Phriday's Phavorite Photo

** Editor's note for today: Look over there to the left...No over there to the other left. I got some new bloggy bling today from Sassy at Are You Sassified. She is THE coolest blogger who has become one of my confidants. Sassy only gives this out to uber cool bloggers (like me?). Not only did she read my latest stuff, but she also went back and read just about every post I've ever done. Now there is a gal with good taste (or she just has too much time on her hands). She so totally ROCKS! Now I feel enormous pressure to live up to her expectations...go forth and Sassify.
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I just don't know what to say about this picture. Hubby took the girls on one of his 'dadventures' while mom was 'shopping' with her friend Jami (never saw a store..not even one). You know those pin sculpture thingies that Executives keep on their desks right next to their miniature Zen Gardens where you move rocks and rake sand? Well, this museum that they went to had a life size pin sculpture thingy!

The girls walked, posed, flew, jumped into it several times, and Hubby (who never brings the camera) snapped this photo with his phone. It's almost disturbing, isn't it? Emily (the bigger one) must have had her arm across her chest (I hope) because the first thing I saw on the picture was her rack! She's only 9 , and I assure you ...she is rack-less.

Leave it to snarky me to notice that....My next comment had something to do with marketing this thing as a babysitting weapon assistant.

For more Photo Phun---go visit Candid Carrie.

The One About No-things.

Just wanted to say "hola" to anyone who is visiting from SITS today! Thanks for stopping by and don't think this post in indicative of what warranted the Shout Out from Tiff and Heather! I am usually much more charming and witty and snarky.


So this weekend was a lot of No. No ballet. No Softball game. No-things to do.

A few bloggable moments....



Friday was report card day in the Conejo Valley. Emily got ALL A's! (as if I expected anything less). She made honor roll again. I am really so proud of her. Even if she didn't get all A's - this kid really worries about her grades. And, granted it's only 4th grade - but I tell her (and I really mean it) that as long as she does her absolute best....whatever grades she gets - we'd be proud of her . (read: you better get all A's - I demand perfection...snark, snark)



To celebrate the achievement - we went to the movies on Saturday. We saw "Escape to Witch Mountain " or whatever it's called. We went to the new 'big-fancy- stadium -seating -marble lobbied-game room- bar" theater that just opened here. Despite what you may or may not have heard about economic downturn, apparantly these movie theater people don't buy into that. We won't pay our mortgage in April, so we can go see "Monsters v. Aliens" next weekend. We could live in the ginormous empty bag of popcorn for a while if we don't mind a few kernels intruding our nether regions.



The movie was okay. Despite getting to look at Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson (sadly with his shirt on...and I have seen him without it at my gym and it is goooooood) for almost two hours, and a cute remake of a 70's film ('cuz there really is nothing original anymore) there was an incredible amount of blowing up stuff and some mild peril that may prove too much for littler viewers. I caught a few boo-boos that their fact checkers needed to check. Like, what ATM machine spits out $100 bills? And, what slot machines in Vegas spit out wads of cash these days? Figures I focus on those things than the whole good over evil shit. Anyway - we all enjoyed the movie and the very comfy seats and the $285.oo of family fun.



Hubby and I watched "Rachel Getting Married". Not what I expected. Edgy. Not typical Anne Hathaway, I mean - it ain' t no "ella enchanted" or anything like that. I usually dig a good junkie flick, but this one slightly missed the mark. This one had- lots of scenes without backstory. Like, what's with the saris and mystic Indian cultural stuff? It all seemed a bit pedantic to have the soon-to-be-married-multi-racial-couple dress in saris and have a sitar and and a friggin' lute in the wedding band and relatives that sing Reggea and all that - and then they are moving to Hawaii? No explanation for all that. I obsess over those things throughout the whole film...so much so that I am still wondering what the connection is and why the screenwriter felt it necessary to go that way. And what is a good rehab story without a relapse or chance of relapse or even a beating down of the monkey on your back? This flick, albeit an Oscar nominated performance for Anne (who is just so doe-eyed and just darn adorable) was just okay.



You know when think you know something to be true and just live your life for years not even thinking that the fact could be disputed? Like, we know which hand is left and which is right. Just because. We know that shoes are worn over socks not the other way around. We know that George Clooney is just about the most delicious thing to grace Hollywood since , I don't know....since ever. We just know and accept these truths to be self evident.

{Okay, Swirlgirl - where are you going with this...}

Well, I've been watching E.R. , which sadly ends it 15 year run in the next few weeks. The 'where I am going with all of this' , aside from the fact that I had no life 15 years ago ...either - is that one of my favorite characters on that show is Archie Morris. He's been on for several years and although he started out to be a dick-head...he is the humanity of the show these past few years. The actor who portrays Dr. Morris is Scott Grimes. My point (in an extremely roundabout way) is that I always knew that I knew this actor from somewhere. And I KNEW that he was a contestant on Star Search (the original with Ed McMahon) in the early 80's and he was a young red headed boy who sang amazingly well. I can 'see' him on stage singing and winning something. When he first joined the cast of E.R. 5 or so years ago, I said - "I know him! He was on Star Search!" and I rattle that info off just hoping that someday I will have to answer the Million Dollar question on some trivia show....or offer a lifeline to someone on some trivia show. I would be the hero for having provided the winning answer to the question and that person would shower me with crisp greenery......{{oops, sorry . fantasy }} So...I google him. For like hours. I search every website known to man to try to find what year he was on StarSearch. And fail miserably.

I start to question everything I have come to know to be true. I check which hand I write with (yup, the right one)...I check to make sure that my socks are indeed inside my shoes (yup, okay there)...I sneak a peak at George Clooney to make sure he still makes my heart go a-flutter (yup, flutter-flutter-drool). So where do I know Scott Grimes from? Here. Anyone who is over 30 and from the Boston area knows Community Auditions. The original reality show. Scott Grimes was on this show (he is from Lowell MA) and I vividly remember him singing and winninng the lame ass trophy ...he was "star of the day, who can it be...your're vote may hold the key - it's up to you. Tell us who...will be Star of the Day" ( theme song that I still remember vividly). So I immediately have to call my sisterbestfriend and tell her. We watched that show every Sunday and even held our own versions making up contestants who did everything from set the table to hand springs off the chair in the den to full on Lord- of -Dance- in -tap -shoe routines!

I don't know why I feel it necessary to share this with you all. I guess I just want to let you know that just because you know something to be true - don't assume it is. And, when you have No-things to do....spend 4 hours googling it to make sure that No-thing is the real thing.

Phriday Photo Phiesta!

I got this Sisterhood Award from Cristin at Tiptoeing Through the Tulips a while back for being her 'sister from another mister'. And if I ever go back to New England for a visit Cristin, I will so meet you so we can share a glass of wine and make fun of our kids and get to know each other better. So this post is dedicated to Sisters.


These two cherubs are my babies. They are sisters from the same mister. They are my chubby bubbies from the Hubby. My Boopie Lips and Bubba.

Sisters...two very different girls with one very common bond. The big one is a bit tom-boyish and the little one is all girlie-girl. They are each other's best friends. And have been that way since the little one was born and the big one had a live action dolly to play with. There was no jealousy, no "she's getting all the attention". Just pure, unadulterated love.

My own sisterbestfriend and I took years to get this way. When we were little, she scared the crap out of me. She didn't play Barbies with me...she didn't hang with me or read to me wash my hair for me. She didn't do art with me, she didn't make up plays and songs and rehearse and act them out with me. She was bigger and badder. She was tough. I was a goody-two-shoes. About the only thing we did together was gang up on our brother and try to get him in trouble (which he never got , by the way) I could tell some stories that if these things occurred today - she'd be seeing the inside of a "scared straight boot camp" . Once, she had a party and broadcast on the CB radio (remember those?) that she was having a party and our parent's were out of town for a few days. . About 200,000 kids showed up and trashed the house. I 'ran away' from home. I don't even think she knew I was missing.

But then, some time when I was in middle school ..and she drove Greg Hamilton (I still remember his name)and I to the school dance (avert your eyes now Mom) and bought us a few beers and provided other unmentionables for our enjoyment - something changed in our sister bond. Call it our "Ya-Ya Sisterhood" or our "Travelling Pants" or whatever. But she became my friend at that point. And the stories go on - most of which I can not re-tell here , since some time my kids will actually read this and I hate to shatter the image of their mommy's innocence and perfection, not to mention - that our mom reads this and we don't want her to think that we did anything worse than she actually caught us doing ....

My point is that my sister and I are best friends now. We are very different beings...but unconditionally love and accept one another. We don't always agree or have the same values - but that's why Heinz makes 57 varieties of pickles and Baskin Robbins makes 31 flavors. And, my girls are already there with a lifetime of sharing and bonding ahead.

So I dedicate this to all of you out there who are blessed to have sisters whether bonded by blood or spirit. If you don't have a sister - I know where you can get one. And it doesn't cost a thing.

For more Phriday Photo Phun - click here and visit Candid Carrie