Can I say "Cha-Ching"???

Cha-Ching! That is the sound made at the vet's office when I call and say "Yes, this is LisaPie and I need to bring my herd of cats over there for their yearly check-ups, shots, etc." It was not long after we moved to this area and adding my herd increased their patient load exponentially that they drew up plans and tore down the small, old building and put up a huge, shiny, new building and made the old one the parking lot. Coincidence? I think not.

Here's the deal, Gato Pato leads the pack at 14 years. Then we have Nikita Babushka and Maxwell Banks II who are both 12 now. Stanley Manley and Little Lester Buster are now 8 years old. So all of them are considered "Seniors" by the veterinarian community. Bringing up the rear are the twins Angus MacPhee and Fergus Jackson MacPhee who are 3 and Ernest T. Bass who is almost 2. Did you know that it costs a fortune to take all these critters to the vet annually? Today I took all the cats in and it will be next month before I catch my breath and schedule the dogs.

I am thinking of asking for a plaque or something at the entrance that says "This facility made possible by the herd at LisaPie's house" or something along those lines. People ask why on earth I have 5 cats and 3 dogs. And the answer is because I don't want 6 cats and 4 dogs! I have already told Mr. Big Ed that when these beloved pets start expiring and I begin saying things like "Oh, I have always wanted a (insert new pet here)" that I don't really mean it. I swear I am at my limit.

There are so many dogs and cats and other creatures out there that I would love to have, but honestly how many can you really have and still be a responsible pet owner?

But if I could magically have every pet I ever wanted. . . . . The list would include but not be limited to:

More Siberian Huskies,
a Bull Terrier (the Spuds McKenzie, Target dog)
a Puli,
a PBGV,
another Chinchilla like Rachel Pie had,
a Sealyham Terrier,
a Scottish Terrier (Rachel Pie calls these Scotch Doggies),
a Wire Haired Dachshund,
a salt water tropical fish tank,
bunnies,
guinea pigs,
a wolf or wolf hybrid (I know, this is questionable, keeping a wild animal)

Notice, there are no reptiles and spiders. Not my speed. Other than the closet spider I have. I like my closet spider. Having her makes me feel confident there are no bugs lurking in my closet. I do worry about her that she doesn't get enough to eat, so if I find a small bug, gnat or something I take them in there and fling them into her web.

Anyhoo, I spent the morning actually herding cats! You know how people always say "like herding cats" about something? Well, today was my cat herding day. And let me say I am tired. I think the cats are too!

Cross your fingers that everyone's lab work comes back fine and none of them have anything horrible.

Survivor!

Ok, who saw Survivor Thursday night? Anyone? Well, I had to wait to see it until Friday because my local CBS station was pre-empting all the line up with the Spurs game. Which was a disaster of Biblical proportions, may I say. Ye Gads! Today's game better more than make up for that crap that passed as a game on Thursday.

Back to Survivor . . . . OMG! Can I just say OMG again??? I loved it! I loved it! What a hoot! After ole Tyson says to Sierra, "I know you weren't the mastermind, you aren't smart enough". Well, karma is a bitch, ain't it? Don't you love it when smug bastards get their come-uppance? I sure as hell do! Makes for great television, don't it?? :)

And what was almost as good was watching Coach the Moron deflating as the votes were read. Watching him realize he DOESN'T have this whole thing in the bag was priceless. Don't get me wrong, I like Tyson. I think he had the potential to win this game. But he got seriously cocky and that was his downfall. Coach, well there are no words to describe his cockiness. We shall see if he eats some humble pie this coming week.

Another thing I loved was that they didn't tell Sierra what was going on. I know that sounds mean, but she isn't a good enough actress to have pulled off what they did. But watching the realization that she just might squeak by was equally as good as watching Tyson realize that he is hitting the road. And don't let the door knob hit ya! Ha!

How much fun was this episode? Especially after watching the Coach/Tyson alliance berate her and act like schoolyard bullies all week before the vote. Makes you love that Steven a little, doesn't it? Aaaah, it's a great thing!

Don't forget to go to Brendan's new company's website and sign up for free burrito coupons. Still good till Coach gets voted out. I sure wish you could see how happy, jovial and bubbly I am over here!!

Coach, you better come down a notch or two and you better be watching your ass!

More favorite things

More things that I love:

Puppy breath (but I don't want any more puppies!! I just want to smell other people's puppies)

The new Jack in the Box commercial http://www.jackinthebox.com/ Click on commercials and then the cowboy Jack one about the mini sirloin burgers. Awesome!!!

Watching my trees get more and more green each day.

Re-connecting with old friends.

Doing the unexpected and making someone happy.

Daily going to www.wherethehellismatt.com and http://www.freehugscampaign.org/index.php?categoryid=1
These 2 sites really cheer me up and get me in the right frame of mind for the day.

Waking up on my own with no alarm to jolt me out of bed and finding at least 3 cats and 1 dog snuggling all around me. That's a nice way to wake up!

Talking with my kids daily. That's the best!

Laughing.

Learning something new.

Meeting new people. And then finding things in common. fun!

Playing games, cards, doing puzzles.

Watching my savings grow and dreaming of what I could possibly do with it.

Finding new ways to do things, to use things that might be considered unusable, to look at things in a new light.

Water. Being in water or near water. I picture my retirement forever home with water. A stream, a lake, a river, something.

Now, I am singing in my head that song My favorite things from The Sound of Music. "I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel sooooooo bad!"

Monday a.m. quarterbacking of t.v. shows

I have to start out with Survivor. As much as Coach is annoying me, that's how much Tyson is growing on me. That guy is a hoot! I still like J.T. the best, but I just don't see him in a power position. Maybe if he had voted with the inter-group alliance of Taj, Brendan, Steven and Sierra, then he could have been the big dog. But now that he aligned himself with Coach, Tyson, etc. he is really going to have to watch his back. The previews for this week show everyone being shitty to Sierra and just telling her straight to her face, you're going next. That must be tough to live with.

Oh, and this is hysterical. Everyone was all "Oh, Taj is rich, she doesn't need the money" but now that Brendan is home again, word is out that he is one of the founders of Bare Naked and is starting a new company of all natural organic foods and if you go to http://www.evolburritos.com/ and fill out a form they will mail you a coupon for free burritos. This offer only lasts until that moron Coach gets evicted, so don't dilly dally!! :) I am so loving this!!

Ok, on Amazing Race last night the small guys Michael and Mark got eliminated. That's too bad. They were so up-beat and loved every task they were given. Unlike those nasty cheerleader girls who complain, bitch and berate every single person they come in contact with for not speaking English and making their lives easier. I'm sorry but I just can't stand them!! And what was up with Jen and Luke? Good Lord! I guess my favorite person on AR is Margie. She is awesome. And did you listen (read the subtitles) to Tammy and Victor telling the calligraphers to do mine first, over and over again! Ha! That was funny. And they still ended up in 3rd.

The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency was really good last night. I really love every character on that show. But last night, that cute and feisty Grace the secretary (97%!!!) she just took the cake. She is so endearing you just want to fold her up and stick her in your pocket and carry her around with you all day!

The Tudors - Well, well, old Henry VIII seems to be a strange mix of becoming more revengeful and at the same time more leniant. It must be the hardest thing to play that, but it sure comes across the screen well.

Desperate Housewives was sad. I really hated that Edie had to go. Edie talking to the other women was like them having to look in a "Truth Mirror". She pulled no punches nor cut them any slack. And she expected none cut for her. I guess they had to kill her off this season or find a way for her to sleep with Lynette's husband since he is the only one left she hasn't interacted with!! That would have been hard considering Edie is currently married to Psycho NutCase Man.

Last night I watched Grey Gardens on HBO. It's a movie about a documentary made in the 70's about Big Edie and Little Edie who are the aunt and cousin to Jackie Kennedy. In the movie they are played by Jessica Lange and Drew Barrymore. If this movie doesn't win a ton of Emmy's, I will eat my hat. It's hard to single out one over the other because they both were so good. Now I want to find a copy of the original documentary and see it. Please look for this on your HBO guide and don't miss this.

DWTS - last week was sad to watch Steve-O leave. I hope he can keep his sobriety. He certainly left with his self respect and a huge fan base to support him.

Intervention - reruns again. I can never figure out when there is a new season and when they are showing oldies. By now, don't you think every addict in America has seen this and is "on to them"?? They can't possibly be surprised when the "documentary" turns in to the intervention anymore, can they? I love this show and really do want it to continue. I also love the follow-ups to let us know how these people are doing.

I read that they are currently filming Celebrity Re-Hab 3. And that it will be more about sexual addiction rather than substance addiction. And surprise, surprise! There will be some repeat performances. I think that is coming out in the summer.

I have tried to watch that new 13 part mini series, Harper's Island. And what a piece of crap! The little ads to watch it have a little girl's voice over saying "One by One" to make you think each week they are going to kill off one of the wedding guests on the island. The first show they killed off 2 people, and on the second show, no one has figured that the first two are dead yet, there are 3 more dead. How is this "One by One"?? As much as I like the actor who is playing the groom-to-be, I am done with this and no way can I sit through 11 more episodes.

Biggest Loser! See what happens, Laura? Karma came back and bit you in the ass! That's what happens. Please, with a stress fracture and not being able to workout, why was there any discussion? That's just being selfish. It was her turn to leave. I hope she gets physical therapy to get her hip back in good shape. But she is NOT the Biggest Loser.

That's it for now. I am off to do something productive with the rest of my day. Enjoy your day and leave some comments!

Update on my gray water setup

I went to my local hardware store that used to be Ace, but now is just an independent. They have the nicest, most helpful people there. So, I asked around and found a plumbing expert guy and explained my predicament. He showed me all the stuff I can use to re-route the washing machine water to my rain barrel. Now I have to get some measurements so I can go back over there and purchase the correct quantities of hoses, pipes and fittings.

And get this . . . . . The whole setup is going to run me about $35.00. Not bad! Not only will I be saving 75 gallons of water each week from going to sewage, but I will also be using those 75 gallons a second time on my lawn or garden and that will save me an additional 75 gallons that I would have had to get from my hose otherwise.

The hardware store guy told me lots of people are doing this. They also have an umbrella style clothesline that I had been eyeing. What I would like to do with it is see if it will fit in the stand I have for the umbrella that goes over my patio table. If it will fit in that stand and the stand will hold it up, I can have loads of flexibility over where I want to set it up depending on sun, wind, or other weather factors. Woo Hoo!!

It was a great visit to the hardware store. And now that I am figuring out the whole putting pictures up here, I will do lots of visuals on here so that you can also do something similar in your own house!

Doesn't take much to make me all happy and bubbly, does it? :)

Totally off-topic, but in the news of the weird: A man walked up the big highway overpass near my house this morning and jumped off right on to the other highway underneath it and killed himself. Isn't that awful? I can not even imagine what a misery his life was to have made that walk (which is extremely long and dangerous all on it's own) up to the 3rd level of the highway and then to make the jump into traffic. Very, very sad. I wonder if there will be an obituary for him this weekend? I will pray for him and any family he leaves behind.

Practicing with Pics

Here is a practice picture to see if I can get pics on here and position them. No telling how many years ago THOSE bluebonnets bloomed! Not too many around here this year. That's sad, isn't it?

What are you doing for Mother Earth?

It's that time of year again, folks. Yep, a week from today is Earth Day. Do you have plans? Does this day even appear on your radar? Typically, Earth Day falls in the middle of Fiesta. What is Fiesta, you ask? http://www.fiesta-sa.org/ is the link to the Official Goings-On here for the next 2 weeks or so. There is more to do here than you can shake a stick at! Honestly, you can't do 1/4th of all there is fun to do. Loads of parades, contests, concerts, beads, etc. Think of it as a Mexican Mardi Gras that lasts a fortnight!

And in the middle of all the hullaballoo there is an Earth Day celebration at one of the small lakes in town. It is a really nice event. They usually give away small trees till they run out. There is a bunch of booths of people with information about the environment, lots of vegetarian food vendors, music, games and things for the kidlets, gardening (free seeds), water conservation, electricity, pretty much all the stuff you might imagine at an Earth Day event. It is a nice counter-point to all the other Fiesta party things.

Earth Day for me is a good time to take stock of what I am doing, what I could be doing and what things I need to strive to get to in my quest to have a lighter footprint and leave this planet a tid bit better than I found it. I have done a really good job at getting my paper and disposables down to a minimum. My big focus this year is water. There is a show on PBS I have caught a couple of times called State of Tomorrow that addresses all sorts of state-wide issues and one thing I paid particular attention to last week was this: In the coming years we are not going to be experiencing a big decrease in rainfall, HOWEVER we are definitely going to have an increase in temperatures. So the rain we get is going to evaporate more and at a faster pace. Essentially, that means less water overall going into our rivers, lakes, aquifers, yards, rain barrels, everything. Every drop has to count. If it can be saved and used again as gray water, it should be.

I called our local water company and asked about getting the water from my washing machine to my rain barrels instead of in the sewage pipes and they were no help at all. None. First I had to call 3 times to get an actual person. Then the person I got was not the right person. The right person I had left messages for and still to this day have never gotten a call back. I know that this can be done and probably easily, I just can't get from the planning stage to the execution stage. I need to go hang out at a hardware store in the plumbing dept. to find out the names of things so that I can draw up a plan of what I need. I have the Kenmore HE 3t washer and dryer set that are the most awesome machines on the planet. I love my washer and dryer so much!!! I know that I have sold 4 or 5 sets of these and Sears should love me and my efforts on their behalf. And the point of that is that I know my washer uses a paltry 15 gallons of water per wash load. This is opposed to the giant Maytag top loader types that use 45 - 50 gallons!!! Is that insane? I probably do 4 or 5 loads a week. Which in my head translates to 5 x 15 = 75 gallons a week that could be going on my flower beds, lawn, and garden. Did you know or am I the last person on the planet to know that you get billed by the water company for how many gallons come into your house AND for how many leave via sewer pipes? You are paying for water TWICE that you use ONCE. That is why I am trying to find ways to use it twice and not have it go into the sewer where I will get billed for it again. Makes sense to do this, right?

My other little contribution to this is to find some rubbermaid tubs the size of my kitchen sinks to run wash and rinse water in and then dump them on the lawn rather than down the drain. I haven't measured my water usage in the kitchen sink but I am sure it is astronomical. Especially since I am a "water runner". When I get the water to just the right temp I like to leave it on when I am using it because it is such a pain in the ass to get it just right again. This is a really bad habit that drives Rachel Pie up the walls and I am trying to find new ways, so hopefully this will be a thing of the past.

One of my friends told me she is getting married next week on Earth Day and I am now picturing her planting a tree on each of her anniversaries. Isn't that a great idea?

Have a wonderful Earth Day and find a new, small way or a big way to make a better impact on our Mother. I like the idea that we didn't inherit the Earth from our grandparents; we are borrowing it from our grandchildren. Let's keep it clean!

How are you helping the environment? Post some ideas in the comments and let's share new things we can all do.

Sunday night t.v. updates and such

Alright, it is official. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency on HBO is AWESOME!! It just strikes a chord with me. This is my new "Best Show on Sunday Nights". If you haven't seen it yet next Friday night they are showing a marathon of the first 3 episodes back to back.

Amazing Race. Well, mostly I just want to say zzzzz, snore, zzzzz, boring. Wtf was all that about not keeping your bags with you? If you are that dumb you just need to go home. I like Luke and Margie but Victor and Tammy are growing on me. Those horribly RUDE twits that I can't tell apart, O. M. G.!!! Could that one get any worse? She is so nasty to every single person she encounters that I don't know why she hasn't been dumped out of a cab in the middle of nowhere and told to just piss off. Shame, shame, shame on her.

Survivor. Kinda boring too. I am torn between wanting that idiot Coach gone and wanting to see what shinanegans he will pull next week! :) I really like J.T. but somehow those genuinely nice guys get taken down by a group of weak weasels, so we shall see. I just keep wanting to yell at the t.v., "Watch your back, J.T.!!"

And the Spurs squeaked by another game! It is not looking hopeful for us in the playoffs with Manu out the rest of the season, but you never know. So long as we stay in longer than Dallas and Phoenix, that's a good thing.

DWTS - last week I truly thought LT was a goner. But no, poor DAG left the building. He really seemed like he had his heart in it. I hope Steve-O can keep learning and getting better. I can't hardly picture a scenario where that gorgeous Gilles Marini won't win. And why the hell not? Looking forward to what happens this week.

There is a new show that comes on after DWTS called Castle. It is surprisingly funny. The lead guy was the gyno in the movie The Waitress with that cute girl from Felicity. What the heck is her name? It was all the big to-do when she cut her long, curly locks. Anyhoo, she starred in The Waitress with this guy and it was one of the smartest, sweetest little indie movie ever. The girl who wrote it and also starred in it was murdered between wrapping up production and the movie's release. Isn't that horrible? I liked it enough that I have seen it 3 times. So, the guy who was the gyno in the movie has a new series called Castle. He plays Rick Castle an author of crime novels and he has boo-koos of money and a crazy mom (played brilliantly by Susan Sullivan) and a daughter. But the show is about his relationship with this female detective that he is basing a new character on. Supposedly he has friends in high places and they are letting him follow her around while she has a new case each week. It seems like the kind of thing that could get tired and predictable quick, but so far it is really good. The chemistry between the two reminds me of the beginning of the Moonlighting series with Bruce (be still my heart!) Willis and Cybill Shepard. Remember when that was good? Not towards the end when it was awful.

The Tudors started back up with a bang. It's hard to believe that it is less than 500 years since ole Henry VIII was running things. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Henry just gets crankier and more paranoid by the day. It is one of the best things on t.v. I said it before and I stand by it, I miss that little tart Anne Boleyn! She was really good.

I should quit channeling Siskel and Ebert and get to bed.

Oh!! One more thing, Biggest Loser! W. T. F.!!!!! Sione is gone. Arrrgghh, I can't stand it. I loved him. That Laura is a dumbass. I would have voted Helen out in a heartbeat. And Laura needs to think about Tara. Tara said over and over how much Sione pushed her to be better and stronger. With him gone, what will drive Tara? Did Laura just screw her partner? I can't stand it!

All done with t.v. for now. Till next time . . . .

Lent p.s.

P.S. to the Lenten post below: Yes, I am continuing this. I still have a ton of the brown bags, and recently bought a new bag of oranges. I will keep my eye on when the stores mark the cases of bottled water down and add to that.

Now that I have a routine, it really will be minimal effort to replenish as supplies go down. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I notice more and more homeless people with this economy. Everyone needs help at some point in their lives. It will be interesting to see how this little project changes and evolves over the coming months. :)

Lent is over, Easter is upon us, how have you fared?

I couldn't start this with Happy Easter, Hallelujah, Christ is Risen or any other Easter phrase because technically it is Saturday and not yet Easter. Yes, I am being nit-picky about that, but that's okay.

Lent started with me intending to make Left-Over Soup once a week and using the savings from the meal I didn't make to give more to the homeless I encounter on a daily basis. What ACTUALLY happened is this: I pre-bought a big of mixed apples and oranges and some small bags of granola stuff and some nuts, bottles of water and brown paper bags. Then I typed up nice little affirmation things like "You are Loved", "You are a child of God", "Smile, and pass it on". I put one of each in a brown paper bag and rolled them tightly closed (because I found out if they are NOT tightly closed, they open when I brake and something will roll right under my feet and gas pedal, not good!). I carry about 2 or 3 of these every time I leave the house.

So I pre-spent the money I was going to save during Lent by making the soup. And several times the Left-Over Soup turned into some other Left-Over meal rather than soup. Some things just don't lend themselves to broth!! But I have to say here, my homeless crew loved their bags. They really loved their bags. Most especially, they loved getting a bottle of water. I hope they liked the fruit and nuts and the messages.

What I am taking from this Lenten season is that it is SO much better to give than to receive. And that it takes a very small effort on my part to make a difference in someone's day. I have a "station" on my kitchen counter next to the fruit bowl where I have the little strips of paper affirmations, the box with the little bags of nuts and the paper bags. When I leave the house in the mornings I just open a bag and put one of each in and then grab a bottle of water and then remember to roll it closed tightly! I found the nuts and granola in the clearance aisle at Target, the bags cost very little, the fruit is inexpensive and while I haven't figured out the exact cost of each, I know it wasn't very much.

My husband has started carrying extra bottles of water with him to give out as well.

I am calling my Lenten project a success even if it didn't go exactly as planned, but then again what really does?

Have a very happy and blessed Easter with your loved ones. Be well and don't forget to eat some Peeps!!

Whining

I am a big, fat whiner today. I absolutely DETEST whining. My kids learned, probably before they could walk, to answer the question "What do you get when you whine?" in unison "DIDDLEY SQUAT"!!!

Yet here I am today whining. And there is no one in sight to say, "Oh poor LisaPie, let me take care of you and make things better". Truthfully, no one ever says that, but today I am feeling inordinately needy and whiney, so it is especially noticeable.

I am not sure what my problem is but I am feeling nostalgic about Easters past. Back when my kidlets were small and Easter was such great fun, what with decorating the house, Easter bunnies, Easter eggs, Easter outfits, going to church and seeing the hundreds of people who only show up on Easter and Christmas, a big Easter feast and lots of chocolate bunnies and PEEPS!! I do love me some Peeps. So my kids are big people now and Rachel Pie is off in school and has no plans to come home (unless there is a surprise in store for me this weekend! Dare I hope?) and Jonathon is still up in the air on his plans. Mr. Big Ed is off at a local seminary at a Holy Week silent retreat and has his phone off because, well . . . . it's a silent retreat.

So there is no one but the dogs to hide eggs for, no one to decorate the house for but me, no new Easter outfit since I am not buying anything, no big feast and probably no Peeps since I am the only one in this whole house who likes the Peeps. Kind of a sad and pathetic Easter, huh?

That is, unless I am getting surprised by both kids coming home and planning something? Anyone think that is remotely possible? No? Me, neither.

No more whining for me unless I want to alienate the small, tiny group of 4 that is my followers on this blog. (See how I snuck in one more whine?)

If you read this, send me a reason to perk up and quit being a big whiney ass wiener.

Doula stuff, etc.

I got a new doula client last week who is due this week! I really like her and feel we have a good rapport and it has been a while since I have been at a birth so it seems like we were meant to be.

After that I have a July birth scheduled, then August and Sept. Out of all 4 of these births only one is a girl, 2 boys and 1 not known yet. I always make a soft cotton blanket for my babies, so I will need to get cracking on some more boy blankies.

Last week we had visitors from Denver here and the wife of the bunch does childbirth ed classes and is now doing some doula work for her local hospital. Their hospital keeps a rotation of doulas on call so that if anyone comes in and asks for one, they get a call. I like that idea. Nothing like that around here. But you get no prenatal contact with the moms to get to know them and build a trusting relationship, so it makes me think the doula's services will be limited. I don't know, maybe there is some research out there that would be worth looking at. Most importantly, I think having a doula in ANY capacity is better than not having one.

Tomorrow is my sister's birthday. We are exactly 16 months apart. I wish her a beautiful day with no stress and lots of hugs and other expressions of love and appreciation.

Yesterday it was in the high 80's around here and with bright, blazing sun. Today it is 40-50 and breezy and cloudy. Certainly interesting weather.

So yesterday was Palm Sunday and we are now in Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday. Last year we had a very non-traditional paella for Easter and enjoyed it so much I believe we are doing it again this year! Nothing like making new traditions! We have also made enchiladas, rice, beans and guacamole our traditional Christmas Dinner. After tamales for Christmas Eve, it just seemed like the right thing to do! We are real sticklers about Thanksgiving, though. No one messes with the turkey dinner, I don't care who you are! :)

Just a quick t.v. note

I know, I know, it looks like all I do is watch t.v.! It's not true. But I DVR loads of shows and do marathons while I knit or crochet or something.

I have been watching the new series Life on Mars this season because it stars Harvey Keitel, the most manly man alive and also Christafah from the Sopranos. It's about this cop in 2008 who gets shot and is in the hospital probably in a coma and wakes up in 1973. He can't figure out if he is "really" in 1973 or if he is in a coma and just dreaming his new life, or what the hell has happened. It's a pretty good cop show at the core, but then the layers of why is he there, what is he supposed to be doing, etc, make it even better. You know what takes it over the top? THE MUSIC!!!! 1973 had some outstanding music and they play so many great songs on each episode. Harvey Keitel and great 70's music? Ha! What could be better?

So I noticed last week on the previews for this week's episode they said "The SERIES Finale", not The Season Finale. Holy Moley!!! Good Gravy! They are ending it after one season? How could this be?

Should I tell about the ending or not? Does anyone besides me watch this show? Does anyone read this blog and care? Who knows? So, forewarned! I am going to spill the beans. Quit reading if you don't want to know.

Everyone here that wants to know? This turned out to be one of the coolest finales since probably the Newhart show finale. Aren't you all atwitter with anticipation?

Well, it turns out Sam is NOT from 2008 like he thought, he is from 2036 or 56 or some time way in the future. And he is in one of those sleep chambers in a space ship on a flight to Mars with the rest of his crack astronaut team (who are all the other characters of the show) and they have all been asleep for the several year flight to get there. Apparently something in the mix of the sleep stuff made his dreams go wonky and that is what we were getting a private viewing of. Also, big news the guy in 1973 that he kept dreaming about that was his dad and was a complete evil dickhead wasn't really his dad! His dad turns out to be Harvey Keitel, who was his 1973 Captain and as great a dad as you could want. Oh, it was so clever!! And now we know why they called it Life on Mars.

Apparently it was planned to be a one season long gig, which is WAY better than having to tell Mr. Keitel his series didn't do so well. If you see this up somewhere to watch a marathon of all the episodes, do so. If they put it up for sale on DVD or something, buy it. I liked it and I especially liked that it went out with a bang.

Good Job, Life on Mars!

Tea Hoarding, t.v. updates, various musings

Well, here it is April Fool's Day. No, I am not going to try to fool or trick anyone. This is "real" information here!

It is now officially 3 months into the Tea Hoarding Challenge. Woo Hoo!! I hope that I continue to work my way through all the hoarded tea before succumbing to the siren's call of the tea aisle at the store. I have finished off my English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Afternoon Darjeeling and am working on a tin of loose French Breakfast tea. Note the theme. I do love me some breakfast teas!! But none as much as the Beloved Taylor's of Harrogate Scottish Breakfast. I am still allowing myself one cuppa on Sundays of the Scottish Breakfast. The perfect tea for reading the Sunday obituaries! My friend Patty Cakes and I are considering donning our big Derby hats and becoming Funeral Crashers. We read the obits together over the phone on Sundays and pick out the interesting ones we might like to attend. I remember reading in one of Amy Tan's books about the Chinese having professional mourners you pay to show up at your loved one's services. Seems like an ideal job for us. Since we read the obits already. Since we have the hats already. Since 9 out of 10 funerals take place at Ft. Sam Houston we wouldn't even have to drive all over town. We could just go there like some people hang out at the courthouse and watch trials. Something to think about . . . .

Did anyone else watch the new series premiere on HBO? The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I loved this show! First, I just adored the lead character Precious played by Jill Scott. She is one of my new favorites. I loved her! Second, there's all this wonderful African music, singing and the accented English! Oh, now that is something I really, really like. All the character were wonderful. The secretary was a hoot and a half. The effeminate hairdresser, the tow truck driver/garage owner, and all the clients all perfectly portrayed. I understand this is based on a book or series of books and I have no clue why I don't know about them/it. I might just have to head down to the library and scope it out. Try and watch for this show, you won't be disappointed.

There was no Big Love this week. Was last week the season finale? Already? What are they doing, like 8 shows a season? The only Showtime series I saw on was United States of Tara. This is another really high quality show that I bet you dollars to donuts will be up for loads of awards. AND, this Sunday is when The Tudors finally comes back on! Woo Hoo!! We get more Jonathan Rhys-Meyers playing bad-ass Henry VIII. Awesome!

Saving Grace is back on and a little different this season. Not sure I like all the changes. Intervention was a repeat from one or two seasons ago. I never can figure out when they are showing new episodes.

Tonight is the finale of Real World Brooklyn. Not a great season. I am really glad to see them showing more than just falling down drunken orgies, but none of these people really touched me and make me want to remember them. You know what I mean? There are some Real Worlders that everyone knows. By one name only, too! Like Ruthie, Pedro, Coral, Beth, Mike the Miz. I don't think that is going to happen with this cast. But, get this! I was reading online somewhere that they are currently filming the next Real World and guess where it is located? Are you guessing? Did you guess some place really outstanding? Well, if you guessed Cancun you were right! I love Cancun! But you know that means we are back to the alcohol-soaked Real Worlders having orgies, blackouts and stupid fights. We shall see. Also the Real World-Road Rules Challenge is starting up again, I assume right after this RW finishes and I think it is in New Zealand. Should make for some good viewing.

Biggest Loser last night, hmmm. You know, eventually Ron is going to have to go home. It's sad but true. Poor Nicole, didn't even get a real chance. Who are your favorites to take home the prize $$$ this season?

DWTS - all I can say is Praise the Lord!!!!! Both of those ousted people needed to go. Poor Steve-O, I really like him and respect him for trying and so soon out of rehab. I hope he gets better, at dancing and at sobriety. I said from the beginning of the season I like Gilles and Melissa (now that I can remember her name!) as the best dancers, but that Lil Kim was sure a contender this week. Did you get a look at her dance? Carrie-Ann was right, she extended her arms and legs so much you really did think she was like 6 inches taller!

I hate it when a show I like just disappears. Pushing Daisies, is it gone for good? Probably the most creative show ever made. I absolutely loved it. What was the name of the one with the lawyer, Jonny Miller, who could see the future? I liked that show a lot too. I have to assume they are gone for good. Too bad, they were really good. Could I use the word "good" one more time in this paragraph? No? Well, that's GOOD!!!

Totally new topic. I am doing really well on my Compacting in some areas, others, well not so much. My shopping bags make it back to the car and are used each and every time I have to buy something. The problem is I think I am buying too much. I will have to watch that. Still going strong on the no paper napkins, paper plates, disposable things. I do buy Puffs, don't like Kleenex and I buy Viva paper towels. That is a plug for the best paper towels known to man. As long as I live with a bunch of old cats that think one of them should puke daily, I will continue to buy Viva paper towels. I am still looking in to how to do a clothes line and how to get the water from my washing machine to my rain barrel. These things are never far from the front of my mind, I just don't quite know the next step to make them happen. I will post updates as things do develop.

Happy April Fool's Day to all! And as the Who says, Don't get fooled again.