Long Lost Jeans

As I dug through my tubs of seasonal clothing to find clothes to take to a clothing swap, I discovered two pairs of jeans I have been holding on to for....well, let's just say many, many years. I have hung on to these jeans because when I bought them, it was one of "those" moments. Girls, you know the one...when you try on a pair of jeans and the heavens open up and the angels sing. Perfection; As if they were made for you and you alone. So perfect that you'd buy every pair in stock at that moment, if you could. Well, since it has been many, many years since I bought them, it's been many, many years since they have fit. They are the only articles of clothing I have held on to that don't fit me (excluding the dress my mom made me when I was 5). I have held on to them because I told myself I would fit into them again. Today I decided to test the waters and find out how very far away I am to that goal. I hesitated just slightly as I pulled on the first pair, careful not to get too excited by the fact that I could fit my leg into them (I've always been able to pull them on, just not do them up!)...but I found, much to my surprise, that I could do them up!!!!! I quickly squashed my excitement when I realized that if I sat down in them there might be a problem, but I could do them up!!! Woohoo!! One down, one to go. I began the process again with pair #2, and ever to my surprise, I could do them up as well!! Sadly, they are not ready for wearing in public, or in the house, so as not to cut any organ in two, but perhaps sooner than later I can wear them somewhere other than my basement.

Now the only questions left to be answered are; 1) are they still perfect (look awesome) and 2) are they still in style??? Bell bottoms are still cool, right?

Moments of Genius

I'll never be a person with ideas that come to fulfillment and make a million dollars or save the world or anything like that, but every now and again I get these ideas that I just feel would be a waste if I didn't at least try to make them come to fruition.

My first idea that has yet to happen, and looks like it won't again this season, is for Wade Robson to choreograph a dance to Pink Elephants on Parade. Every time I see a dance by him, or even just a picture of him the song goes through my head. It's like his theme song, but he has no idea. So maybe a write in campaign??

My second idea that I have had since this last season of American Idol, and bangs around my head every time the song plays while I run, is that Adam Lambert NEEDS to do a version of The Darkness' I Believe In A Thing Called Love. For those of you who haven't heard the song, here. skip about a minute into it when the song starts. Now picture Adam Lambert singing. Doesn't it make total sense?? I'm thinking with all those Glambert fans out there we can make this one happen. I really wanted him to sing it on idol, it would have been awesome and completely suited his scream-y, stick my tongue out, thing he does when he hits the crazy notes.

Just my two cents. Let's make this happen!!

Music Makes the World Go Round

As I embarked on my (hopefully) daily exercise regime today, I noticed something. I'm not sure what this say about me, but I found it interesting.

Since I have been exercising in the basement, I no longer have a TV to keep me entertained, and I have found it difficult to read while I run (yes run, sometimes interspersed with walking, well walking interspersed with running actually), so I have confiscated the iPod from Mark to help the time pass as I slowly die in the basement. Yesterday after the "run" I realized that when I choose shuffle it becomes more like fast forward due to the fact that 80% of the music on the iPod is either Mark's or T's, so I decided to make a playlist of my tunes so I didn't have to fast forward so much. Well, it turns out that even with a playlist of just my songs, I still fast forward as much (musical ADD), but I did listen to 4 songs fully. Want to know what they were? Ice Ice Baby, Blue Monday '88, Come On Over, and (And That's The) Way It Is. During my cool down walk Dirrty came on, so of course I had to speed up for that, and when I was seconds from being finished I had to run again because I Believe In A Thing Called Love came on and who can cool down walk to that!? Not I sir.

I am glad that I am in the basement and not at the gym because I fully believe I look like a dork as I sweat, rocking out, dancewalking, to Kylie Minogue's Love At First Sight, with my wrist weights on (who knew wrists could sweat by the way??), but there's no mirror in my basement, so dancewalk I will!!

I've stropped with my little weekly check ins...they didn't seem to do too much for me other than serve as I reminder of what I hadn't done, but since I have started exercising at home, I think I am doing better. Last week I exercised four days, in addition to park play and walks. This week I have the goal of 5 days...2 down, 3 to go. Of course, then T and I leave for 2 weeks so I am sure it will all go to pot while we're gone, but we'll just focus on the present for the time being. Now if only I hadn't bought those chocolate covered pomegranate things from Costco. They're not as good as I had hoped they would be, but they're still good. Must refrain.

Random Rants and Raves

Ok, I don't know about you, but I can't look at that bear bum anymore. :o)

Anyone out there had those Fiber One bars? Or at least seen the ads? The latest one has a guy coming back 4 or 5 times, in disguise, to steal more samples. We used to buy them all the time, because they are actually quite tasty, however, the ads neglect to inform you of one small side effect. Gas. Flatulence. Farts. Whatever you want to call it, you get it. And, if you are like some people in this household and decide to eat more than 1 in a day (like 3)....well, just ask Mark what happens if you want the specifics.

Growing up, I loved to watch You Can't Do That on Television. It was awesome TV. Alanis Morissette used to be on the show! Well, Tuesday, Barth died. He was awesome, but so gross at the same time. An integral part of the show. Where is TV like that these days? YCDTOT and Degrassi...all the good TV comes out of Canada!

I am trying to find some sort of decor to put in the bathroom now that it has a sparkly new paint job, but what do you hang on bathroom walls?? It's been harder than I thought, or maybe I am just thinking too hard about this. Anyone have any good bathroom decorating tips/ideas?

HBO's new show is ri.DIC.u.lous. And yes that was intended. Is there really no other worthy topics out there to base a show on, this is what's left? Granted, I've never watched an episode, but I really don't want to, and why would I?

SYTYCD this season just seems to be missing something from seasons past. There's no personality this time around. The dancers are great, but they all just seem to mix together and no one really seems to stand out. And this last episode, the 100th? Lame. Were those encore routines even done live? Doubtful seeing as they never spoke to the dancers. Or maybe they were live and they just wanted to give more time to the spectacular Katie Holmes number. Lame-O. Definitely not live. Definitely lip synced. Massively Lame-O. It was fun to see Wade (Pink Elephants on Parade) Robson step in with the kids for a number though.

How is it impossible that I can't find a cute pair of sandals when I live a mile away from DSW? I have been searching for 2 months now...guess I will wait until next summer.

I finally got this shirt from Express that I have wanted for months and months...and I love it. Only, it's in green and I got a discount because the seam on the zipper had ripped (2 minute fix). I wish I could wear it every day.

Oh, and stay tuned. We're going to get Mark his own little platform for all of his politics, sports, jokes, stories and anything else he can offend with! You won't want to miss this.

Until then kids...enjoy the weekend!

Customer Loyalty

After being inundated with another ridiculously, stupid Charmin commercial, I realized that Charmin is one brand I have never, and will never, buy solely because their advertising bugs me to no end. Do people really have that much trouble wiping, having toilet paper stuck to their behinds and having to use half a roll each time? If the latter is something you struggle with, a trip to the Doctor might be in order, not a different brand of TP.

Other than Charmin, I also boycott Philips and AT&T. Those boycotts are based on horrific customer service, or I guess I should say the lack of customer service. I just figure if you're not willing to help me out when my problem is something YOU did...you don't need my money. I will never own an iphone only because AT&T is the sole carrier for the device. And since early 2004 I have not purchased anything with the name Philips on it. I also don't make a habit of going into American Apparel stores. I've never worn there clothes or actually stepped into a store, but I really don't care for the owner of the company from articles and interviews I have read about him. I think his keeping jobs local, paying decent wages and having a proper work environment is commendable, but I am not a fan of some of his other thoughts and actions!

I realize that to companies as large as these are, my wee boycott doesn't have a large impact on them, but the companies to whose products I switched probably enjoy it!!

So, are there any products or companies you avoid because of past experiences, ridiculous commercials, inappropriate advertising or some other reason? Or is it just me?

Choose Your Own Adventure

As the news was on in the background last night, they were doing a story on gene testing for Alzheimer's and whether or not people would want to know their risk.

The average American has a 15% chance that they will develop Alzheimer's by age 85, but there are those people who are at a higher risk, especially if someone in your family has suffered from the disease. There is a gene called APOE, and if you carry this gene, your odds increase that you to will develop Alzheimer's. 1 in 4 people carry one APOE gene, making them 3 times as likely to develop the disease; those who carry two copies of the gene are 10 times as likely.

Most of the people who went through the testing did not have a negative reaction to their results. A few of those tested had a family member who was suffering, or who had suffered, with the disease. If it's in your family, you probably figure you have a greater risk of developing it yourself, but would you want to know just how much greater the odds were? What would you do if you found out you were 10 times as likely to suffer from it? Would you begin a journal (a la The Notebook) to remind yourself and to let others know the past? Would you change the way you lived?

What if they could tell you your odds of other diseases (cancer, tumours, brain disease, MS, etc.,) would you find out? If breast cancer was in your family, ladies would you take preemptive strikes to lessen your chances (like Christina Applegate)?

Or would you choose not to know and live out your life as it comes?

Mark once said that it would be dumb to not find out the gender of a child since the technology is there, likening it to finding out if a tumour was cancerous or not. You would never not use the technology available to save your health....so would you try to see into the future, even if the outcome wasn't a guarantee? Alzheimer's is in my family...it's not fun, but I don't know if I would want to know my risk level. I guess a part of me assumes there is a good chance I could journey down the road with it, but I think I just want to leave it as an assumption.

What about you?

Irk and Bernie

Bernie Madoff. I am sure we're all familiar with him and what he did. And yes, it sucks for those who lost their money to him, big time - especially for those who invested a LOT of money with him. Now he is in prison. For 150 years. Yes, 150 years. Think of all that time he'll have to think about the wrongs he's committed and the lives he ruined, or destroyed. He'll be able to read, relax, work, make friends, play basketball, knit, paint...anything he wants, it' not like he'll have a shortage of time.

Oh wait. He will have a shortage of time because he's going to DIE in prison, unless he has some sort of longevity secret he has been keeping to himself. Maybe he'll be the first person in modern time to live to be over 200 years old!! Right now, as he sits in his cell he maniacally laughs under his breath at how he has out smarted the system again! "Fools all of you!! I will be out long after everyone has forgotten about me and I will do it all again! 150 years and death will not stop me!!"

Here's my issue. Madoff gets 150 years for stealing people's money, yet sentences for murder, rape, and child abuse are handed out for less than 10 percent of Bernie's sentence. Plea deals are made, convicts are let out for good behaviour...you can't tell me you would rather have a convicted murderer roaming your streets over a guy who stole money from people? Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to 15 life sentences (roughly 936 years) and David Burkowitz was sentenced to 365 years. Those I can understand given the number of people they killed and the ways in which they were killed. You don't want those guys roaming around your street. But Bernie Madoff, really? Would Mothers run, screaming, to gather their children from the park if Bernie was coming? Would baseball games be called because Bernie was in the stands? Highly doubtful. Give the guy his sentence, he broke the law. Make an example out of him to try to keep would be thieves at bay (not likely), but let's be realistic here, there has got to be some sort of balance on the scales of justice; 150 years for stealing money and 12 years for murder....seems a little unbalanced to me.

Missed Opportunities

So snapfish has a great deal on right now...well only until the end of today (the 10th). 50 prints for 50 pennies. Awesome! I needed to print out some pictures for my grandma anyway, might as well take advantage of the deal, right?

I upload my pictures, place my order and think to myself, "Even with shipping that was cheaper than going to the photo place! Way to go self!!"

Then tonight as I am talking to my Mom and was going to mention the deal to her, I realized I paid a lot more than 50 cents plus shipping. Perhaps I missed the deal and it ended yesterday (until the 10th). To make myself feel better I went to the website, and sure enough there was the deal all big and bright right in my face. So why didn't I get the deal price??

Oh...I forgot to type in the coupon code at checkout. Idiot.

So, if any of you need photos printed and see this before midnight (in your timezone), check it out!! Just don't forget to type in the promo code or you'll be joining me at, what my friend used to call the table in math class for kids who needed some help, the idiot table.

To Say or Not To Say

If you have an opinion on something, do you always share it? Is it sometimes better to keep your mouth shut, even if you feel really strongly about something? Should you always stand up for what you think, or is letting sleeping dogs lie sometimes the better road to take?

If your opinion is different than the majority should you always voice it to try to show the other side of the story, or is there a time when being silent is the best decision?

Monday's Musings

Does anyone watch Entertainment Tonight? Or any of the celeb trash shows?

If you do watch these shows, do you admit it to people? I used to watch ET back in the day, maybe 15 years ago (ugh), but the only time I see it now is when I am changing the channel to catch my daily Wheel of Fortune fix.

I think John Tesh had the good sense to jump ship, yet somehow the show just keeps rolling ahead. Is it really any better than the tabloid magazines, Perez Hilton or TMZ? From the glimpse I got of last Friday's show, and the blatant exploitation of Michael Jackson's death, I would vote no. When did we get so obsessed with celebrity that obviously made up claims, assumptions and accusations overshadow the real news stories of the world. I admit, I like me some celebrity gossip, but when it strays over the line into inappropriateness or bad taste, I shut it down. When David Carridine died, I couldn't believe the "stories" these shows put together on the situation. Does the public really need to know the sordid details. These people have families, let them grieve without public scrutiny and prying eyes.

Obviously people are watching and reading otherwise, ET, Access Hollywood and all of the others would fade away nicely. I confess that I used to read Perez Hilton's website, but I gave it up because it seemed to be one of the best examples of hypocrisy I could give. Now, after his altercation in Toronto with wil.i.am...I guarantee you I will never type his website address again.

Anyway, just my rant for today. Nothing mind busting or important, just my two cents.

Mental Vacation

I'm guessing we've all taken the time to enjoy Mark's sentimental ode to Rigby, but I think it is time for something new to grace our blog.

Unfortunately, my brain seems to have taken a vacation (it's the only part of me that gets to go) and I have no energy or wittiness to write something. I don't think it's very often that I am at a loss of words, and there has certainly been a lot of happenings since we left for Idaho. I would love to offer my thoughts on Michael Jackson passing, but I think it's a little too late. I will say that I was shocked, saddened and a little disappointed at the amount of jokes and inappropriate comments made far and wide about the man. Yes his past was not perfect. No we don't know specifics, but the man died, he has 3 children and a family, he was probably the greatest artist to influence popular music today, have some respect. Thriller was 1 of the first 2 albums (yes albums) I ever owned. I still have them. I don't think anyone will ever top him at his highest, he will be missed. Moving on.

Perhaps over the weekend I will mull over my thoughts and get back to my overblown dream of becoming famous in the world of blogospheres.

Until then, belated Happy Canada Day to all of my Canadian fans and early Happy 4th to all of my American fans. Canada, next year I will be back to enjoy all that Canada Day goodness...it's been far too long since I was home to celebrate. So to compensate, T and I are hitting the outlets tomorrow...nothing like discount shopping to perk a gal up!