Seriously?!

I try not to go to Boca Raton unless it's a medical emergency. Enough said.
I was there last Saturday and decided to hit the Town Center Mall on the way home, since I was already 30 miles out of my way. I don't normally see people with their pets out in public, especially in Davie (unless they are riding their horses), so imagine my surprise when I looked up from the Sale Rack of shoes in Banana Republic to see some woman uncomfortably lovingly stroking her small dog while she thumbed through the linen pants. Seriously? First of all, your dog doesn't want to go to the mall with you unless...1) there are other dog butts for him to sniff out or 2) there is food for him to eat.
Secondly, your dog would rather be at home, on top of your bed, with his butt firmly planted on your pillow, waiting for you to come home in just enough time to jump off the bed (you will suspect nothing) and greet you as you turn the key in the door. Your dog DOES NOT want to go shopping with you. He doesn't understand why you are holding him like a baby while you look for that cute little V-neck in your size. He would rather be licking himself in the privacy of your bedroom while you are not home. All he wants is more food, another walk, and fresh water.
To all you people who think it is even 'cuter' to put your dog into a 'doggy stroller' so that you can push him around the mall because it makes you feel like you have a baby. God made dogs with 4 legs, that's 2 more than you (and no one is pushing you around the mall in a stroller) so that they can transport themselves to the next place to take a whizz.
By the way, your dog does not need clothing, of ANY type...God put a fur coat on the dog so that he is appropriately dressed for EVERY OCCASION. The dog does not need a silk bikini with a cubic zirconia tiara and little leather booties...you are just humiliating the dog and he is going to walk around like his feet are fire in them anyway. You are only the person who is amused by this.....
PS) I don't want YOUR dog fur on my new linen pants.

Food Network, I love you

If it wasn't for Food Network, there would be so many things that I did not know. I would not be the cook I am today. I would not know how to make a Peanut Butter Bomb Cake (which changed my life)

or honey-drizzled Gorgonzola crostini. I wouldn't know that a water bath keeps a cheesecake from cracking every time or that you can put a cheesecake into the middle of a red velvet cake and have the best two really great worlds.

I wouldn't own a microplane, a lemon juicer or a Kitchen Aid mixer. I wouldn't know the secret to REALLY good salsa that stays fresh for 5 days or how to roast any vegetable (I like brussel sprouts now) to make it taste heavenly. I also would not know how to make killer prickly pear margaritas (although I got most of that from a really nice waitress at The Canyon), banana bread or bourbon ham.

BIG food love to Food Network...thanks!

An honorable mention goes to Food and Wine magazine. I still don't know anything about wine, but I can sniff it and swirl it before drinking to make the attempt look a little more polished.

Pretend you are listening to the theme song for JAWS

I have 2 words for you.....SHARK WEEK***** Starts on July 27th...
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/sharkweek/sharkweek.html
Live it, Love it.
Sharks are on a short list of things I love that can hurt me, although I have always wanted to be bitten by one (and survive it) so that I would have more interesting stories to tell at dinner parties and holiday celebrations.
The rest of the list includes lightning. Love it, love to watch it...but don't want to touch it.

Google Love

I love Google. I love to google anything and everything I can, including myself (a whopping 782 results for my full name). I found the prize-winning essay from High School that won me a $500 scholarship (which I used for spending money on my Senior Class Trip). http://www.radiantpeace.org/rpea/95hsess.htm#1

I also found information on the 50 year Anniversary Celebration of the St. Marks Lutheran School (where I graduated 8th grade)...the awkward years. Those happened to be the only true websites with information on me.

Then I decided to take out my middle name (got 6440 results) and found info on the 2007 A1A Marathon and Domain Manager stuff (another perk to Office Management). Again, 2 websites.

So there you have it folks...Google rocks.

One more picture from Jackson Hole:

Random Comments

In no particular order...this is what is on my mind.

1. I saw 'There will be Blood' and I was not that impressed. It WAS good, don't get me wrong, but it did not live up to all the hype. Daniel Day Lewis was creepy and very good in that way though.
2. I NEED my own space and vow to buy a house....quickly.
3. Animal Planet is playing the 'Blue Planet' series and today was "DEEP". I always have to laugh when the scientists say the Earth has been around for like 150,599,000,000 years. I don't understand how you could not believe in God after seeing what He has created...even the fish in the deepest parts of the sea.
4. Rolling ball pens (in a fine point) are one of the best inventions ever created.
5. As soon as I get my 'Marathon Mix' started on my ipod, I can start running. Does 4 miles on the elliptical machine each day count????
6. I really don't want to go back to work tomorrow. I'd rather start running...at noon...in the rain.
7. I think I am going to go back to school for Nursing. Office Management is NOT AT ALL what it is cracked up to be...I have a little more in me than just bi-weekly payroll and the monthly Birthday and Anniversary announcements.
8. Only 25 days until Mexico...thank you Lord!
9. My work PC got upgraded to Windows XP (finally) and I lost 456 songs downloaded from my personal CD collection to itunes. Now I have to listen to other people in the office in place of good music.

Weddings rock

Tonight I went to the wedding of a pretty good friend of mine (from work, who I have known for over 6 years) and another co-worker....a double wedding. This is the first double wedding I have been to and let me tell you about the first thing that sucks about that - 2 wedding gifts. I loaned my mom out (she is talented in two ways that I am aware of now...1)nagging and 2)kick-ass organist.... to play for the wedding and then wondered if an additional present, I mean presentS should be bought. I phoned it in with Publix gift certificates - NO SHAME. The wedding was a blast. Everything was en espanol...not a bad thing really, and I could tell everyone was watching the "white folks" when they put on the Michael Jackson records. I moonwalked....and what?!
I was able to share it with like literally...two other gringos...Between the drinks, the dancing, and the social commentary...I didn't know whether to pee in my pants or do the moonwalk again. I am off to dream about better things but I leave you with this....

1) What is up with the guys who go running in jean shorts? Knee length denim shorts for men (and women for that matter) is a questionable fashion choice to begin with and I could not imagine what a man is feeling as he runs down the street (in 100% South FL humidity) in knee length stone washed denim. Hey guy - they make shorts specifically for the activity...take a trip to Target. It's not rocket science.

2) What is up with the rubber (excuse me everyone) balls that people hang from trailer hitches on their F-150 trucks? We all know you are getting really bad gas mileage and that you don't care because you are driving a big bad truck. We don't need to see the male anatomy hanging from your license plate to prove it.