Memo To The Husband

Thanks for the head cold dear.

I am SOOOO going to kill you .

Me

Creamsicles For Young and Old

I love Creamsicles..in all shapes and formats.

Souffle Bombay had this recipe for Creamsicle Cupcakes on her blog and I have to try this one out...then....me being me , I found an adult beverage version of the same.

Enjoy !

Creamsicle Cupcakes By Maria Galan, Winner from the Bucks County Courrier Times Newspaper.

1 Box Vanilla Cake Mix ( I use Duncan Hines)

1 3oz. Box Orange Flavored Jello

1 tsp. orange flavor extract

1 1/4 cup Minute Maid Orange Aid ( not Orange juice)

1/3 cup oil

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a mixing bowl, combine the orange jello powder, orange extract and orange aid, add the cake mix and blend until well combined .Add the oil and eggs and blend .

Pour into prepared cupcake pan....I assume liners are used tho it is not mentioned .

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Ice with vanilla icing when completely cooled.

Note: I did see that either one of the big 3 cake mix makers has also come out with a buttercream icing in the white buckety thing which might be nice, and I am perplexed about the specification about using orange aid and not orange juice so once I can source the orange aid I'm giving this bad boy a shot .

Now for the good stuff :

Creamsicles for the Grownups

Fill a mixing cup halfway with ice cubes.

Add :

1/2 oz. vodka or orange flavored vodka ( I use Gordons orange flavored vodka)

1/2 oz. triple sec

1 oz. orange juice

1 oz .cream

Mix/shake all ingredients together and strain into a class .

Note: if you use vanilla ice cream in place of the ice cubes and 1 oz. cream ~ Voila

A Dreamsicle.

Hey..it's a serving of fruit ( juice ) either way.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

It's Sooooo Close ~!

It's up to $28,000 ...

Just sayin...

I donated again...but that's a secret..M'kay ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

When The Day Is Shot To Hell

First The Recipe;

Knorr's Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the following :

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach that is thawed and squeezed as dry as possible.

1 pkg. ( 8 oz ) cream cheese , softened.

3/4 cup mayo ( NOT MIRACLE WHIP)

1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese ( I prefer the Monterrey Jack)

1 pkg. Knorr vegetable recipe mix ( should have this recipe there on the pkg.)

1 jar ( 14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped.

1 can ( 8 oz ) water chestnuts, drained and chopped.

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.

Combine all of the above saving 1.2 cup of the shredded cheese. Spoon into a 2 qt. dish and top with the reserved 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Bake for 35 minutes till bubbly.

Lose your mind.

Variation:

Omit the artichokes and add lump crab meat.

I like to serve this using the round Kings Hawaiian Bread as a bread bowl....YUM !

Beyond the usual..there is a story behind this.

This weekend , specifically yesterday was a disaster on the scale of an Irwin Allen movie.

Hisself got the carrot cake made and schlepped it off to the Ice House..fine and dandy. Jere Lee and I had decided that we would go just us gals to dinner for her birthday..again...fine and dandy.

And then the rain began.

Our original plan was to go about 6: 30 -ish...eearly enough to avoid a wait but later than the " I'll be damn'd if I (we) are going to the 4:30 version of the senior special at Denny's .

F DAT !

And it began to rain sideways .

We delayed an hour and then off we went.

Fabulous dinner at Pappa's....I am in love with their hot spinach dip, especially if you add lump crab meat.

Don't go nuts on me here...it was her birthday and my treat.

And withoug even trying I managed to walk out of there with a guys phone number and facebook info....that story will be saved for another time...bwahahaha

Anyhoo...

He was home before we were and I had already suspected that he was in the initial throes of his annual head cold...wheeeeee.

Yesterday it rained a bit and we piddled around the house.

I had a plan.

I got the bacon done for the breakfast taco's that I make at home for myself every workday and then....................

I was going to make the cupcakes for the birthday girl and pimp them out with all of the uber cute Wilton stuff that I either already had or had picked up at Tarjay.

Then I was going to get the house picked up....shower and then get the stuff started for the tacos so that the three of us could have a nice and leisurely dinner.

And..the MF power went out for almost 5 hours.

At one point it came back on for all of a second..then it went again.

GRRRR..

We foraged...I stuffed Sudafed down his gullet and we crashed.

And the power went out again at 2:15 this morning.

Happy days !

He won't be playing cards tonight as is his custom at the cajuns because I an not confident that he will actually make it through the whole day.

I'll feed him zoup with his tabasco....he only eats zoup when he feels puny and make a batch of hotdish for his lunch this week.

Taco's can wait.

Jere will get her cupcakes because after all, it's not a birthday, it's a birth week.

On the upside..we got Lola back, HUZZAH !

On the other hand, there is a leak in the ceiling in the guest room that has to be traced down...and it's gonna rain more this week.

Sigh.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~

I don't know why this is one of my favorites but it is.

Burn Notice Alert For Miss Lisa ~ Girl..next week is the episode with Burt Reynolds.

It's been an interesting morning ~ SNERK

The doors that are fubared are still such and as is my custom, I have taken both joy and zeal in my silent mockery of the looks on the co-workers faces as they continue to encounter something that is simply not going to acquiesce to their passive aggressive needs.

But alas, this has to end as all good things do . Someone had to place something over the sensor so that it is deactivated , allowing the doors to open. And the village idiots that make some pretense of servicing the security key pad have been called forth to scratch their asses and ponder the problem.

Sigh.

On the other hand, I have introduced the sistah to one of my favorite Etsy shops and she let it slip that she really liked one jewelry set.

Since these are one of a kind , I told her that I had already emailed the artist/creator with some questions and once I get the answers that I need..it's " Christmas In July".

Why wait ?

Other than that...it's going to be one of those busy weekends again so I am going to cheat. I'm going to make beef tacos Sunday night for dinners and lunches ..the meat will keep and I'd finally find the recipe from the " Good Eats " episode that was on the other night. Here's the thing tho,,if you use the Food Network site a lot and archive recipes..don't try to use the name of the recipe from a show or the hosts name, their search engine has a mind of it's own. If you can remember the day that the show in question was aired...search via the calender..down here , I can usually catch " Good Eats " at 10 or 10: 30 pm so that's how I found the mix recipe for the taco seasoning. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Shame Less Shake Down Part Deux

Update:

For whateveer reason...GRRRR...the link below says " Blog does not exist when you hit Mr. Linkey...when that comes up..hit the link that is showing and it will take you to the page...or just google The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee...should get you there.




www.theittybittykittycommittee.com/keep-your-eye-on-the-prize

Yes..another shameless shakedown.

I had to donate a second time because at first glance I thought the bebe kitteh was holding a light saber.

" May The Floof Be With You ".

Donate if you want to or are able to, all y'all are good people either way.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Yes Michelle, I Am The One Who Bought It !

I have been looking at this in my Etsy favorites all day long when I realized that I had the perfect earrings to match...a long brass key with a black bead covered on lace and a small red bead accent..

Had to do it.

Can't wait for it..

Now what shoes will go best ?

Yes...this is the way my mind works.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

NARF ~ !

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38267856/ns/local_news-houston_tx/


Oye.

We had no idea that his happened after work. Hisself had not heard a traffic report so we had no idea that the access to the 59 HOV was the only way on 59 North and that they were diverting ALL evening commuter traffic to the HOV.

The usual 24 minute ride home..hey...Everyone in the HOV does 80 mph as a rule..don't freak out on me here...took an HOUR !


And of course we had to stop at Tarjay after that before we hit the Casa...another hour.


Thankfully Miss Lisa I am dvr'g the Burn Notice Ep ...LMAO.


But..


There is a huge batch of Bread Pudding to be done tonight...in one of those industrial size throw down pans..then a large carrot cake to be made for something he has going on this Saturday and I have Red Velvet cuppy cakes to make and decorate for Miss Jere Lee's birthday also on Saturday...wheee.

The decorations are too cool by the way..every one deserves to be a Princess ( dammit) once in their lives..

But..on the up side..tomorrow is Friday..I get the hair done and so ..yup...simple things.

Bonus today..watching the co-worker freak their assess off as the card/key pad for one side of the lobby decided to quit at 5.

Of course walking just a bit down the hall to get in the other way was just too hard for their widdle selves to cope with ..hee hee.

Extra Bonus points for me watching all of this , silently mocking them all.


Have a great Friday.

Aunty Pol

The Simple Things..

Lady Lisa had the right of it.

You're right sweetie, it is indeed the simple things in life that we need to hang on too.


Today ended all right at the office , once I reminded myself that the idiots will always be idiots,...and I will remain fabulous .


Having Miss Jere Lee for a neighbor is almost as having the sister of my heart as a neighbor...almost.

They have a lot of the same mannerisms .

When we came home today, hisself had already made a mini run to Kroger for stuff so I didn't have to wait in the car..anyone who knows me knows that I abhor stores..especially the grocery variety...hot flashes, screaming toddlers and cell yapping spandex wearers make me just..yeah ..you know.


When we got home ,I saw that Mr. Trejo had done the yard and had weeded the flower beds so the other neighbor..the recent widder had been able to catch up with him.

Huzzah !

I am not willing to put myself through all of that when I can hire it done and frankly , after all the rain we had for the past week and a half...sold.


Miss Jere Lee had left a note in the dining room for us letting us know that Gracie Marie REALLY wanted out so she let her out. With a heat index of 105 degrees right now we are very careful about that but since it was four-ish, MIss Jere Lee knew it was kewl.


She had also left us a goodies in the fridge....chocolate yummy goodness that she had baked as a thank you for letting her use the square headed lover in her job search.

To recap:

Tidy flower beds, mowed grass, clean patio and chocolate cake.

OUT FRIGGAN STANDING !


Have a great tomorrow and..Lady L ......


NEW BRUCE CAMPBELL !!!

Wheee !


Ciao,

Aunty Pol who can actually hear the siren call of the cocoa beans !

Matching Earrings For The Win !

The earrings to match the bracelet shown above .

The bracelet that is being redone by the original wonderful Palafox because it is a bit too big.

DAYUM I'm good !

Ciao ,

Aunty Pol

For CT - Love Ya !

It's been an interesting day here at work..I refuse to spoil my warm and fuzzies for the adorableness of my holiday so I may save the rant for tomorrow.

I will leave you with a hint tho..

" You better bet your ass that I have docuemented every single mother loving notification that I send you. Do not try another amateur attempt at being passive agressive and claiming I have not. "

I have been here longer , know where the bodies are and to quote Kathy Bates: " I have more insurance than you girls."

Some of you ladies make Danielle Staub look like a fucking Nobel prize winner !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

OK....Danielle Staub is on " Real Housewives of New Jersey"...yeah..busted.

Bastille Day

For more information , check out the link :

www.bastille-day.com/history/French-Revolution.

Yes, it's one of my favorite holidays and one that my family celebrates.

The other is September 19'th aka " Talk Like a Pirate Day "

www.talklikeapirate.com



Enjoy either or both .


Carry On.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Has It Really Been 25 Years ?

Live Aid - 1985.

The top photo is the very first public appearance of Teddy Pendergrass after his accident where he appeared with the duo Ashford and Simpson.

We all know who the second one is.

Twenty five years ago , I remember that the office was still open on Saturdays for a half day and the PTB's were gone..so we cranked this mutha up !

First Live Aid, then Farm Aid..

Now is seems so quaint and sweet...there is so much more wrong with the world...among other things day 85 in the gulf, and year 9 if the war.

We may never see another concert where we actually think that we can make a difference and that our voices count.

Yes, we've done concerts for 9/11, the military, Jamaica, Haiti, Katrina, Rita, Ike and on and on and on until they no longer register for the cause or the plight.

There are still caring people out there , and I like to think that I am one...but looking at the photo's of that first concert...I am struck by a sense of lost innocence in some way.

Thoughts anyone ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~

Happy Friday !

Yes..this is the stink face you get from me when there is no new episode of "Burn Notice "on last night...I could only console myself with the knowledge that Sharon Gless is up for an Emmy. The episode where she gets the lat and long of Michaels location from the hostage in their garage should clinch it IMHO.

Other than that, life here is pretty much the same, the rain has finally let up for a few hours this wek..yes...a few hours this week. It's rained every day for the past week or more..between Alex and Bonnie, other than the skeeters, I am a happy woman when I don't have to drag either the watering can to the patio or the hoses around the yard. It's not the chore...it's the friggan water bill. I refuse to give up my Hydrangeas in the front flower bed daggnabbit !

We have a new 'speriment at the Casa.

And of course it is all about Xeni Gabbini aka Super Pooper.

At first we thought that it was the issue of her not actually being able to make it to their bathroom.

Ok.

It cleared up for a while.

FOR A WHILE !

Then ...we realized that for whatever reason, the area behind the front door...yes.....carpeted front hallway is where it was occurring again.

It's not that far from her bathroom...really.

She has staked that area out.

He ( the frustrated Daddy Unit) wanted to cover it all with plastic.

He didn't have enough to do that . I am grateful for that because I just know that she won't want to walk on plastic...none of them will....and so we will have to locate her new territory .

Besides...can you imagine the sound of 24 lil paws on plastic ?

Plus claws..plus chewing ..

Sigh.

Then I hit on it.

Previously, we had completely replaced the litter boxes in their bathroom. Unfortunately, we could only find one over sized and had to settle for a smaller one to go with it.

SHAZZAM !

Frustrated Daddy Unit finally found another over sized one...which means...we had an unused one in the garage.

PUT THE MOTHER LOVING BOX IN THE HALL WHERE SHE'S BEEN POOPING.

And the Angels sang, the Clouds parted...there were rainbows and unicorns in my back yard.

SHE USED IT ~!

I almost wept.

Now, this means that there is a third box to clean and deal with...fine.

No one really comes to the front door, and if they do....I can move it.

I can move the carpet cleaner and the Dyson out of the closet in that hallway if need be.

I can put a beach towel under the box.

I can light the candles and trim wicks on a regular basis.

I can deal with this.

You see...the other night when he was ranting and raving about this , and he knows that the Vet has no idea, and she is not getting people food , and she is eating ..and the diarrhea will clear up ..he still fussed.

And I said..

" OK..you have a choice. Either take her to the Vet for the nasty shot and big dirt nap or decide that we will deal with this. Maybe it's a behavior issue we didn't see at first with her and Gracie Marie. Gracie can be a bully and we all know it. Andy does not use a box so it's not like he is irritating her or taking her turf. I am tired of this rant..shut it or get in the car with the PTU ."

In all fairness, he's had to listen to me rant about it too but I am kinda past that.

I check the hallway before I even change clothes and know that when the poop bomb is there...it's gonna get cleaned.

I am hopeful it will resolve itself...either way it will be handled and cleaned up ,. and there will be no VET trip because one of us is simply frustrated or irritated or has had a bad day.

Yep...Your Aunty Pol's still talking some shit..ain't she ?

Had to go there.

Have a great weekend .

We all deserve it.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

A True WTF Moment

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38134494/ns/technology_and_science-games/

This just about blew my mind.

I cannot in any fashion imagine that Blizzard is this stupid.

Read the above...I'll wait.

Okay.

Granted that I have been playing RPG's in a PBP ( Role Playing Games in a Play By Play or email format ) with the same group for 10 years or more and that we are a smaller group now...the idea that WOW ( Blizzard) can monitor their chat rooms/forums using players real names to reduce flaming is just plain .." What the fuck " thinking.

No other way to put it.

Any GM ( game master ) worth his or her salt would set up clearly defined codes of behavior and enforce them.

One of the biggest rules is that a player much note whether they are responding to a post or responding in a chat room in character or out of character..IC or OOC.

Usually IC posts are given a pretty wide berth ....the players know from the actions posted on the boards that arguments or open warfare or stealing someones melange silos or killing their high ranked Mentat ( snerk) will provoke a pretty amazing reaction.

I have seen players ( Liam and Rael ) come to mind that go off the deep end OOC , and in one particular case , one of the above was literally forced to publicly apologize to another player because he had gone off the deep end at her on the board.

To my dying day I will cherish the fact that I am the only one he's ever had to publicly apologize to...thankyouverymuch.

Blizzard's scorched earth policy will hurt them where it counts...in their profits.

Because I play in closed to the public unless a referral is given, I know all of my friends real lives and they know mine.

If I have a bone to pick, I'm as apt to pick up the phone and sort it all out..regardless of the country the other party lives in..that's just my way.

If I ever had a notion of playing WOW..this killed it.

Morons.

Let's see how long the game lives on, shall we ?

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Hello Little One !

Happy Happy Joy Joy .....Happy Happy Joy !

Lord Roger and Lady Rae welcomed their new daughter yesterday and I am just thrilled beyond words.

And so incredibly touched that they gave her my name as a middle name...that is beyond what I can describe..words fail.

No one can jack my happy place today..don't even try !

Ciao,

A very Humble and Happy Aunty Pol

Sigh..

Yes Roger, I should be writing right about now.

I have the idea of the physical attributes, and you know I can't write without a sense of the character..

SIGH !

I have the ideas all down and we went all over the numbers.....

For the the readers:

I am about to embark upon yet another RPG PBP...Role playing game, play by post and the irony is that right now I am finishing a book by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro....yes my sister...a St. Germain about the Huns attempt to overtake the last of the Roman Empire and Constantinople.

Perfect.

I am now dreaming about the Khan and the riders and the nomads..lol.

But.

I need as always to get an idea mentally of the character..I need to see her as the Shaman character..then I can get a sense of her actions and interactions with the other characters.

And thus far..this week sux.

My saving grace is that my GM is either preoccupied with the impending birth of their first child or as my luck would have it..he in his very British was is chomping at the bit to begin but is just too polite to say so.

I love you anyway CT.

LMAO.

And it's still raining.

Now down here , we don't usually complain too much about rain this time of year, but a few years ago we had a tropical storm that just trained over us for 4 days as I recall it.

We are for the most part at or below sea level , and a lot of the area has a heavy clay content to the soils so with the heat, it hard packs.

If we get this much rain, when it soaks in , since the sea level is what it is ...we flood.

The Gulf is very warm right now.

We are usually very blase until late August...then we watch.

Where SU and I live...65 miles from the Gulf just got smacked with IKE .

So of course the population after Rita, Katrina and Ike are all a bit twitterpated.

And Andy went out tonight of his own free will...Gracie Marie was out but is smart enough to go to the girls garage or gazebo.

And Xena's having super pooper episodes on the front hallway carpet...

And hisself was all mouthy about it.

And I cleaned it.

And hoovered.

We'd discussed the need with 2 long haired cats, hairballs and such the need to hoover more than once a week.

I last hit it Saturday when I cleaned the carpets.

Today is Tuesday.

No dear..." iT'S NOT EVERY F.G NIGHT".

Gah.

I need 24 hours..a case of Red Bull and the pc.

I need a day off without a death, car issues or cat shit on the carpet.

Oh well...

ON the upside IBKC is killing the fund raiser...

It all balances out.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Todays Happy Place

My late father was a super fan of " Peanuts"....well that and for the over 50 .."Pogo" .

There are blogs that I read daily, first and for most both " The Adventures of Space Paws" and " The IttyBittyKittyCommitee..both are dot blogspot.com.

http://megstrueadventures.blogspot.com/2010/07/peanuts-gang-life-on-top-of-doghouse.html

I love this new blog.

Meg is a first time foster Mommy and the parent of two kittys ....so me being me......I'm giving her a shout out .Go visit her blog and give her the support she deserves.

Rather than have a day where I focus on the whiny ass people that I work with who aren't smart enough to take an extra day off and would rather share their snipping about having to go back to work.........people , you have jobs.....shut it !

I'd rather find the happy in a day to offset their badass attitude and the reckoning that Karma surely will visit upon their sorry asses.

We all have choices people..choose happy.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Typical Saturday here at Casa de Swamp.

No, the dealership that SU planned on taking LOLA to, Parkway KIA does NOT have a body shop.

Really ?

I find that a tad odd, but then what the hell do I know about this crap..yep...nada.

The dealership that we originally bought her from does but they are not open on Saturday.

Convenient much..not.

Nor do they have any sort of courtesy vehicle to drop your ass home when your car is in the shop.

I am beginning to wonder about these cats.

Anyhoo..new plan.

Hisself is going to meet his sister over at DeMontrond and then they are going to go over to their fathers to help him got through some stuff, I suspect that there will be a lot of that sort of thing this year.

So..here I am at the house ...alone more or less...yes..you guys all count so Mommy is not really alone...learn to use the Hoover and we will talk allowance..m'kay ?

I have a ton of stuff to do...please do not look at the carpets..I will be cleaning them.

Where am I ?

In the Den, blogging.

LMAO..ROTF !

Oh , like you all are surprised.

Have a great Saturday.

Ciao,

Your Domestic Goddess

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~

No, I didn't fall off the planet.

There's just been a lot of stuffz going on ...

Aw Hells Bells..I've spent way the hell too much time om Facebook playing Farmville, Frontierville , Vampire Wars and Mafia Wars...

Yup.

Anyhoo..

The missing croc thank you Jeebus has been located . It had floated under the CatHouse.

You heard me.

The CatHouse.

SU actually built Andy a fort which was immediately dubbed the " CatHouse ". It is painted the same gray that the hardiplank is and he even carpeted the whole interior. It has a front ledge aka porch and is raised up off the patio to prevent damage.

I always forget that it is raised so after he read Sgt. Andy's report, SU promptly went out , and Voila !

And it's raining here.

Yes, we needed the rain and I am profoundly grateful that it wasn't another IKE, but jeeze Louise ...we do not need all of the rain at once. A few years ago we had Tropical Storm Allison and it sat over us for about 4 or 5 days as I recall...and rained...and rained...and rained. Parts of Houston that NEVER flood did just that.

On the upside, I won't have the ginormous water bill at this rate, but...there is an area in the front bed where the water pours off the roof and it has blasted the new mulch off of one corner. I think I'm going to have to take some of the river rock that I have on the back patio in a bucket and just lay it down on that corner to prevent more erosion...aren't I the clever girl.

Andy is twitterpated because he hates the rain and is loathe to go outskie boutskie. No...he won't use the box..we've given up but save that fact , he would be the perfect indoor kitty and we pay close attention to the time and his needs....yes ...they really do run the house .

I am quite pleased with my Etsy loot. Most of it has come in and I love it all. One darling woman who made me that bracelet is so nice. I told her that unfortunately , it was too big and she was kind enough to remake it for me in a smaller size for a nominal price. Off it will go in the post next week..this week was occupied with other mundane things..response letter to the IRS with the data we neglected to furnish with our return. No big deal , save that I am mortified....I do work for TAX attorneys after all.

Back to the loot.

I used to be a world class shopper.

USED TO.

Since the advent of cell phones and I hate to say it but for the most part women who feel it is a Gaia given right to yap their asses off in the store ( pick one..it's much the same ) while shopping and end up damn near every time either blocking the aisle/product I need with their buggy ( we live in the South, they aren't carts , they are buggys, thankyouverymuch)...throw in crying, screaming, out of control children and no. SU does the majority of the Kroger/Sams/Target/Petsmart runs...my motto is " I buy, you fly." Add to that the fact that even after a complete hysterectomy at the tender age of 31 in 1986.. yes...I am 55 , people..the math ain't that hard y'all.....I am prone to hot flashes. They never go away...you just have to treat them like power surges...but ...after a long, tense day at the office....I am not your new best friend Missy with the phone/child/buggy thing going on..." MOVE YOUR ASS NOW !"

Etsy therefore was a revelation.

The artists that I buy from, and they are just that are genuinely nice. I have had immediate thank yous for my purchases from them, and they are sincerely committed to ..wait for it....wait...wait...." Customer Satisfaction."

They all take a great deal of pride in their talents without being the " Obnoxious Artiste" types and you can't beat the prices.

I love rose gold and copper and there is some great stuff out there..especially if you love lampwork beads as much as I do. It's all unique and fun. They all take PayPal which really is safe and secure....so...

Check it out..free to sign up....scads of cool stuff....and great time wastage for your inner shopper.

Have a great and safe holiday...I'll be posting more...oh and before I forget...donate to IBKC if you can..here's the linky.

http://www.theittybittykittycommittee.blogspot.com/.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Red Alert From Sgt. Andy Panda Pants !

From: PPHQ ( Patio Patrol HeadQuarters)

Status : Defcon 4

Item In Question: Female Black Croc Garden Shoe Thingy

My Mommy is losing her mind, what little there is of it .

We had a squillion drops of wet things the other night and lots of Boom Booms .

My HQ flooded but not so had that it got in the barracks.

But.....

Part of mommy's uniform is missing so if any one sees a black croc shoe thingy, there is a substantial reward offered....( careful son....do you really want to share your treats ?)

Mommy has further demonstrated that she is losing it because she moved my stuff and put new stuffs out there too.

I only have so much furr to rubs on all of it and I am only one kitteh.

Mancats gotta do what a Mancats gotta do !

Sheesh..all I did was buy one more chair and pillow for the IceHouse !!

Dude....you have another option to perch on while on patrol !

Get Over It.

Have a great day and if you see a black croc..childrens size...I have small feet...let me know.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday ~

Happy Friday Everyone.


Spoiler Alert:

If you DVR'd last nights Burn and haven't watched it yet...skip this bit.

I guess that they have decided that the character of Madeline needed a break so Sharon G was no where to be found.

In itself that is fine but I do miss the moments where she lets one and all know that she is more or less on to her son's shenanigans and not as dim as they all thought .

You Go Girl .


Over all not a bad ep, and I loved the end because I still mourn the loss of " Numbers " on Friday night.

Not having my Fedcakes and "Can Haz Grandbabies Pls " has screwed up my whole weekend happy place.

But...

But....


Shout out to " The Original Spy" !

Girl...They cast our lil Amita ( Mrs. Charlie Epps ) as the baddie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ROCK THE FUCK ON PEOPLE !


SQUEEEEEEEEEE !



Elsewhere.....


The IBKC is now up to about 5 squillion ( 5K) for the dog-a-thon so I am a very happy camper.


Hisself's new glasses are in and they are fine save his grousing about needing to get them adjusted...


He has to work most of the day tomorrow and then has a party at a co-workers house to go to so I will have lots of me time.


Now, I bet some of you are wondering ..." Pol, why aren't you going to the party ?"

Good Question.

The answers are as follows:


1. Most , if not all of his co-workers are for the most part little better than drooling idiots...nice enough ...but if you get past the usual work talk, sports , beer, or houses of creative dancing , there is little to say. I guarantee that before the evening is over, one of them would say something so stupid that I would be forced to eviscerate them in a fashion that would be both fun for me and leaving them to grasp the event 3 days later. Part of their confusion is that when I play with my prey, I don't yell or curse...I am the one you have to really listen to before you get what I am saying.

2. I have nothing in common with his co-workers and detest small talk.


3. He needs and deserves his own me time.


4. DR . WHO on BBC.


I have enough to do as it is ..the house needs a LOT of attention with the Dyson and I have to do a bunch of crap.

Will I get a lot of it done ?

Mostly..but I also have a basic character ( Shaman ) to work on and if you are reading this Roger..I am gonna need help....Love to Rae too !

Then there is the time wastage with Farmville et. al.


Yes....don't ask.


We finally got some rain so I am a happy happy woman....Andy is another story.


Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Well..I Wanted It SO I Bought It !

r

Yup..another score on Etsy.

I love jewelry.

I know.."DUH".

More than anything else I love handmade, unusual pieces that are one of a kind.

Not so much a statement piece in the " Hollyweird Bullshit Glamslamobam" where the label is not the artist, merely a vendor greasing palms to get their crap before a camera crew.

I am sure that they are all lovely pieces, but I doubt there is a Harry Winston sitting in a shop staring at a lapidary grinding wheel thinking about all the possibilities.

Yes..I had one of those wheels.

In another life I dabbled.

Now I collect unset gemstones and have thought about roughing out an idea....the hesitation comes from the act of committing the stone to the plan.

You must be sure.

I love rose gold which is coming back into fashion and therefore available...hell bells....I love gold as it is and except for a personal choice not to ever wear white gold again..." Ohhh , Shiney !"

I am also at the age where I don't want to look like every other middle aged woman..I know when I am meant to have a piece of artwork ..and that is what I consider the handmade jewelry I buy..artwork.

Price is really not an issue , within reason..I did after all just buy LOLA and SU and I and the kitteh's have gotten spoiled by the occasional regular meal...I can usually afford most things.

The above is made by palafoxstudio23 on Etsy.

If you want to search on Etsy, just use key words like I did...copper earrings lampwork glass.

It will bring up a lot of shops and you can browse to your retail shopping hearts content. It will also offer suggestions and after a while you will be able to tell what shops you want to buy from.

One thing I do use as a guide is oddly enough how the shops wares are presented. Are they photographed more than once ? Are the descriptions helpful and accurate ? When a shop is suggested, if the owner doesn't have a basic photo of their wares ..I will pass it by.

I have told everyone that I have purchased from that their product may very well end up here in a post with photos. I haven't been shopping very long on Etsy but I am 100% + pleased. The artists seem to genuinely appreciate feedback and if and when I am not pleased with a purchase, in all fairness..I won't post it here.

I will give the artist the appropriate chance to fix the situation.

I am saying this here and now because I realize that not every one is as stupid as Demontrond KIA ..DO NOT get me started on how rude their people are on the phone.

I am the phone Goddess for a not small law firm in Houston and have been here for 28 + years. I have also worked the switchboard for my alma mater WSU full time for a few years.

Demontronds lack of customer service only makes me value the good service I recieve and further reminds me of how I will to represent my workplace.

No..that is not ass kissing..it is being a responsible adult and employee.

Just for shits and grins..go check out Etsy.

It's fun !

Have a great day.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Shake Your Money Maker !

Now that I hopefully have your attention....

As I have said before..if I put a shakedown post here...I will be open about it.

Guess what ?

Oh you are the clever ones , aren't you ?

Yes...this is a shakedown.

Hit Mr. Linky below to see the cause.

http://www.theittybittykittycommittee.com/2010/06/lets-rally.html

Yes, I donated.

Donate if you want to and are able to.

Or Not.

Up to you of course , no hard feelings.

But it is a good cause.

I also actively support local fund raisers of this type for all of the Texas Furr Babies, Banfield charities via Petsmart , Purrfect Pals and others.

For me it's simple.

I love my babies ...hells bells...I love almost any baby animal except snakes...I have to draw the line somewhere.

What makes me feel better....a pizza or donating ?

I love me some pizza but other than the mandatory strategic placement upon my ass...it won't last.

This will.

We will now resume our regularly scheduled programing.

Carry On.

Thanks for reading this.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

This Is A PSA From Xena To All The Kitteh And Puppeh Parents !

Hi, my Mommy said that I could do this because I am her MaYaoYao and this is important.

All of you kittehs and even you puppehs pay attention.

It is very hot this time of year, especially down here in Texas and along the Gulf Coasts .

Tell your parents that you need to be sure that you have lots of extra sparkly clean ( water) and it may help if your Mommy or Daddy or both even do what ours does.

This time of year the water in the pipes may be warmer than we like so be sure to tell your parents that you LIKE ice cubes in your sparkly clean.

We LIKE little kitten cocktails or puppy cocktails ....so stay safe and hydrated.

Remember...what they spend at the icky Vets means less toys and treats for us.

Personally , I like it when Mommy has a big glass of ice water and rubs it along my sides ( with the fur Mommy ....not against....M'kay ?)....I sit there and make biscuits and I purr and I like it.

Just a thought.

Night Night,

Xenie Gabbini....Queen of the Universe.

If It's Monday ~ It's John Barrowman Time ~!

Happy Monday People .

I hope that every one had a nice weekend and a happy Fathers Day where appropriate.

It is officially the first day of summer and hotter than Satan's Underoos again. It's been in the upper 90's for a week or more and about 45% humidity...kill me naow.

Even the SU who is basically a lizard says that it is too damn hot, and that says a lot. We are keeping Gracie Marie and Andy in as much as we can except to piddle and everyone is now having little kitten coctails..yes....Mommy puts ice chubes in their water.

I got up and watered early on Saturday..well , early for me....7:30 am and by the time that I had done what I could it was 11: 30. By 1 pm I was so beat that I actually took a nap...almost unheard of for me to actually do more than doze ...I crashed for 3 hours.

Yesterday we went to Church with Pop , and the NG Cindy joined us . She did pretty well considering that this is the first FD since she has lost her own father this January, over all we did fairly well except for the power point thingy on Fathers...I was proud of her.

SU went back to Pop's for a while and since I had promised to take Cindy to lunch we came home to get the hell out of the Church Clothes and find shorts. After checking on the brisket...low and slow in the oven is great but still heats the joint up too much...off we went for Mexican. Not being the designated driver, I could of course have a "rita or 2 ..LOL....then off to Super Target so I can spend money like a heathen .

Sheets- Check

New Cushions for the Patio Chairs- Check

New Chair for Patio - Check

New Pillow for New Chair - Check

Batteries for Flameless Candles - Check

New Color Coordinated Towels for LOLA - Check

New Microfiber Clothes to wash LOLA with - Check

New Purses for the Mommy Check - Bonus Points for them being on Clearance - SCORE !

New Small Covered Trash Bin for Patio - Check

Assorted Groceries - Check

I told Cindy that I had X-dollars in the buggy...I was under by less than 4 dollars.

I now scare her...!

Naturally the girls came over for dinner...it was Sunday and all .

It works out nicely..we love to cook...they love to eat.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Sqeeeeee For The Win !

Mah head just 'sploded !

Hee Hee

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Bruce Of The Day ~ Happy Friday !

Happy Friday everyone.

It's been a rather odd one at the Casa.

Yes, we got LOLA home.

We love the car.

We don't love , or I should say that I do not love ( does not want !) having to turn the situation over to SU for resolution.

That shit just pisses me off all the more.

When we opted to put leather seats/interior in , we were told by our Sales ho that it would be the end of the day Monday....Tuesday at the latest.

So , of course we were like two little kids on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa...yep...really mature at our ages ...LOL.

CAR NOW !

NOW !

NAOW !

So of course I got a call at the office on Monday that it would be Tuesday.

FINE !

Fine is by the way one of my all time favorite four letter words...it's all about the inflection ya know.

Anyhoo...

I call about 2 pm on Tuesday and get the same heming and hawing avoidance of a straight answer from the Sales ho about a pick up time.

Sensing this I am by now ROYALLY PISSED !

I tell Sales ho that I will be picking up the car at 7 pm.

I am livid.

The dealership told us that they could do the leather cheaper than the factory...cheaper yes...faster ?

Not so much.

We had opted to get the stitching done in the color of the car...they ended up only doing the steering wheel and the inside door handle dealy bits...if there is a proper name for that bit , I don't know it.

I don't sew.

Never have.

Yes I can replace a button or do up a hem...but that's it.

My late mother and mother in law both sewed.

I had a sewing machine and I know what little brain power and dexterity it takes to change a friggan thread bobbin.

It was such complete and utter bullshit that I had to call SU because LOLA had now become my version of his saga last year with the dentures.

I was that pissed.

If I ask you a question, by Bast , you had better give me a straight answer...especially when I have just handed you a cashiers check the previous week for $20,059.49...the full price of the car.

And as these things go , SU gets the answer and we pick up the car.

Happy Happy Joy Joy.

This offsets the massive sinus issue that I have been having all week, but not enough to prevent me missing 2 days work and thus blowing my standard 5 hours of OT I work a week .

Someone at work said that they thought that I was just running the streets in the new car.

Oh yeah...dats me....use 2 days worth of PTO and lose 5 Hrs OT in a car I just bought ...I guess they thought I didn't need the OT ever again..

PEOPLE....YOU ARE IDIOTS IF YOU THINK THAT IS WHAT THE SITUATION WAS AND I AM NOT...I REPEAT NOT ...16.

And then this am , Hisself gets his way the hell overdue eye exam and has to come next door to my office to tell me that it is $560.00 drive out....$160.00 more than we'd planned on and way more than my bit in January.

So I am just poo'ing money this week.

But then I realize..my RX had not changed..I just needed new glasses because I had fubared mine so badly.

His RX had really changed for the worse.

OK.

If I can figure out the logic...then I am fine.

So I get to trot to Chase at lunch which I planned already since I need to transfer funds to pay off my sister in law...see...more pooing of the $$$$.

As a bonus , of course I fell again..in an elevator, but the only witness was a gal pal who is as much of a klutz as I am...and I don't think I broke any toes since I can put weight on the foot and can walk....sigh..of course it was the left leg...

On the upside, we are going to join Pop for Fathers Day church service ( second service...I am not nuts ) and NG Cindy is joining us. She lost her father in January and since her roomie NG Jeri will be out and about...presto. SU thought I was kidding about going until I said : " Dude, I called NeeNee to see when the second service is ". His plan was to go to the service then spend the rest of the day with his father and I said fine....I will split with Cindy after church and we will go out to lunch....easy peasy.

So..the pluses out weigh the minus's this week....thank Bast.

Have a great weekend .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Retail Therapy For The Win !

http://www.etsy.com/shop/designsbycher

Okay...I know that the post before this was of the " Why yes, I will have cheese with that whine" variety...it had just been one of those days.

When in doubt ...retail therapy for the win.

I love jewelry...I know "DOH" !

But...I love different...chunky stones.....copper..brass...vintage...( not " Mid-Century" aka 1950's per se)...Bell Epoch....Edwardian...different.

Etsy is a great place to search out this stuff...especially for copper. The prices are great and it is stuff that you won't see coming or going .

There is one more pair of earrings that I am considering...I let you know how that goes.

By the way..both of the above pair are made of glass, not plastic and are a total of $35.00 including S/H ...so....score !

Have a great week....I'll keep all y'all posted on LOLA too.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol