Bubonic plague

Yes folks it's fall. Time for sweaters, apple picking, mulled cider, the crunch of dried autumn leaves beneath your feet... and for me, the plague. Yep the aching joints-cough-lungs hurting-sore throat-stuffy nose-feel like crap-want to curl in a corner and die feeling. So I trudge my way over to Walgreen's and pick up Honey cough, Tylenol Flu, echinacea, and diet sprite. I had to lay down when I got back, I was so wiped out! One really really wonderful thing... Rob sent me this amazing delivery... a get well basket with chicken soup, flowers in a mug, a mylar balloon that says I Love You, a teddy bear, and chocolates. It was just so sweet of him! I can't believe in just over 8 months I will be married to this amazing man. In the midst of all this chaos in his life between work and home issues he takes the time to do such a wonderful thing... plus stay over and tuck me into bed... words just escape me.

...sigh... Our President.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/tallchickbarbara/BUSH-phone.jpg This is what caused the delay in getting help after Hurricane Katrina.

More comments from our president:

"So please give cash money to organizations that are directly involved in helping save lives — save the life who had been affected by Hurricane Katrina." —George W. Bush, Washington D.C., Sept. 6, 2005

"I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs." —George W. Bush, Poplarville, Miss., Sept. 5, 2005

"We've got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we're going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we're going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) --George W. Bush, touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005

"My thoughts are, we're going to get somebody who knows what they're talking about when it comes to rebuilding cities." —George W. Bush, on rebuilding New Orleans, Biloxi, Miss., Sept. 2, 2005

"Americans should be prudent in their use of energy during the course of the next few weeks. Don't buy gas if you don't need it." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Sept. 1, 2005

"It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground." —George W. Bush, turning to his aides while surveying Hurricane Katrina flood damage from Air Force One , Aug. 31, 2005

"I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep on the soil of a friend." —George W. Bush, on visiting Denmark, Washington D.C., June 29, 2005

"The relations with, uhh — Europe are important relations, and they've, uhh — because, we do share values. And, they're universal values, they're not American values or, you know — European values, they're universal values. And those values — uhh — being universal, ought to be applied everywhere." —George W. Bush, at a press conference with European Union dignitaries, Washington, D.C., June 20, 2005

"It seemed like to me they based some of their decisions on the word of — and the allegations — by people who were held in detention, people who hate America, people that had been trained in some instances to disassemble — that means not tell the truth." —George W. Bush, on an Amnesty International report on prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay, Washington, D.C., May 31, 2005

"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." —George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005

"We expect the states to show us whether or not we're achieving simple objectives — like literacy, literacy in math, the ability to read and write." —George W. Bush, on federal education requirements, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005

"But Iraq has — have got people there that are willing to kill, and they're hard-nosed killers. And we will work with the Iraqis to secure their future." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005

"In this job you've got a lot on your plate on a regular basis; you don't have much time to sit around and wander, lonely, in the Oval Office, kind of asking different portraits, 'How do you think my standing will be?'" —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., March 16, 2005

"This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table." —George W. Bush, Brussels, Belgium, Feb. 22, 2005

"If you're a younger person, you ought to be asking members of Congress and the United States Senate and the president what you intend to do about it. If you see a train wreck coming, you ought to be saying, what are you going to do about it, Mr. Congressman, or Madam Congressman?" —George W. Bush, Detroit, Mich., Feb. 8, 2005

"You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —George W. Bush, to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005

"After all, Europe is America's closest ally." —George W. Bush, Mainz, Germany, Feb. 23, 2005

"I'm also mindful that man should never try to put words in God's mouth. I mean, we should never ascribe natural disasters or anything else to God. We are in no way, shape, or form should a human being, play God." —George W. Bush, ABC's 20/20, Washington D.C., Jan. 14, 2005

"Who could have possibly envisioned an erection — an election in Iraq at this point in history?" —George W. Bush, at the white House, Washington, D.C., Jan. 10, 2005

Not nice to fool with Mother Nature!

So now we sit and await the arrival of yet another monster hurricane. Jesus, Mother Nature must have alot on her mind to have to keep showing us just how pissed off she is. I find it ironic and heartbreaking that this monster is churning towards Houston... ironic as it is where George W resides when not in the Cheney House of Fun....heartbreaking as so many NOLA residents were displaced there and have to move inland yet again. Rob suggests we up and move to Idaho or Montana as "you never really hear about anything bad happening in either of those states. "
$5.00 a gallon for gas by next week...dear Lord the sales for Vespas must be through the roof.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/22/news/economy/rita_threat/index.htm

airplanes, hearts, and cuisine

So my mom calls yesterday afternoon at work, and says instead of dad's flight getting in at 8, it's delayed until like 10:30.
So in the spirit of "doing the right thing" and the fact that my mom detests driving into Boston and specifically the airport (which she really loathes entirely) I kind of put Rob under the bus and volunteer us to go and get him. Of course not only is the flight delayed until like 11:00 PM, they lose his luggage. So then we drive Dad home (like 20 minutes north of the city) it's foggy and rainy and Rob is trying to not jam the music, speed and piss off his future father in law. Also my dad abhors smoking, so Rob can't even light up. Add to the fact that Rob has not eaten dinner and he's been up since like 7:00 AM - BAD combination.
We drop Dad at the door and Rob heads directly to Burger King, saying he is beyond hungry. At midnight, my beloved is eating a double Whopper with cheese, fries, and soda. (I got a smaller double cheeseburger that just sat in my stomach all night.) So as a result, I couldn't sleep when I got home... at 12:45... and had to be up at like 7:00 to go to the heart walk with Mom today. Super! Rah rah rah let's hear it for the Heart Walk! I am just too cynical today. Truth be told it's a great organization that raises money and awareness for heart disease and research. And I got my picture taken with Wally - the Green Monster guy. Pretty cool. Now I am at work and wow.... the fatigue is hitting me big time.
Something else that pisses me off. You know when you are really hungry - and everything on the menu sounds good - so you order something you havent had in a while with an idea in your head of how it will taste... and it arrives and tastes totally different? Not bad, per se, but...different. As in spices, level of cooking, etc. Now I am tired and pissed off. Fantastic.

Some gripes I have:

how very often "bike messengers" and "deodorant" are not words you see together very often. And while we're on the subject, WTF is with the excessive speed? Are they paid by the minute? Is there a bike messenger deadline "Get this Mike Brady tube of architect drawings across town in 8.5 seconds or the world will implode!" Jesus Christ if their rank underarm odor doesn't knock you to the ground and out cold, then they are intent on making their bike a part of your anatomy. Permanently.

How can I eat so much less than my tiny friends yet not be losing weight? I must be one of the only people I know who can eat 1/2 portions compared to all others diners at a table and not be a stick figure. Not that I want to be a stick figure. I don't see it as healthy to have ribs and backbone sticking out. But God knows I've tried. Yet it seems God, with his wonderful sense of humor, has other plans for me in terms of my size.

How a couple in Ohio can have 11 adopted and foster children and keep them in cages... and I am not able to have a child in my life. Michael Gravelle, 56, and Sharen Gravelle, 57, have denied abusing or neglecting the children, who are ages 1 to 14. No charges had been filed (ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)....Officials, who said they discovered the situation Friday, are investigating how the adoptive parents managed to take in the children, and why no one kept closer tabs on the youngsters. The children have since been placed with foster families. The couple adopted the children through an assortment of private and public agencies in different counties and states. At night, authorities said, eight of the children were confined in wooden cages stacked in bedrooms on the second floor. The cages were painted in bright colors, and some were rigged with alarms that would send a signal to the downstairs when the door was opened. One cage had a dresser in front of it. The cages, made of plywood and wiring, had mats but no pillows or blankets. The house smelled of urine, according to the search warrant. The parents have said a psychiatrist recommended they make the children sleep in the cages, The parents also said the children, including some who had mental disorders, needed to be protected from each other, according to court documents. " (I think the word "parent" needs to be used quite lightly here. F-ing monsters. Ya the cure for mental illness is clearly a cage! Eureka! Why didn't we ever think of that brainstorm before?) ) http://www.adoption.com/includes/frame.php?url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2005/09/15/national/a083137D85.DTL (for some light reading, if it doesn't make you SICK as it did to me. )

Happy Abby

could she be any cuter?

wedding thoughts and updated info...

First, from Rob's personal blog:"Me and my friends have had this little hole in the wall bar we hang out it. I call it our Cheers. It’s the bar for the American Legion Post #6 in my hometown of Lynn. Keep in mind this bar is actually housed in the basement of a function hall. But this place is our hang out. I feel proud that they allow a group such as ours to rub elbows with the heroes of this country. The bar is affectionately known as Post 6. Me and my lovely future wife Andrea were finally in position where we had the time to announce to my friends that we were engaged (full story at http://robandandi06.blogspot.com/ ). I was a little nervous I have to admit because my friends always viewed me as the perennial single guy. They knew my past. They knew I’d been engaged twice and both of those relationships ended in sort of a religious fiery death. It was an explosion of atomic proportions. To which a chorus of “I told ya sos” were always given. This time my woman was welcomed into a group of rag-tag friends that I view very much as family as my mom and dad. I was so proud of that. A good time was being had by all. It is karaoke night every Saturday night at the Post, so I sang my signature, Big Balls by ACDC, then I sat down and continued to drink. My next song came about 45 minutes later. Which by the way was by design, I felt a few relaxing cocktails were warranted before I was going to do what I was about to. I got up there, I announced the engagement and wedding date and then proceeded to sing a song. The song I sang was not even something I’d normally listen to. It was Amazed by Lonestar. Unfortunately they don’t make many love songs in the style of music I normally listen to. I got a standing ovation. I am no American Idol but I didn’t do too badly if I may so. It was a fun night but this will be the longest 9 months of my life. I am an impatient person by very nature. Waiting to June kind of sucks but we needed time to plan a wedding in which would fit certain budgets. "Now the BTB's notes. ("BTB= Bride To Be") Dress and veil are bought. Church is booked. The reception hall has been booked. Holiday Inn - Tewksbury/Andover line. June 10 2006. Registry is thisclose to complete. (By the way, Rob is totally into the gift registry thing.) Next to book - limo, and save the date magnets. :) Now about this weekend... that song Amazed... was a favorite of mine, and in fact was the song that my cousin Kim and her now husband Ray used as their first dance song last year. Beautiful song. I would use it myself, except we already have a special song picked out, and besides, it's been used alot lately. Induldge the sappy bride to be for a moment and read the words. They're rather sweet. Those of you who know Rob will know how out of character this was for him to sing...and not many will be surprised that there were tears in my eyes as I watched him sing this to me.
Lone Star – Amazed
Every time our eyes meet This feeling inside me is almost more than I can take
Baby when you touch me I can feel how much you love me And it just blows me away
I've never been this close to anyone or anything
I can hear your thoughts I can see your dreams
Chorus: I don't know how you do what you do I'm so in love with you, it just keeps getting better I wanna spend the rest of my life, with you by my side Forever and ever Every little thing that you do Baby I'm amazed by you
The smell of your skin the taste of your kiss the way you whisper in the dark
your hair all around me, baby you surround me you touch every place in my heart
oh, it feels like the first time every timeI wanna spend the whole night in your eyes
Chorus: Every little thing that you do I'm so love with you it just keeps getting better
I wanna spend the rest of my life, with you by my side forever and ever
Every little thing that you doo, every little thing that you do baby I'm amazed by you...

Are you a superhero?

This is really fun. It's a website that creates your superhero name.

http://www.rainbowanimations.com/supername.php


I am the The Gigantic Lego Collector - which is kind of funny. BUT my fiancé's name is The Evil Slave - hysterical.

my god... as if there wasnt enough to worry about in NO

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15909
Floating Ant Balls

The Times-Picayune mentioned something that we, in the South, know all about after storms: floating ant balls. Here is a picture of what they look like. Ants that get washed out of their colonies form floating balls. Trust me, you do not want to touch one, especially if they are fire ants. But I found a way to treat these ant balls. It turns out that ordinary dish detergent sprayed on these critters will send them to their Creator.
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75% of fire ant colonies move at least once every 90 days, usually when they are disturbed by vibrations, lawn mowers, traffic, insecticide poisons or repeated flooding either natural or man-made. Whole fire ant colony "balls" can float in clear water, but sink in soapy or enzyme water and will not cross a sticky barrier.
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Fire ants have developed a unique method to keep from drowning. At first hint of rising water, worker ants gather the entire colony into a ball - sometimes as big as a basketball. As the water overtakes the mound, the ball rides the flood like a living raft, rolling in the water so all the members can take turns breathing. When they strike a solid object, be it a swimming dog or your canoe, they quickly swarm aboard.
Things to watch out for:* Dead bodies* Floating Fire Ant Balls* Floating sewage* Toxic Waste - including Oil and Gasoline* Wild Animals - including Alligators and Bigfoot
http://www.mysinglemomlife.com/blog/archives/fireants-thumb.jpg

divine intervention?

"But the historic St. Louis Cathedral was spared any apparent damage. A magnolia tree and an oak felled by Katrina's winds landed in the cathedral's back courtyard - but missed the church and a white marble statue of Jesus with outstretched arms."
"On Jackson Square, two massive oak trees outside the 278-year-old St. Louis Cathedral came out by the roots, ripping out a 30-foot section of ornamental iron fence and straddling a marble statue of Jesus Christ, snapping off the thumb and forefinger of his outstretched hand."

new abby pictures

you cannot resist the power of the Force... LOL I love this one!

Joel and Abby - snoozing. Adorable.

some photos from the weekend

THE ring!
Rob snapped this picture of me talking to my mom right after "the moment"

the heart shaped tiles that spell out "will you marry me"

this is the best letter ever.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/rnr/95019322.html
Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush
Friday, September 2nd, 2005
Dear Mr. Bush:
Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag. Also, any idea where all our national guard soldiers are? We could really use them right now for the type of thing they signed up to do like helping with national disasters. How come they weren't there to begin with? Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? I know you didn't want to interrupt your vacation and I know how you don't like to get bad news. Plus, you had fundraisers to go to and mothers of dead soldiers to ignore and smear. You sure showed her! I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike? And don't listen to those who, in the coming days, will reveal how you specifically reduced the Army Corps of Engineers' budget for New Orleans this summer for the third year in a row. You just tell them that even if you hadn't cut the money to fix those levees, there weren't going to be any Army engineers to fix them anyway because you had a much more important construction job for them -- BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ! On Day 3, when you finally left your vacation home, I have to say I was moved by how you had your Air Force One pilot descend from the clouds as you flew over New Orleans so you could catch a quick look of the disaster. Hey, I know you couldn't stop and grab a bullhorn and stand on some rubble and act like a commander in chief. Been there done that. There will be those who will try to politicize this tragedy and try to use it against you. Just have your people keep pointing that out. Respond to nothing. Even those pesky scientists who predicted this would happen because the water in the Gulf of Mexico is getting hotter and hotter making a storm like this inevitable. Ignore them and all their global warming Chicken Littles. There is nothing unusual about a hurricane that was so wide it would be like having one F-4 tornado that stretched from New York to Cleveland. No, Mr. Bush, you just stay the course. It's not your fault that 30 percent of New Orleans lives in poverty or that tens of thousands had no transportation to get out of town. C'mon, they're black! I mean, it's not like this happened to Kennebunkport. Can you imagine leaving white people on their roofs for five days? Don't make me laugh! Race has nothing -- NOTHING -- to do with this! You hang in there, Mr. Bush. Just try to find a few of our Army helicopters and send them there. Pretend the people of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are near Tikrit.
Yours,
Michael Moore MMFlint@aol.com www.MichaelMoore.com
P.S. That annoying mother, Cindy Sheehan, is no longer at your ranch. She and dozens of other relatives of the Iraqi War dead are now driving across the country, stopping in many cities along the way. Maybe you can catch up with them before they get to DC on September 21st.

I know what it means to miss New Orleans

I am having a really hard time understanding how things went so bad so quickly in New Orleans.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/weather/index.ssf?/base/national-50/1125576848107391.xml&storylist=hurricane

This is a truly horrific story. No food, water, medical supplis...looting, rapes, corpses just everywhere, shooting at helicopters, martial law.... from what is was when I was there in January just makes me sick to think of what it has become since the hurricane. I wonder how my "friends" there - the band from Maison du Bourbon, the swamp tour operator, the bus driver from our hotel that was so nice.... and now I hear Fats Domino has gone missing, among the other thousands. (Horrible but I thought he died years ago.) I cannot even begin to imagine what has happened to the old cemeteries that so fascinated Rob and I... the French Quarter, Emeril's restaurant.... the Garden District with it's verandahs and huge cypress trees, the Aquarium of the Americas, Harrah's Casino... so many wonderful places just gone.