Five reasons

Year 2 – Week 11

Thursday, October 27, 2011

8:17am
Good morning! 45 rain. Cats very cuddly. Might have to turn on heat.  Have a great Thursday Philip!!
9:02am Phil
Octoberfest! Cool! Nothing like good schnitzel except maybe schweinhaxen cooked in beer. Cold and wet here too. Party tonight and then non stop till Monday. Have a great day. Gonna be in the 30s tonight! Brrrrr

11:09am
I’ve never heard of schweinhaxe… had to google that!  I’ll look for it.  Sounds yummy.  Have you ever made it? 

11:58am
Not that it’s an option, but can you tell me five reasons why I would not want to be your wife?  It seems like a great idea after yesterday and I need something to make me stop thinking that way!  Help a girl out?  Thanks!

11:03pm Phil
Hmmm, 
I am married,
I have an obnoxious work ethic, 
I’m bullheaded,
I am very opinionated,  
I could care less about money, help? 

I have had schweinhaxen many times. Always incredible. Going to make it myself, braised in beer

11:09pm Phil
Bad night?


Water sculpture

Wednesday, October 26

8:17am
Good morning! 48 drizzling brrrr… have a wicked good Wednesday!

11:06 am
Did you see this Japanese water sculpture?  Wicked cool.  I don’t know what Zen is, but this might be close.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gusJeslMbLc



11:21am
Something about the autumn rain… has a peaceful beauty – falling leaves, gentle drizzle… makes me want to curl up in front of a fireplace with a handsome man and listen to him breathe as he sleeps. 

3:51pm
Finally quieter at work… writing another story.  About a baseball game.  And a man and a woman. 

11:12pm
Full of German food – wurst, schnitzel, bavarian stew and sorbets!  Yum.  Hope you had a good day.  Sleep well, sweet man. 

Healthy

Tuesday, October 25

2:12pm Phil
I’ve decided I pretty much just like pumpkin pie. No latte, bisque or other stuff.  Had a pumpkin martini the other day that was not bad though. Been the normal busy week so far but not bad.  Weather is starting to turn brisker.  Not too bad. Football game was slow last night but great baseball game.  Listening to Vic Damone, Doris Day, stuff from the late 40s- early fifties.  Nice for a change.  Kids are coming for Thanksgiving and I am so excited. Did not think we would see them till Christmas and this is fabulous. Hope your day is great!

8:16pm
Wow!  Both kids for turkey!  Great news!! 

8:24pm
Another oddly busy work day – senior staff sniping at each other and expecting me to referee.  Bleh.  Went out to the last farmers market, got a chair massage… amazing how calming that is!  Got lab results from physical – amazingly healthy!  Phew. Hubby is out tonite, made my own supper.  New plan to save money and calories. 

8:50pm
Hope you’re having a relaxing evening.   Feeling lonely… reading old messages.  You make me smile. 

Growing Old Together

Jonathan Carroll shared this photo on his Facebook page this morning.  Who do you think of when you see this photo?  Your parents?  Your grandparents?  That loving couple in the park?  Your spouse? or your lover?

There is so much talk about growing old with someone.  So many dreams that, by this point, you will have finally found a way to be with that special someone.  *sigh*

It made me think of Philip.  Must be the nose…

Pumpkin food

Monday, October 24


8:09am
Good morning! Chilly 45 sun and I hope your week is off to a grand start! 

8:29am Phil
Cool crisp morning, hot coffee.  It’s good. My team won! Hosting some big wigs this week and then party Thursday, dinner with friends Friday. Halloween party Saturday, I think. Should be a fairly busy week.  Weather was amazing over the weekend.  Shorts all weekend. The pumpkin fest was fun!  Have a great week Sass!

4:30pm
Posted photos of my hair.  I’m at the “five months since chemo ended” point.  It’s wicked curly in the back.  Finally getting out of the “too wicked scary short she musta been sick” to the “could be a style choice” stage!  

10:13pm
Hiya, kid.  Had a crazy busy day at work… first time I looked up it was 2:30 pm and I had to pee wicked bad!    Big grocery run after work – got spiced pumpkin bisque and pumpkin mousse for supper – I may turn orange!  Hope you had a productive day and can relax with some football. 


Royal Proclamation

Sunday October 23, 2011

2:21 pm
Hiya kid.  Saw this joke about our relationship with the British… every single one made me giggle!  I wonder what that means?  It mentions beer and football!

To: the citizens of the United States of America
From: Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
(You should look up ‘revocation’ in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, David Cameron, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. The letter ‘U’ will be reinstated in words such as ‘colour,’ ‘favour,’ ‘labour’ and ‘neighbour.’ Likewise, you will learn to spell ‘doughnut’ without skipping half the letters, and the suffix ‘-ize’ will be replaced by the suffix ‘-ise.’ Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up ‘vocabulary’).
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ”like’ and ‘you know’ is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter ‘u” and the elimination of ‘-ize.’
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns or lawyers. The fact that you need so many lawyers shows that you’re not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can’t sort things out without suing someone, then you’re not ready to shoot grouse.
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth – see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat’s Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in “Four Weddings and a Funeral” was an experience akin to having one’s ears removed with a cheese grater.
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies). 
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside ofAmerica. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It’s been driving us mad.
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty’s Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen!
PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!

Upstander

Saturday, October 22

10:12am

Good morning!

12:02pm Phil
Morning. Been to the gym and now heading to the kids Halloween party, party tonight and hopefully a stop at the Highwood pumpkin fest!

12:15pm
Heard a new phrase re: bullying.  Be an upstander – not a bystander.  Don’t stand by, stand up and say something.  Have you heard that?  Might be good tag line?

12:17pm
My sister took us out for a delicious Argentinian dinner last night at Tango.  Yummy pork chops!  

1:51pm

Mom heard about my trip to Singing Beach yesterday and decided she wanted to go!  So we had an adventure today with lunch in Manchester by the sea and then a drive around.  The restaurant looked fancy online but turned out to be a bar by the train station!  Not my mom’s sort of place, but the chowder was yummy!  

Classic clam chowder at Nicholas Seafood, Manchester by the sea



Lobster lunch

October 21, 2011 (continued)

2:45pm
Another amazing meal at Lobsta Land.  So wish you could have been with me!  

Super cheesy French onion soup

 Classic clam chowder

 Scallops satay

My lazy man lobster, rice pilaf, butternut squash, and Hubby’s Black Angus Beef teriyaki steak tips 




Singing Beach

Friday, October 21


8:44am
Good morning! 54 sun, mid 60s.  Yay!  I’m off work.  Yay!  Hope your Friday rolls!

9:57am Phil
Enjoy the day. Have a dinner party this evening to bid farewell to one of our neighbors.  Ready to strangle my assistant and it’s only 9:00.  Woman drives me up a tree. Have a great day!

5:03pm
Amazing beach day!  Found a new beach!  Lobster!  Off to see Hubby’s latest project.  WEEKEND!  Have a great one, kid. 
Manchester by the sea inner harbor

The harbor in Manchester by the sea

Singing Beach, Manchester by the sea

Singing Beach

 Magnolia

Boston 30 miles away

A bizarre house under construction in Magnolia

 The Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial

The Gloucester Fisherman

Gloucester Harbor

Tablets with hundreds of names (over 3,500) of fishermen lost at sea

Sassy Answers: Oops

Welcome to another addition of the strangely popular “Sassy Answers” where I answer a question from one of my fabulous readers!

Q.  Do you ever screw up electronically?

A.  Ayup.

Many philanderers and bloggers do not want anyone to know any personal details that people usually share in the “real word” such as name, work, home, etc..   I try very hard never to share anything that would allow people to Google me.  I hear about whopping mistakes that people make that give away their identity

  • using their real email instead of a mischief account or 
  • texting or calling from their regular or work mobile phone, or 
  • commenting on a blog from their personal name server domain or
  • signing email with their real name out of habit

There are also ways to screw up such as

  • putting a hotel charge on a credit card your spouse see the bills for, 
  • staying in bed together just a few minutes past the time your kids get home from school, 
  • forgetting to delete texts or emails or IMs, or clear browser history, or 
  • attaching the wrong photo to an email. 
See my post about secret cheating to avoid many of these pitfalls. 

I have not done most of those.  By and large, I’ve learned from others, been careful or lucky.  And having a husband who is in the know lowers my risk a lot, since I don’t have to worry about forgetting to delete stuff from my computer.  But I still manage to hit the wrong button now and then, mostly out of habit. 

Here is my tally of goofs: 

1) WRONG PLACE
Posted a message about a favorite memory of visiting Red Rocks Amphitheater to Philip’s FB wall instead of a private message (he deleted it quickly).  This is the only mistake Philip ever saw.
2) WRONG PERSON- EMAIL
Emailed my gal pal a photo of Philip’s “equipment” instead of forwarding it to my email (she thought it was funny and that he is gorgeous!)
3) WRONG PERSON – TEXT
Texted Hubby instead of Philip – nothing salacious, just “how’s the party?” (he thought it was funny) 
4) WRONG PHONE NUMBER
Texted a chat room buddy from the demure lady’s phone number instead of Google Voice (he promised to delete that number?)  
5) THE WHOPPER
Posted a topless photo to Facebook instead of texting it to Philip.  Luckily, it did not include my face!
a.  Deleted the post in 2 minutes – seen by five people who have me as close friends (so FB emailed the photo to them).  All but Hubby and my sister thought my account had been hacked and wrote to tell me.  Argh!
b. Forgot that deleting a FB post doesn’t get the photo out of the FB Mobile uploads file!  Deleted it two days later when Hubby went to look at my lunch photos and texted me.  Bless him.  A mutual friend mentioned it to my sister at a party.  Who else saw it?  Argh!  
Other bloggers have trouble with Facebook as well.  Go read about Kat’s “reply all” escapade in Prowling With Kat.

When I look back at all the messages, texts and emails to Philip, various bloggers and chat room pals, it is incredible that I haven’t goofed up more!  When I did, thank goodness it didn’t contain something worse!  And that the people I am talking to are good people.  So far. 

I am trying very hard to take deep breaths, be more careful, and double check before sending anything to make sure it’s going to the intended party over the right channel.  A few extra seconds can save a lot of trouble.  Perhaps this post will get you to do the same before you mess up!

If there are other ways you’ve screwed up that you want to warn people about, comment!  Help save us from goofing up!