want a Piece of Me...

AAARRGGGGHHHH!  That's me screaming.  I feel like one of these fighting bears, though now that I really look at them, they don't look too vicious.  I should have found a picture of animals with fangs and drool and stuff.  It's one of those days in which everyone wants a piece of me, clients, partners, collegues, weird people on the street.  AHHHHAAAHHHHAAAAHHHH!  All I can say is I am glad for the long weekend coming up because I need it, badly.  But enough about that, on to happier things...

Yesterday was good.  JTB and I went to Indy to see Thump for a couple of hours.  I cannot believe how big her little monkey is getting.  That's his name by the way, Monkey.  When I call him a cheeky Monkey and tickle him he just laughs and laughs.  It's very cute.  His mohawk is almost gone, which is sad, because it was awesome when he was a little baby.  I had a ball playing with the Monkey and hanging with Thump, of course. 

And - I had my x-rays for my back/shoulder pain last week.  Is it a bad thing when the x-ray technician asks if you have dropped anything on your neck while she views your x-rays?  Very curious.

Hmm, what else.  Oh, I saw Tropic Thunder last Thursday.  Wow, it was freakin' hilarious, but just so wrong.  I recommed it if you like that kind of just purely stupid humor.  Think Old School, Family Guy, South Park, etc.  If you like those, you will like Tropic Thunder.  Do not go see it if you are at all sensitive about, well, about anything, because it's all fair game in this movie. 

And since I have a ton of work still to do, I should go.  But I leave you with these words of wisdom, "Screw you guys, I'm going home."  Eric Cartman, South Park.   

Until next time -

~Shel

A musical for the ages

Screaming like a girl...

This is one of the reasons I love this show so much.

Bringing the heat, baby

So, I am not a fan of the Olympics.  Nothing against any Olympians, it's just not my cup 'o tea.  I find it exceedingly boring to watch some dude swim, unless he's hot and it's live and in person.  This is pretty much my attitude towards watching all sports - snoozefest.  My exceptions to this rule are playoff games involving Michael Jordan and my secret childhood obsession, gymnastics.  Why gymnastics?  Probably because it's pretty much as close as we can come to flying - what gymnasts do is completely amazing to me and I would love to be able to move like that.  This obsession began along with millions of other people, watching Mary Lou Retton - completely amazing.

So, given this, it should not surprise anyone that I know nothing of the goings on at the Olympics.  A few nights ago, completely by chance, as I was endlessly surfing the channels I came across the Men's Gymnastics Team finals and caught the last few minutes before it switched to the women's teams.  That's where I caught the first glimpse of Shawn Johnson (I had never heard of her before or seen her perform, if that tells you my lack of interest).  I found love her!  She was having so much fun doing her thing and watching everyone else.  You could tell just by the look on her face.  Even though team USA wasn't coming home with the gold, she was still enjoying watching the other girls perform.  Everyone else looked like they were a slimy toad reference away from hurling, but she was having fun.

Then, I completely forgot that the women's all around finals were last night.  I came in at the end of Johnson's uneven bars performance, which was amazing.  She was on fire with that dismount and her floor exercises.  She's so compact and it's like watching pure energy.  I was so happy that she got the Silver!  I think it's great that someone having so much fun was the a big winner.  And that she was team USA - even better.  And now my Olympic viewing is over - thank goodness. 

Tonight is girl's night to see Mamma Mia.  I am certain much silliness will ensue.  I leave you with this pearl of wisdom from a t-shirt, "I don't mind coming to work, but that eight hour wait to go home is a bitch."  Smooches.

Until next time -
~Shel

   

Welcome to the Mad House...

Wow, the last couple of weeks have been, well, they've been my life, enough said really, but I will fill in some details. Root canals, crazy people, hot trainers, new stalkers, birthday parties, car problems and briefs, briefs, and more briefs (and I don't mean seeing the hot trainer in his briefs - oh, great mental image though!). So my root canals are over, at least for now, but the sting to the pocket book remains. To top it off, I had to spend a ton of moulah getting my car fixed yesterday because I was experiencing technicals difficulties that would have ruined my car if I had not gotten it done. So now I'm really broke. Know anyone I can sell my soul to for a few thousand $$? I'm going really cheap right now, bargain basement prices....

So last weekend was the 2nd birthday for the Jones twins - I cannot believe how big they are now. Especially given how teeny tiny they were when they were born (a few months premature). Time flies. And JTB had a birthday and JP - happy birthday guys!

So, I have a new stalker. I am so very pleased by this, because my last one was so damn fun. This guy works for one of my clients. Now, I do not generally see my clients in person, my clients generally being national corporations, whose offices are not around here, but through circumstances I won't get into, this file was transferred to a company that is local. The company is owned by one guy and is essentially just a corporate name. So my client asks this guy to help him out with this file, so the guy calls me. I have dealt with him a few times since the beginning of the year, but he's called me fairly frequently lately asking me the same questions over and over again - very annoying, because I give the same answers, over and over again. The most recent calls he suggests that he should buy me lunch, to which I respond it's not necessary and no thank you.

So I am in Court the other day and I get a message from my office that this guy called and thinks the case is up that day and cannot find me at the courthouse. So, during the break, I call him from my cell and leave a message, court is not today, it's tomorrow. I didn't leave any return numbers or tell him to call me - I just told him he had the wrong day. I go back into the court room and my cell phone starts ringing (luckily I keep my phone on vibrate). Of course, I don't answer, so the guy called me back like five times in the next ten minutes and then starts texting me! Seriously, he's texting me? I'm in freakin' court dude, go away! I ignore his text and calls, but he keeps going for like an hour. Driving me nuts! So that evening he calls me at the office and I told him it's not necessary for him to be at the court house the next day, but of course he shows up anyway. And he keeps trying to talk to me about nothing, while the judge is talking to us! Geez, I wanted to smack him. So after the hearing, I'm all "sorry, gotta run." and take off to another court room. I was pretty firm in my totally blowing him off and not really subtle, because at this point I'm fairly annoyed with him. So I'm thinking that he's done, message received, etc. Until he calls me on Thursday and asks me if I will be at the office Friday night! Seriously? To which I respond that there is no reason for him to come by the office or call me again and I will contact my client when I need something. Holy crap, do I have to hit this guy in the head with a 2x4 for him to take a freakin' hint? Yeesh. He hasn't called in the last two days, so maybe I will get lucky and he will go away.

And finally, my car. Not only is the cost of gas killing me, but then my check engine light comes on Monday. So I made an appointment to take my car in later this week. So yesterday I was at a stop light and it almost died, so it went to the shop yesterday. $500 later and the cars fine, but I'm done. AND I ended up at work last night until the wee hours trying to finish briefs and motions. I still have a ton to do, but I'm stuck in the City right now, so they will just have to wait, until when I'm not sure, but wait they will.

I hope everyone had a great week!

Until next time -
~Shel

Technical difficulties...

I've been trying to update thsi darn blog for about a week and always experience some sort of malfunction (computer or user).  I promise to try again tomorrow!

Until next time -
~Shel

Summer Lovin'

I am madly in love with summer! There are some things about technology that make life fantastic. I am not talking about technological advances in medicine,, we all dig that. I am talking about the fact that I am sitting outside on a beautiful day, feeling the nice lake breeze, sun shining, in the middle of a work day. I am sitting here with my laptop, working (and blogging) while enjoying this perfect day. I love summer and my laptop! Granted, I am not nearly as fond of technology when I am getting e-mails from my clients or bosses just minutes after finishing part two of my root canal, but I am choosing to ignore that at the moment.

So, Friday finished off the root canal portion of my tooth woes. In a few weeks, I have to go back to the regular dentist for a filling or crown or something, but the root is fully canaled. My endodontist is pretty cool and if he didn't drill into my teeth and charge me an arm and a leg, I might actually like him, but then he comes into the room with a needle as long as my forearm...

Friday night I was pretty done, but I did stay awake to watch the season premiere of Psych. Man I love that show! It was hilarious. Though I am not fond of the mother character, all is forgiven as Shawn and Gus were up to the usual hijinx! Check it out this Friday on USA - I promise you will laugh!

Well, I am going to get back to "working"...

Until next time -
~Shel

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

A big ol' Happy Birthday to my niece, who turns 6 today.  6!  I cannot believe how fast time has gone.  She's so big and smart and cute!!!  I just had lunch with her and the fam - it was a good time had by all.  And Noodles & Company is just plain yummy!

Also, last Thursday was Thump's birthday, so a belated shout out to her - Happy Birthday Thump - I hope you are feeling better. 

This is a big birthday month.  Besides these two, in a couple of days it will be Beth's birthday, then Mom's birthday, JTB, another niece and the twins round out the month.  I feel like I'm forgetting someone, if so, sorry! 

That's really all I have for the day.  I'm enjoying my last day off on a super long weekend.  I have no idea what I am going to do this afternoon, but that's cool, I don't need no stinkin' plan. 

I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday weekend.

Until next time -

~Shel

Psych - Only three more weeks!!!

Need I say more? You should definitely watch the all new episodes coming July 18! It's the date of my 2nd root canal and I'm still looking forward to the date! Yay Psych!

I really Am the Goddess of Persuasion!

It's been said that I am the goddess of persuasion and I believe I have finally laid doubts to rest this morning. I won argument on a huge issue that, quite frankly I probably should have lost, thus I finally accept my title. To celebrate my big win I went and hit things. Now I need a nap, and a cookie or a blizzard, yum... definitely a blizzard. Instead I get to do more work. WOOHOO!

Hey, if anyone wants a super cute 4 month old puppy that's as sweet as can be, I know where you can find one that needs a good home.

Hugs & Smooches

Until next time -

~Shel

About as much fun as a root canal...

Well gentle readers, I finally understand what the title phrase means. I had my very first root canal on Friday. I got to the dentist's office on Friday morning and was told I needed a root canal, like right then. So, the dentist starts giving me shots with the biggest needles I've ever seen in my freakin' life. Have I mentioned that I hate needles? Yeah, I hate them a lot. These were not your run of the mill needles, but huge needles so they can shoot the meds right into your nerve. Holy crap. That sucked. Have you ever touched a battery to your tongue and it gives you a little jolt? Well, think of that, except instead of a jolt, you could start a freakin' racecar with the battery. Yikes!

So, then he puts this dental dam around my tooth and I've got this rubber sheet going up my nose - also not pleasant. It took about an hour and a half because I apparently have extra long molars. By the time it was done I could feel my whole tongue again, and the shots were wearing off. Once I'm done, he tells me I have to come back for him to finish it in July. Another day of this? I did manage to make the dentist and assistant laugh for my manners during the root canal. Apparently not many patients still manage to say "please" and "thank you" during the procedure. At one point the assistant handed me a kleenex to wipe the drool off and I said thank you. I'm glad I could amuse them in my torture. I, on the other hand, was amused that my 50-60 year old dentist was singing along to Gwen Stefani as he was performing my root canal. I was not amused when I was leaving and was told the bill for the day was $1,100.00. Holy double crap!

After I left I went to pick up my prescription antibiotics and promptly experienced an allergic reaction to them. On Saturday I could not figure out why the hell I felt so itchy and I was starting to get a sore throat. Hello - my name is Shel and I'm dumb. So on Sunday the pharmacist told me to take Benadryl, which I had never taken before. Wow, that stuff really makes you tired. Like zombie tired. I am barely able to type I want a nap so darn much. Yesterday was a b-day party for Kris and about halfway thru I could barely keep my eyes open!

So, what did we learn this weekend? Don't get root canals. If you get itchy, sore, etc right after starting antibiotics, stop and call your Gwen Stefani singing dentist. Do not take Benadryl if you need to have any cognitive function. And - Happy Birthday Kris!!!!!

Ok, that's all I got for the moment. Enjoy your beautiful summer day because the next round of storms is on our heels.

Until next time -

~Shel

P.s. Just some friendly advice. Do not go to google and look for images of root canals. Yuck...

Public Service Announcement

I interrupt our regularly schedule ramblings for a public service announcement. Boys, please, please for the love of all that is holy, do not listen to whomever is telling you that skinny pants look good on guys. They are lying through their teeth. Maybe they want a good laugh at your expense, maybe they want to steal your girlfriend or maybe they are just mean people, but those promoting skinny jeans on guys, or girls for that matter, are lying. You look sort of ridiculous and while you may think it's cool because you saw your favorite rocker wearing them, don't do it. The rockers look ridiculous too!

What spurred this public service announcement you may ask, well, thanks for asking. Mainly because I won tickets to see the Kooks Monday night (thanks Jam!). For those who do not know (which I am assuming is anyone reading this), the Kooks are a relatively new British band. SIL likes to say they are like a throw back to a 60's band with a modern twist. This is my favorite song of theirs so far...

Anway, I was there with SIL and three of the four guys in the band were wearing skinny jeans (the drummer was wearing a suit and tie, which I thought was cute). And these guys are roughly 15 years old (not really, but they look it) and scrawny dudes. And the lead singer had the biggest feet I've ever seen, which only looked bigger because his legs looked like they were about as thick as a baseball bat! I swear! He also has a mop of curly hair that was adorable. The leads accent was so thick I could only understand every second or third word when he was talking, but again, that was pretty adorable too!

The opening act was a San Francisco band called the Morning Benders and if the Kooks looked 15, these guys looked 12. They were pretty good though. I had never heard of them, but enjoyed some of their songs. I'm posting one of their videos from You Tube (I haven't quite figured out the whole You Tube posting thing yet.) BUT all of these guys were wearing skinny jeans too!
Anwyay, the show was good, but now I have to go buy the Kooks new cd. Then on the way home, SIL & I got very, very lost, which was funny for about the first hour... I really need to remember to print out reverse directions before leaving or invest in GPS.

Last night I saw the new Indiana Jones with my nephew and a friend. It was entertaining. Funny, action-packed, and enjoyable. Parts of the plot were pretty weak, but that can be forgiven because it was otherwise fun! I'd tell you about Prince Caspian and Ironman, but really, I should do some work today!

Until next time -

~Shel

the morning benders - waiting for a war (official)

Wow...

I just re-read my post from last week and all I can say is that I must have been on some good drugs when I wrote that. Random thought process much? Geesh.. sorry to anyone who read that acid induced ramble.

Have a great short work week!

Until next time -
~Shel

Happy Long Weekend!

Boy, the last few weeks have just been a whirlwind! Most notably, we had a British invasion last weekend - the Thumps came to visit and I got to play with the little monkey (a.k.a. Baby Thump) for a couple of days, which made me exceedingly happy. I'm at my happiest, when all of my people are in the same state, let alone the same country, so I loved having them here, I only wish they could have stayed longer! I followed the family Thump back to Indiana and stayed through most of Sunday.

And now we have a long weekend. I plan to see the new Indiana Jones movie, maybe do a little cleaning and otherwise relax with friends. I am also looking forward to catching up on a little sleep. Maybe do a little grilling, enjoy some sunshine!

In movie news - I saw Ironman on Tuesday. It was pretty good. The action was great. The effects also good. Robert Downey Jr played the part of the rich, spoiled drunk pretty well too! They gave a little more of the backstory than I needed, but I guess if you are trying to set up a franchise, you would want to. If they have a sequel, I will go see it, the movie was fun. I cannot wait to see Indiana Jones and Chronicles of Narnia. If the weather goes bad this weekend, I may go see both!

Well, I'm off to sta

rt my long weekend! I hope everyone has a fun, sunny and safe weekend! I leave you with a funny - those kids do the darndest things.

Until next time -
~Shel

Woohoo! I Feel Like Dancin'!

Not for any particular reason, I'm just in a good mood today! No cold, no flu, nada. Back off germies, we're having none of that around here...

It's so beautiful outside. 70's and sunny - my favorite. I was sorely tempted to play hookey today, but we all know I am way too much of a workaholic to do that! So instead I stopped on my way back to the office from Court and had lunch with some friends. During lunch I found out that the Jones' are expecting baby number three (or possibly 3 and 4, or more, who knows with the Jones'!)! Congratulations guys!!! I am very happy for you and excited to have another baby to look forward to spoiling!

Then I spent dinner sitting outside enjoying some Malnati's pizza and great weather. I love this time of year (when the weather is as it's supposed to be)! It was absolutely perfect.

This weekend will mark the 12th wedding anniversary for my brother & SIL - holy crap. Twelve years, Congrats if you guys are reading this! It's amazing that they have been married that long. It's crazy that we are old enough for them to have been married that long. It kind of freaks me out to think about actually, so Congrats guys and I look forward to babysitting this weekend so you can celebrate. My neices have already informed me that we are having movie night, so that should be fun. I am guessing we will be watching The Water Horse or Alvin and the Chipmunks!

And now I should finish up and get out of the office. I like to at least pretend I have a life!

Until next time -
~Shel

Double Ugh!

So, I spent Saturday playing soccer mom for my neices because the flu had ravaged the household and my brother was still sick and SIL had to work, no big. I love hanging with the kids. For the most part it was a fun day, but it was kind of chilly on the soccer field and my younger neice missed her nap and was a bit of a handful, but whatever, we still had a good time. Then on Sunday went to the P's to celebrate Eric's birthday, all is well. Had another fun day. Got to hang with the baby banana, ate some yummy food, good company, all that jazz. All in all, it was a pretty good weekend.

And then Monday came. I was a little slow getting up on Monday, but hey, that's not unusual. Got to work, was feeling a little blah. I was thinking maybe the third piece of desert on Sunday was probably not my best idea ever. Around 4, I'm really not feeling that great. By 5 I'm thinking, good Lord, I feel icky. Skipped boxing and went home and straight to bed because by this time, I've got the cold sweats and am really not feeling well. I doze off and on until about 11 p.m. on Monday and then it really got bad. Unfortunately, all Nat's great cooking was wasted on me and I don't think I will be eating anything with rice for a very, very, very long time. Then, I'm so smart I actually got up on Tuesday and went to Court. I get to the Federal Court and can barely stand. Lucky me, I've got two calls at the State Court in the afternoon and one is an actual contested argument that I really need to be present for and opposing counsel is not someone I can trust to ask the Judge for a continuance on my behalf, so I go to the parking garage and sleep for a couple of hours. Stagger back to Court. Make it through the first routine matter. Then I go to the big hearing. Opposing counsel does not show, the judge refuses to wait and grants my motion! Woohoo, I can leave! Just as I am going back to my seat, the other side walks in, so of course, I have to wait for the Judge to recall the case, then we have to argue the motion, the whole time I'm thinking, it really would be ok if I threw up on this guy, he's not that nice anyway.

Well, I didn't throw up on anyone, I did win the motion and I finally stumbled back to my car. Called the office, told them not to expect me, fought traffic and got home to bed. I woke up feeling a little better today. At least I am partially mobile! I'm debating whether to go to the gym tonight or wait one more day for a full recovery. I've just eaten for the first time since Monday early afternoon, so I guess we'll see how that goes. I really, really hate being sick. I've gone probably two years without getting really sick, maybe a headache or a stuffy nose here or there, but the last couple of months have been like the freakin' house of pain. I had a cold/flu thing about two months ago. Then last week I had a really bad cold and now this. I'm done! No more, it's spring time for nice weather and no more illness!

I hope no one else is sick, especially those people I was with Saturday, Saturday night or Sunday. If I did get you sick, I'm sorry!

Until next time -

~Shel

It's Kookie!

Before I forget - the Kooks' new cd came out and you should check it out, here: http://www.thekooks.co.uk/home

In other, more important news - Big ol' congrats to Q & K for getting engaged! WOOHOO! I'm very excited for you both. Now K is stuck with us forever. Hee, hee!

Secondly, Congrats to Duch & Les on their beautiful baby boy! He's gorgeous! All the new babies to play with! I love it.

Third, a belated happy birthday to my gregarious, totally awesome neice that turned 4 on Monday! I tried to call her on Monday, but missed everyone, so I left voicemails wishing her a happy birthday, so she called me back on Tuesday and left me a voicemail. I do not know if she's ever left a voicemail before, but it was extemely cute. I saved the message. So, now when I need a pick me up I have that voicemail in addition to the voicemail of her and her older sister singing "The Right Stuff" by the New Kids.

I don't really have anything else for today. I've been too busy to find silly stuff to post, but I promise to get back to my usual nonsense as soon as possible! I took Friday off work, so maybe I will find something fun then.

Until next time -
~Shel

Spring Fever!

Good morning! It's official - Spring is here! WOOHOO! I am so very excited. It was sunny and warm all weekend, and I loved every minute of it. I played outside, wandered around the downtown area, drove around with happy music and my windows down! All the windows in my apartment (all 4 of them) were open, the heat was off, it was wonderful! It was so nice. And since I'm at work right now, I'll leave you for the moment with a poem. Enjoy!

THE spring is fresh and fearless
And every leaf is new,
The world is brimmed with moonlight,
The lilac brimmed with dew.
Here in the moving shadows
I catch my breath and sing--
My heart is fresh and fearless
And over-brimmed with spring.

May Night By Sara Teasdale

Until next time -
~Shel

The Elders - Men of Erin

This is a great video of the band I saw over the weekend - Enjoy!

Until next time -
~Shel

Skeleton You Are My Friend...

Howdy - hi there dear readers. How the heck are ya? Me, I am fan-tastic! On this beautiful Tuesday morning, I have so much to say, I will probably forget most of it.

I had a great weekend. A kick arse band was playing at a local pub, which I saw both Friday and Saturday night. The Elders are an Irish rock band, very cool. Check them out at:

http://www.eldersmusic.com/.

I highly recommend them if you ever have the chance to see a show. It's a very music filled post today, because besides raving about the Elders, I also have a couple of other cds I am loving and want to share with you all. I do not know a whole lot about music. I do not analyze it, I just go by what I enjoy and what I don't. If you like it, great, if not feel free to ignore my ramblings...

The first is a band I heard about from a friend and endorsed by my very music savvy sister-in-law. The band - Rocco Deluca and the Burden. The cd - I Trust You to Kill Me. It's a very fun cd. I think Colorful may be my favorite track. You can get a preview of the cd here:

http://www.roccodeluca.com/home.htm

The second cd is Made of Bricks by Kate Nash. She's British and they classify her as a rap artist, but I don't see it. Some of the lyrics could use some help, but for the most part the cd is upbeat and fun. It is totally a windows down, sunny day, music blasting while cruising down the highway kind of cd. My favorite is Pumpkin Soup, but the Skeleton Song makes me laugh, because it's pretty absurd. And we all know how much I enjoy the absurd!

It's a crazy week for me this week, so I will leave you with some funnies (have you noticed I like the funnies?)

And, I was right - I forgot what else I was going to say, so I'll just shut up, for now.

Until next time -

~Shel

Please excuse my absence..

I know, you were all dreadfully bored without me. I apologize, but I've been sick the last week or so. I am feeling almost human, so I thought I would check in. And since I'm me and in charge of this blog, I decided that it is picture day. The first one is pretty self explanatory, but it makes me laugh...

Yes, they are doing what you think they are... Ah, reptile love.

The next are from NASA's homepage - pretty cool.

A few Easter funnies...

And lastly, I do not usually post personal pics here, but I love this one so much I have to share! You should know no animals or babies were hurt during the clicking of this picture...

That's all I have for today. I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend and enjoys this first day of spring - oh look is that more freakin' snow coming down? Stupid mother nature.

Until next time -

~Shel

Monday Funnies

I don't really have anything for you today, so I will leave you with a couple of funnies...

Until next time -

~Shel

Into a Belfast pub comes Paddy Murphy, looking like he'd just been run over by a train.His arm is in a sling, his nose is broken, his face is cut and bruised and he's walking with a limp."What happened to you?" asks Sean, the bartender."Jamie O'Conner and me had a fight," says Paddy."That little shit, O'Conner," says Sean, "He couldn't do that to you, he must have had something in his hand.""That he did," says Paddy, "a shovel is what he had, and a terrible lickin' he gave me with it.""Well," says Sean, "you should have defended yourself, didn't you have something in your hand?"That I did," said Paddy. "Mrs. O'Conner's breast, and a thing of beauty it was, but useless in a fight."

Congratulations to the Peaches Family!!!

So, the little banana finally arrived. She was a little more than a week late, but she's so cute, she's forgiven! Way to go guys! Weighing in at 7 pounds 1 ounce (contrary to the math by the nurses) and 17 inches long, with dark hair and a perfect quivering lip that will have her dad and uncles whipped in no time.

Next to come is baby Sonic next month. Then about 14 or so others throughout the year. Tons of babies for Aunt Shel to play with!!! YAY!

I'm off, but go say congrats to the proud papa:
http://lifeoftanana.blogspot.com/

Or tell Mom to update her blog, here:
http://theimpendingpicchi.blogspot.com/

Until next time -
~Shel

Dreaming...

This was the view from my bedroom this morning...

This was the state of my parking lot...

This is where I want to be...

Who's with me?

Until next time -

~Shel

It's @*!$**ing Snowing AGAIN!!!!

I HATE SNOW AND WINTER!!!!!!! We are supposed to get another 6-9 inches of snow tonight. Seriously, can't we just be done with this already? Who pissed mother nature off and who wants to help me beat the shit out of him? I was thinking I might as well drive into the City and sleep in the damn parking garage tonight - that's how much fun my commute is gonna be tomorrow.

I need a vacation..

Until next time, if I'm not buried in freaking snow,
~Shel

This just in - more arse numbing cold!

At a whopping 26 degrees, today will be the warmest day of the week. Really?

On to other topics, because I am sure you know how I feel about the cold. Today is a court holiday, so I've been hanging out in the office all day and I think my assistants are ready for the Court's to reopen now. Or to just throw me out of the office. I am sure either would suffice.

In honor of President's Day I have a little quiz for you! Yay! A pop quiz! WOOHOO!

(1) From what did George Washington die?

(2) Where was Washington sworn in as President?

(3) Of what did Washington warn the people against in his farewell address in 1783?

(4) George Washington only traveled outside of what is now the United States once, where did he go?

(5) Abraham Lincoln was a captain in what war?

(6) How many children did Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln have?

(7) On what date was Lincoln assassignated?

(8) In what year was Lincoln admitted to the Illinois Bar (to practice law, not a drinking facility)?

(9) How tall was Lincoln?

(10) True or False: In Lincoln's first Presidential Election, on November 6, 1860, his name was not on the ballot for President in 9 southern states?

Just a little fun - I can provide answers for anyone who so desires. Happy President's Day!

Until next time -

~Shel

In the Shadow of a Gunman

As most of you know, yesterday afternoon a young man entered a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire with a pistol and a shotgun. The last I saw 7 people were dead and over 20 injured. I have various connections to NIU, so my first thought was a mental checklist of people I know who may have been on or near campus. My second thought was "what the hell is wrong with people?"

I know, I know, I cannot understand this guys pain... Whatever. Get over it. We all have pain. We all live in our own version of hell sometimes. There are times that everyone's life sucks beyond the telling of it. Most of us; however, do not pick up some guns and go on a shooting spree, random or not. A friend also blogged about the shooting today and he asked why these types of incidents seem more common in the U.S. than abroad. He goes on to say that gun laws have nothing to do with the difference. Well, this friend is usually much smarter than I am and he and I always enjoy a good debate, so Peaches, buckle up, because I am about to start our next debate. I believe the more frequent occurence of these types of gun related crimes are at least in large part because of differing gun laws. Not only are gun crime penalties more harsh in most other countries, but it is often much more difficult to obtain guns.

I know, we have the Second Amendment, but when was the last time you actually took a look at the Constitution or the Second Amendment. Me, I carry a copy with me, so let's review, shall we?

Amendment II
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

What, exactly does that mean? Frankly, your interpretation will probably differ from mine. However, most legal scholars will tell you that when interpreting the Constitution or a Statute, the framers' intent should be taken into account. Again, if the framers' intent was clear, this debate would not rage in Congress, courtrooms and classrooms throughout the country. What I do know, is that if guns were more difficult for people to obtain, then maybe we can cut down on some gun related crime. People have a right to protect themselves and I am not convinced that the general populace, after having been thoroughly screened and having endured a reasonable waiting period, should not be able to carry a concealed weapon. The guy stalking a woman walking home from the bus at 10 p.m. would probably be much less likely to attempt rape if he thought she may be carrying a stun gun or a 9 mm. I'm just saying. Is it a perfect solution? No, but we do not live in a perfect world, as yesterday's events illustrate.

However, not everyone should be able to purchase a gun. You should not be able to walk into your local Wal-Mart and take home a gun. You do NOT need automatic weapons for hunting. Guns should have fingerprint safety locks, so that only the registered owner can use them. There should be a long waiting period before you are able to take home a gun purchase. Finally, the world does not revolve around the NRA and other people do, in fact, have valid viewpoints and concerns with the unfettered ownership of guns. All of this being said, I do have my foid card and fully support the average citizens right to protect oneself and own a gun, with restrictions and within reason.

As for the rest, I am grateful that none of my people were hurt yesterday. I feel for the families and friends of those who were and have no sympathy whatsoever for the shooter. His actions and death were cowardly and deserves nothing.

I know, a little dark. On a light note - tonight is the season finale of Psych and I am so sad! I love this show and do not want to wait until this summer for more new episodes!!!!! If you have not yet watched it - you MUST! Laughter guaranteed, and really who among us couldn't use a good laugh? I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Until next time -
~Shel