Archive for August, 2007 Page 2 of 2

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Thank you for understanding….

Published by Jessica on August 7, 2007 in Sweet Nothings. 3 Comments

I am trying to write this without it sounding like one of those crazy Britney Spears blog posts….but at 3:30 in the morning, it’s a bit difficult so please bear with me here.

For many of you close to me, you know that my life has been full of constant changes over the last oh — seven years or so.  At 24 I find myself in a place where things should level out and we (Issa and I) can finally put down some roots.  No more upheavals…and I want to really just say thank you…

I want to say thank you for your understanding and for your friendship. I want to say that I appreciate you knowing my heart and sticking with me as a friend…for being there for me through all the crazy…

Because, I know there have been times when I have failed to thank you in a formal note for a gift or a favor, I am aware there have been times when I have had to back out of plans at the very last minute, I have forgotten birthdays from time to time…I know there have been times when I simply have not picked up the phone to call for weeks at a time….

But you, my readers and friends….what I really want to say to you here is that I appreciate those of you who are reading this…who have never judged me for breaking lunch dates, not feeling neglected by me for failing to get that birthday card in the mail on time or at all, not feeling burned when I have substituted a verbal thank you for the card kind, not giving me the cold shoulder when I call after being MIA for a while…and any number of other social snafus.

I have resolved to be better about these things in my upcoming “new life”…but it is you, my non-judgmental, kind and understanding buddies that I want to say a HUGE thank you to….

I want you to know how much I appreciate you for sticking with me…for being there for me through all of the CRAZY and knowing that my heart is in the right place, that I think about you and care about you even when I don’t do it on time or in the perfect way…I hope I make it up to you in other ways….

Beacause I love you all, each and every single one of you….

New Show! Pushing Daisies

Published by Jessica on August 7, 2007 in Television. 0 Comments

Ok, can I just say how thrilled I am about the new show called Pushing Daisies on ABC!  Here is the write up from the website:

Ned, a mild-mannered baker of fabulous pies, discovered his gift as a child. Now he puts his gift to good use, working with his only friend, a private investigator, to crack murder cases by asking victims to name their killers. But the tale gets complicated, as all tales do, when he saves his childhood sweetheart and she miraculously stays alive. Each week, she encourages him to use his powers to solve mysteries and help others. Life would be perfect, except for one cruel twist: if Ned ever touches her again, she’ll lose the life he gave her, for good this time. There’s always a catch…

Anyways, the thing I think that draws me to this show, other than the obvious quirky plot, is the unique way in which it is shot. Think “What Dreams May Come” or “Big Fish”…sooo excited, can’t wait! Watch it with me!

Can’t help myself, you really gotta wonder…

Published by Jessica on August 3, 2007 in General. 2 Comments

Came across this news story and…well, here goes…

NEW PORT RICHEY, Florida (Aug. 3) - A man with no arms and one leg who would not stop driving despite a long list of traffic violations was sentenced to five years in prison Friday on the latest charges.

Michael Francis Wiley, 40, also was sentenced to 15 years of drug offender probation. He pleaded no contest in June to a variety of felony driving and drug charges.

“I’d just like to say I know what I did was wrong,” Wiley said in court Friday. “I am truly sorry your honor. I am.”

Wiley taught himself to drive after losing both arms and a leg in an electrical accident when he was 13. He has already spent more than three years in prison for habitually driving without a license, kicking a state trooper and other charges.

Now, the article goes on to describe how the man starts the car with his teeth, shifts with his knee, and steers with his left “stump”…it does not explain how a one legged man KICKS a state trooper… (maybe he was sitting at the time?)

My REAL SIMPLE Favorites (August 2007)

Published by Jessica on August 3, 2007 in General. 3 Comments

If you have ever picked up the magazine REAL SIMPLE, you have held in your hot little hand all that it means to be a virgo. I love this magazine, it speaks to my soul.  Unfortunatly, my life has been–until now–too complicated to make any effort to simplify through snazzy little devices and recipes provided by my beloved mag. 

But as things become less complicated for me, I can really appreciate the ways in which this magazine makes life even less complicated…does that make any sense?

In other words, there is simple…and then there is REAL simple…

So, without further adieu (and perhaps without proper introduction) I am going to reveal in this post a few of my favorite things from the REAL SIMPLE August 2007 in the hopes that your life will be made real simple too…

www.freshandcold.com

This handy dandy little item prevents odors in your freezer–made of miraclite, a humidity absorbing mineral, this eco-friendly little guy can be revitalized by placing it in a sunny window once a month…but, then again…can’t we all?

www.fredflare.com

Ok, how cool is this? Seriously! Don’t you hate cutting a pan of brownies ending up with one row of uber tiny ones and one massive brownie in the middle? No? Ok, so maybe we aren’t obesessive brownie bakers but when it comes time to send some to school with the lil’uns or for a party or potluck this is so convenient! I am sure you could bake other things in here as well….think perfectly portioned lasagna?

Aside from this awesome brownie pan, I encourage you to check out the website.  They have some really cool things…a little like urban outfitters but slightly less trendy…only slightly. Oh no, I think I have a new favorite site!

www.FURminator.com/rs

Ok, I get not everyone has pets and my primary audience here does not…but for those of us with pets this sexy little deshedding device offers a promise that regular use will reduce shedding by 90%.  I don’t know if it is true or not but I have to say the advertising is fairly convincing.  Much better than some of the crazy contraptions that the doggie deshedding market has tried to pawn of fon us in the past.

Also available at PetSmart & Petco. 

www.organize-it.com/rs.php 

Did you know about this?? Ok, if you did know about this and didn’t tell me I am not going to be speaking to you for a long time. This is AMAZING.  I mean it’s…(wait for it) REAL SIMPLE….and yet I never imagined there was something so fabu out there! When Issa comes home, he plops his watch, wallet and iPhone on the bookshelf where there it shall stay and nobody can touch it and that is the end of that…but now I can buy him this little organization tool and place it somewhere special in the house and never shall I worry about him clearing off an entire shelf of decorative items for his junk. 

www.yogapro.com

Ok, so it looks funny but this is a really great little device.  It will strengthen, stretch and realign your foot muscles and toes…never underestimate the importance of those little piggies. Oh, and why not paint your nails while you’re at it?

Well, there is so much more but I will let you check things out for yourself at www.realsimple.com

Discomfort, Hibachi Style…

Published by Jessica on August 3, 2007 in General. 1 Comment

 So, tonight we went out to dinner with Issa’s cousin and her husband.  Issa’s cousin-in-law, Mike, selected a Hibachi style restaurant for us and while I was excited, I was also prepared for the inevitable discomfort that comes along with eating at a table full of strangers. 

Now, frankly, I don’t think that eating with strangers should be a problem. I am all for a more communal society and yet I find myself in a quandry when it comes to eating with a bunch of people you don’t know with society the way it is today.  You see, I find it highly problematic to be sitting at a table of eight 1 group of 4, 2 groups of 2…whatever the breakdown…and while we are all at the same table, we pretend to be at our own private little tables, not listening to each others conversation…

I suppose it doesn’t have to be that way…but you have to act quickly.  You have to sit at the table and introduce yourself right away or you have to introduce yourself within a short period of time after they sit down…otherwise the window of opportunity begins to close and you will spend the rest of your dinner pretending that they aren’t there, elbows in your food…accidently using your dipping sauce instead of theirs…drinking your water…

Then, of course, there is the awkward goodbye. 

 Well, dear dinnermate, we spent the whole evening laughing together at the onion volcano or the pile of rice shaped like a beating heart…close to two hours of pretending that the other person doesn’t exist and now our evening has come to an end and the truth is that…try as I might…I could not help but acknowledge your presence at my table. So, I will bid you a fond yet awkward farewell “See, you later!” (no, I won’t) “Have a good evening!” (ok, better but–you know…I already had a good evening, remember? You were there, you used my veggie dipping sauce…and stuck your elbow in my rice…) “Bye! Thank you!” (I didn’t cook the food, I am not paying…what are you thanking me for?)…so you leave….without saying goodbye and I am sad…”Was it something I said?” “Did I offend them?” “How rude!”….

I think, next time…I will make sure to fill up the whole table…to avoid this conundrum…

Tribute on So You Think You Can Dance

Published by Jessica on August 2, 2007 in Entertainment and Television. 1 Comment

At the behest of my buddy Kate, I have tried to catch So You Think You Can Dance whenever possible. Sometimes I can only catch one or two segments.

Tonight, though, the stars aligned and I was able to sit and watch the whole show.

I am so glad I did.

The second to last number was a piece choreographed by Mia Michaels for two of the dancers Lacey Schwimmer and Neil Haskell. The dance was a tribute (of sorts) to her father who passed away two years ago and depicted a symbolic meeting of her and her father in heaven. From the moment it began, I found myself choked with tears and by the end I was crying outright.

It was evident from the video that came on before the pair went on stage that both Lacey and Neil took the responsibility of this performance quite seriously and when they hit the stage they came through in a major way. All involved clearly gave everything they had.

Finally, I have to say–and not as an afterthought at all…but Mia Michaels is an Emmy nominee for another number she choreographed for SYTYCD contestants Heidi Groskreutz and Travis Wall. It is referred to as the bench routine although I am not certain if it has a real title…but here it is… I am sure you will agree it is deserving of such an honor.

Mia Michaels is clearly a gifted and deeply passionate woman. Her talent allows her to convey powerful human emotion and experience through art, something that has become increasing infrequent as people move further and further away from their own true nature and honest selves. Her abilities far exceed the forum of SYTYCD and yet, I am thrilled that she has chosen this venue to showcase her talent so the nation can be exposed to the true purpose of art, the thing that sets us apart from other creatures–human expression.

So, thanks Kate for encouraging me to watch this show!! I encourage you, my readers…to check it out too.

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