Buying Local

Living in a small town really is different than living in the suburbs. Woodland isn't that small, but it's the kind of town that had a bustling downtown and economy centered around agriculture, and now that all the farm land is being developed into housing developments and shopping centers with Wal-Marts and Home Depots, the economy has changed and downtown has suffered. Recently, the city has done a great job of revitalizing downtown and I got to experience that change firsthand while wandering downtown with my really great sister-in-law Megan yesterday. First there was the Next Chapter bookstore, a fairly progressive bookstore that was so great that I posted their website in my links section of this blog. It's a great downhome independent bookstore and I even went back in there today. We also went to the Gifted Penguin, where I was able to find x-mas gifts for all kinds of people and a great welcome sign for my dad's new apartment. We also found a fabulous new restaurant called Tazzina Bistro, which is kind of a California cuisine cafe with French flair. We ate breakfast and dinner there last night with our out of town guests (if that's what I can call my brother and his wife, and my dad) and had brunch there this morning. I now have a restaurant in Woodland (other than Quiznos or mexican food) that I can frequent. I made a commitment to do all of my Christmas/Chanukah shopping locally. That means Woodland and Davis. Target counts too, but that's for the gift cards for out of town folks. Wish me luck. I'm supporting my city. It's the least I can do.

I'm still full

What is the psychology behind eating all day on Thanksgiving? I think I've managed to control myself in the past (maybe one or two times), but there's just something about turkey and stuffing and all the other crap that goes with it that results in overindulgence. And I'm still full. So what did I do about it? I went to the gym and spent an hour on the elliptical machine. 748 freakin calories burnt. That doesn't even cover the half a piece of cheesecake I had for desert! Yikes. Well, like all the other fools in the gym, we're on the road to recovery from Thanksgiving. We'll all be in there on January 2, too, no doubt. Off to another fun filled day with my new pal, my dad.

Nearing obsolescence -- I better write something

I'm always worried. I started to say that I am always worried that I will run out of stuff to say on my blog, or that I won't have anything funny to say, or that what I do have to say I can't really say because someone might read it. When I saw the words "I'm always worried" I decided that sums it up pretty darn well for me. I have been crazy insane with work and with getting my dad settled into his new residence. Now in between saving people from choking and playing bridge, he seems to be doing really well. Today I have a headache and I am worried about that. It's not a normal headache where it's just a dull thing that's there. It's the kind of headache that when I bend over and then stand up I get hit by a throbbing blast in the side of my head. If I tilt my head back and then straighten it up, more of the same. Anyhow, more to worry about. Maybe I'm getting a worry headache, or an aneurysm. The other stuff that's been going on is that my poor Prius is getting beat up on. Last week on the West Wing, there was this whole plot line about Josh Lyman plowing over a Prius in a gigantor SUV. Anyhow, one night driving home from the Kitchen a few weeks ago, I hit a large tree branch that for someone was in the middle of 160 (a 2 lane highway in Sacrament0). I tried to avoid it, but it was almost across into the second lane. I ended up cracking the front bumper, knocking out grill and the fog light assembly. I don't even have license plates on my car yet. I was pissed. This was not the worst of it...moments later, my lovely husband lost his dinner in my beautiful Prius (tan cloth interior) and then proceeded to roll down the window, coating my car interior, windows, ceiling, seat belts, headrests, etc. with his lovely dinner (did I mention the wine?). Anyhow, after some major cleaning and airing out (and some more cleaning -- for the record, Mike owes me a detailing on the car) the Prius is back on the road. I still have to get the front fixed. Estimates range from $732 - $914. Then last weekend at the Casino, someone must have thrown the door of their Bradley tank open into the side of my poor little car, leaving a big dent and some battleship gray paint. Damn, can't a girl get a break? That's all I got...

RoboDump 1.0

RoboDump 1.0 Hello, I'm extremely immature. Ask anyone who knows me. No matter where I go (and this goes for my husband as well), the conversation almost invariably turns to poop. Whether it's my poop, someone else's poop, my dog's poop, cat poops, corn poops, or otherwise, it always happens. My friend Peter sent this link to me. Why don't I think of these things first?

Remembering Mom

Four years ago today, we lost my mom. I miss her. What else can I say? Courtesy of Brett and Megan's website.

The Craziness of It All

Yesterday, my dad moved from Massachusetts, from the house he lived in for almost 40 years, to a 2 bedroom apartment in Davis, about 10 miles away from me. He got on a plane with his two cats, Kitty and Destiny, accompanied by my little brother from Florida, and flew out here to check things out on the West Coast. I don't know what I was thinking, but I can see my life is going to change. It's not a bad thing at all; it will just be different. Anyhow, my last few weeks have been insane trying to get an apartment together for him. I've been running all over buying lamps and kitchen stuff and a microwave and basically everything that you need to have when you start all over. Anyhow, his place looks great and he really liked it. Kitty was my cat in college, which means she's REALLY old, but she seemed to fare okay from it all. Hopefully they can figure out where the litter boxes are pretty soon... Anyhow, I have 2 more days of having my brother around, so I am going to spend as much time with him as possible. Off to the old folks home....

What's this mean to you?

What's this mean to you? Are you noticing any trends here? I'm glad I live in a blue state, although if you look at the map by counties, I think I live in a red county. Redneck, anyways...

Sorry Everybody

Sorry Everybody They say a picture says a thousand words; here's a thousand pictures that say what words can't quite sum up. (Check out this link from my friend Mel)

My Cat's Breath: Not in a joking mood

My Cat's Breath: Not in a joking mood I haven't been able to post anything since the election. I have been unable to articulate my feelings about what the outcome will mean for our country. I'm tired of being the "dirty liberal" at work when politics really have no place in our government office. I'm disgusted by the gloating of the blondes who chant "W is for Women" high-fiving each other in the hallways. How could any intelligent woman have supported Bush and the agenda of his administration? The link above is to my brother's blog. He campaigned for Kerry the day of the election and I couldn't be more proud of him for it. His writings articulate a lot of what I was thinking this week. In light of the recent world series results, this statement really hit home:

"Sure, I love baseball, and was raised by a tribe of batboys under the bleachers in Fenway Park, but ultimately, the Red Sox are a baseball team, Curt Schilling is a George Bush loving retard, and I would trade the Sox championship for a Kerry victory in a heartbreak. We'd always joked that a Sox victory would herald the end of the world. I'm terrified we may have been right."