This year has been very difficult for some but has also brought much joy to many. Hoping all who read this have a lovely New Year's Eve, whatever you may have planned or end up doing, and that next year has some wonderful surprises in store for you.
Stay safe tonight.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
this teddy bear would make you forget your troubles - and give you the munchies
This would have been an interesting find in a toy store.
I have to say, that's a pretty smart idea to use someone else's address as the return address, but if you're sending that kind of thing clandestinely in the mail, you think you'd check to make sure there's enough postage, wouldn't you? Insufficient postage is the only reason I can think of why the package was returned to the "sender" rather than delivered to the addressee, even though the story doesn't mention that's what happened.
I do expect, however, that the intended recipient of the package is going to get a visit about the package.
I have to say, that's a pretty smart idea to use someone else's address as the return address, but if you're sending that kind of thing clandestinely in the mail, you think you'd check to make sure there's enough postage, wouldn't you? Insufficient postage is the only reason I can think of why the package was returned to the "sender" rather than delivered to the addressee, even though the story doesn't mention that's what happened.
I do expect, however, that the intended recipient of the package is going to get a visit about the package.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
2 celebrities - 1 sighting, 1 encounter
celebrity sighting
A little more than a month ago, the husband and I and a friend were wandering around Disneyland doing rides, and we got in line for Big Thunder Railroad. We had gotten to the front and were assigned 2 rows, so we waited for the next train to come in so we could board. I noticed across the track that a ride cast member (CM) was taking a girl to be measured to see if she was tall enough to go on the attraction. It occurred to me that the man with them looked a lot like Noah Wyle. And then I realized that it was in fact Noah Wyle. I was actually a little surprised that I still recognized him because I haven't seen anything he's been in for quite some time, but then, he didn't look any different from the last time that I *had* seen him. The girl (presumably his daughter) was tall enough to ride, so Noah and his daughter (and the plaid-dressed CM who was presumably their assigned escort) all ended up getting into the same train that we were riding. So, I pretty much spent the entire ride watching the backs of their heads. I saw Noah turn to his daughter a couple of times, and Noah was smiling, so I'm assuming his daughter was enjoying herself as well. After we got back into the station, we exited behind them, and I saw them join up with several other people. And yes, I managed not to follow him around the park for the rest of the evening.
celebrity encounter
My niece was on a JetBlu flight from New York to Burbank, and the row she was in was empty except for her, so she was enjoying that she could lay across the seats and be comfortable taking a nap. Shortly into the flight, she heard a woman ask if she could have the aisle seat in that row because her row was very crowded. My niece was not happy about having been awakened from her sleep and now having to share her empty space, but she begrudgingly agreed. She still took up the remaining two spaces but said she pretty much had her "feet and butt all up in her [woman's] face". She said she also had to get up to use the restroom a couple of times during the flight, so the woman would have had to let her in and out of her seat. She was half-asleep, and she'd taken her contacts off and didn't have her glasses on so really hadn't paid that much attention to the woman now sitting in her row. She said she was also a bit distracted because she'd noticed that Peter Facinelli (No, I had no idea who he was when she told me his name. She said he was married to Jennie Garth, so I looked him up on imdb.) was sitting in the row or two in front of her. She said she did notice at some point that the woman had a script with her, but it wasn't the couple pages of sides that you'd get if you were auditioning - they were full-size scripts, so my niece had a fleeting wonder about who this woman was. Hours later, as the plane was about to make its final descent into Burbank airport and the flight attendants were collecting all of the remaining drink cups and trash, my niece overhead one of the flight attendants approach the woman and say how much he liked her in "Leverage" and other projects. That's when my niece realized the woman she'd allowed to sit in her row was Jeri Ryan. She put her glasses on and looked, and yep, that's who it was. She was mortified at that point that she hadn't been nicer to her. I asked her if Jeri had seemed annoyed at all, and she said no, she was nice, and she even passed her beverage to her from the the flight attendant when they went around with drink service. My niece said she also thought about her hair being a mess and such, but since she'd had her feet and butt all up in her face already, it was pretty much too late by then. She said she did kind of stare at her once they landed and Jeri got her things to leave. My niece said Jeri was dressed simply in jeans and didn't have any makeup on and was very unassuming. I told her that she hadn't actually done anything wrong. She did give up the seat, and being on the aisle, you pretty much expect that you're going to have to get up if someone wants to use the restroom. I also figured that since she was flying fairly incognito (neither my niece nor I had expected that Jeri Ryan would be flying in a regular seat in JetBlu), she might have actually liked just being treated like a normal person, and it really wasn't like my niece was rude to her or anything. My niece said that she knew she had to tell me this story because she knew I was a Star Trek fan. So after she told me her story, I told her my Noah Wyle story, which she enjoyed.
A little more than a month ago, the husband and I and a friend were wandering around Disneyland doing rides, and we got in line for Big Thunder Railroad. We had gotten to the front and were assigned 2 rows, so we waited for the next train to come in so we could board. I noticed across the track that a ride cast member (CM) was taking a girl to be measured to see if she was tall enough to go on the attraction. It occurred to me that the man with them looked a lot like Noah Wyle. And then I realized that it was in fact Noah Wyle. I was actually a little surprised that I still recognized him because I haven't seen anything he's been in for quite some time, but then, he didn't look any different from the last time that I *had* seen him. The girl (presumably his daughter) was tall enough to ride, so Noah and his daughter (and the plaid-dressed CM who was presumably their assigned escort) all ended up getting into the same train that we were riding. So, I pretty much spent the entire ride watching the backs of their heads. I saw Noah turn to his daughter a couple of times, and Noah was smiling, so I'm assuming his daughter was enjoying herself as well. After we got back into the station, we exited behind them, and I saw them join up with several other people. And yes, I managed not to follow him around the park for the rest of the evening.
celebrity encounter
My niece was on a JetBlu flight from New York to Burbank, and the row she was in was empty except for her, so she was enjoying that she could lay across the seats and be comfortable taking a nap. Shortly into the flight, she heard a woman ask if she could have the aisle seat in that row because her row was very crowded. My niece was not happy about having been awakened from her sleep and now having to share her empty space, but she begrudgingly agreed. She still took up the remaining two spaces but said she pretty much had her "feet and butt all up in her [woman's] face". She said she also had to get up to use the restroom a couple of times during the flight, so the woman would have had to let her in and out of her seat. She was half-asleep, and she'd taken her contacts off and didn't have her glasses on so really hadn't paid that much attention to the woman now sitting in her row. She said she was also a bit distracted because she'd noticed that Peter Facinelli (No, I had no idea who he was when she told me his name. She said he was married to Jennie Garth, so I looked him up on imdb.) was sitting in the row or two in front of her. She said she did notice at some point that the woman had a script with her, but it wasn't the couple pages of sides that you'd get if you were auditioning - they were full-size scripts, so my niece had a fleeting wonder about who this woman was. Hours later, as the plane was about to make its final descent into Burbank airport and the flight attendants were collecting all of the remaining drink cups and trash, my niece overhead one of the flight attendants approach the woman and say how much he liked her in "Leverage" and other projects. That's when my niece realized the woman she'd allowed to sit in her row was Jeri Ryan. She put her glasses on and looked, and yep, that's who it was. She was mortified at that point that she hadn't been nicer to her. I asked her if Jeri had seemed annoyed at all, and she said no, she was nice, and she even passed her beverage to her from the the flight attendant when they went around with drink service. My niece said she also thought about her hair being a mess and such, but since she'd had her feet and butt all up in her face already, it was pretty much too late by then. She said she did kind of stare at her once they landed and Jeri got her things to leave. My niece said Jeri was dressed simply in jeans and didn't have any makeup on and was very unassuming. I told her that she hadn't actually done anything wrong. She did give up the seat, and being on the aisle, you pretty much expect that you're going to have to get up if someone wants to use the restroom. I also figured that since she was flying fairly incognito (neither my niece nor I had expected that Jeri Ryan would be flying in a regular seat in JetBlu), she might have actually liked just being treated like a normal person, and it really wasn't like my niece was rude to her or anything. My niece said that she knew she had to tell me this story because she knew I was a Star Trek fan. So after she told me her story, I told her my Noah Wyle story, which she enjoyed.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monkey House Cafe - the name alone makes me want to try it
We were in the Huntington Beach area yesterday and drove by a restaurant called Monkey House Cafe. It was late, and it was dark, so I couldn't see the place very well, but the name of the place sure caught my attention. So, I looked them up online.
The place looks to be a very small simple shop that serves sandwiches, soups and desserts, and they're only open until the late afternoon on weekdays and close even earlier on weekends.
I do love how the website looks though - they have lots of cute pictures of cartoon monkeys!
This picture is on their page listing their selection of beverages.
This picture is on their page listing their schedule of their soup of the day selection.
This picture is on their page listing their sandwich selections.
This picture is on their page listing their desserts.
Given the location of the cafe, which isn't really near anywhere I go on a regular basis, it's unlikely that I'll be able to make it there anytime soon, but it's definitely a place I'd like to try. The menu selections do sound good, and hey, they have a cute website!
This picture from their website shows two of the owners of the cafe as well as two views of the interior of the cafe.
The place looks to be a very small simple shop that serves sandwiches, soups and desserts, and they're only open until the late afternoon on weekdays and close even earlier on weekends.
I do love how the website looks though - they have lots of cute pictures of cartoon monkeys!
This picture is on their page listing their selection of beverages.
This picture is on their page listing their schedule of their soup of the day selection.
This picture is on their page listing their sandwich selections.
This picture is on their page listing their desserts.Given the location of the cafe, which isn't really near anywhere I go on a regular basis, it's unlikely that I'll be able to make it there anytime soon, but it's definitely a place I'd like to try. The menu selections do sound good, and hey, they have a cute website!
This picture from their website shows two of the owners of the cafe as well as two views of the interior of the cafe.Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Using Google's image to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and the best of the holiday season.
This year, Google's final image was five days in the making.
May you have a good day, wherever you are and whatever you're doing.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
giving a helping hand
I heard about Robin Hood 702 on a radio show last week. He's an anonymous high-stakes gambler living in Las Vegas who last year decided to find a family that he could help with money that would get them out of debt. He's doing the same thing this year, and he's being joined with contributions from a second person.
I think this is a terrific idea, though I can understand the difficulty in trying to decide who to pick. There are so many stories out there, and you can't possibly help them all. And you also have to learn to weed out the "deserving" (in the eyes of whomever is making the decision, of course) and those who are not so much. Some stories sound pretty bad on the surface, but sometimes, knowing the story behind the situation can change how you feel about the situation itself. At least that has happened to me a number of times.
I like that he's not interested in making someone a ton of money, but rather, a more modest amount that can be insurmountable if you're in that situation but isn't a back-breaker for someone who has some amount of money.
This is the kind of thing that I would so love to be in a position to do. No, money can't fix everything, but I hear about so many situations where some significant amount of money would make a huge difference, would help alleviate some particular concerns so that the people can get on their feet and balanced and deal with other parts of their situation that don't involve money.
There are many people who might be having a more modest holiday season and maybe don't have a lot of presents, but there are others who are dealing with even bigger issues. Here's hoping that local Robin Hoods can come to their aid as well.
Here's a news story with more information about Robin Hood 702 and the first recipients of his generosity as well as the current situation.
I think this is a terrific idea, though I can understand the difficulty in trying to decide who to pick. There are so many stories out there, and you can't possibly help them all. And you also have to learn to weed out the "deserving" (in the eyes of whomever is making the decision, of course) and those who are not so much. Some stories sound pretty bad on the surface, but sometimes, knowing the story behind the situation can change how you feel about the situation itself. At least that has happened to me a number of times.
I like that he's not interested in making someone a ton of money, but rather, a more modest amount that can be insurmountable if you're in that situation but isn't a back-breaker for someone who has some amount of money.
This is the kind of thing that I would so love to be in a position to do. No, money can't fix everything, but I hear about so many situations where some significant amount of money would make a huge difference, would help alleviate some particular concerns so that the people can get on their feet and balanced and deal with other parts of their situation that don't involve money.
There are many people who might be having a more modest holiday season and maybe don't have a lot of presents, but there are others who are dealing with even bigger issues. Here's hoping that local Robin Hoods can come to their aid as well.
Here's a news story with more information about Robin Hood 702 and the first recipients of his generosity as well as the current situation.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
"Family Guy" does "Star Wars" again
The second episode of the animated television show "Family Guy" to spoof the original "Star Wars" trilogy of films was released this week. The title of the episode/DVD is "Something, Something, Something, Dark Side". Yeah, really. However, unlike the first episode, which was shown on TV and then released on DVD, this episode is only available on DVD, at least for now. Not sure if they plan to show the episode on TV in the future.
Even though I'm a big Star Wars fan, and even though the husband watches "Family Guy", I've not seen the first episode. The husband was watching the new episode, and I was listening to it from the other room and watched bits of it. It really is pretty funny. I guess I should go back and watch the first one.
The disc has some nifty specials too, including a table read of the episode and a "pop-up facts" version which has some really cool things in it, including one bit that's particularly amusing to me. There's also a preview of the third episode. And no, I'm not going to spoil it by telling you what the title is. You'll have to buy the DVD. Or at least look at it. :)
The link I provided above also has a trailer for the episode.
Even though I'm a big Star Wars fan, and even though the husband watches "Family Guy", I've not seen the first episode. The husband was watching the new episode, and I was listening to it from the other room and watched bits of it. It really is pretty funny. I guess I should go back and watch the first one.
The disc has some nifty specials too, including a table read of the episode and a "pop-up facts" version which has some really cool things in it, including one bit that's particularly amusing to me. There's also a preview of the third episode. And no, I'm not going to spoil it by telling you what the title is. You'll have to buy the DVD. Or at least look at it. :)
The link I provided above also has a trailer for the episode.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
part cat, part seal?
Most cats aren't particularly fond of water, except to drink. Bathtime can often be a huge fight when it comes to cats. Orkid likes to jump in the tub, but only when it's empty. If you turn the water on, she'll venture far enough to get a drink, but if you turn it on higher or if you turn the shower head on, she will get out of the tub.
Not so much this kitty. Too frickin' cute.
Not so much this kitty. Too frickin' cute.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
