Fear of Spiders

I hate spiders. Hate them, hate them, hate them. I would rather face just about anything but a spider. When I was really young I would scream hysterically and LOUDLY if I so much as saw the tiniest of spiders. My father used to get a piece of paper and carry the offending insect outside, usually while I was dancing around screaming "kill it"! As an animal nut I know its pretty hypocritical of me to love animals, and want all spiders dead. But I do. I know that they're an important part of the ecosystem and all the other fabulous things they do, but inside my house? No thank you.

Anyway, Jeff hates spiders too, but as the man of the house he has been pressed into Spider Killing Detail and you better believe if there is a spider around, he has to kill it. And not just because he loves me, but because I am a royal pain in the ass until he does. Lots of screaming, huddling away from the corner and basically acting like a three year old. He gets no peace until the spider has gone bye bye.

So if anyone knows some natural ways to get rid of spiders? I'd love to hear them!

Next Tattoo Design Idea

I already have one tattoo, a hammerhead shark circling a heart, on the small of my back. I got it at the end of a way-too long and emotionally draining relationship. It was kind of the icing on the "not going back" cake. I absolutely love that tattoo, but now I'm ready for my next one. And this one I'd like to celebrate my marriage. I never really thought I'd get married, didn't really think I was "marriage material", and two years later, I'm still insanely happy. So the elements I want in my next tattoo are red roses for my wedding bouquet:

The next part I want in it is Jeff's name in some sort of script, and our wedding date (9/8/06). Now, I've heard about all the broo ha ha about getting a name permanently etched onto your body, but let's face facts people. I'm not a celebrity, I won't be heading off to a movie location with Kane where a torrid affair will start up and end my current relationship. I'm 33 years old and have finally been fortunate enough to not only find a man that puts up with all my crap, but can also make me wet my pants laughing. Trust me when I say I'm not letting him out of my sight - ever!

After much discussion with Jeff, I've decided my ankle is the best place for this tattoo and I'm so excited to get it done. I cannot WAIT! I found a couple of rose tattoo designs that I liked, and I am really excited to see how an artist can incorparate the three elements. Something along the lines of the following:

Minus the skull element in the first one, but I love the placement on the second one. And the boldness of the rose design. Not really sure I'm going to have color, but we'll see. Anyway, Jeff was telling me if I can wait till my birthday he'll get it for me, so the coundown has started. Any comments or suggestions? I'll be sure to post pictures once I get it done!

Karaoke Night

I've been out of the social scene for quite awhile, and since I was popping Vicodin like they were tic tacs, I was definitely not drinking. All that stopped when Jeff and I went out to karaoke at the Hong Kong with David & Judith. Good times were had by all, even if by the time I was drunk enough to sing, Karaoke was over. :-( Hey, those scorpion bowls are KILLER! Never mind those test tube shots they sell, I don't even remember how many of those I did. So without further adieu, here are some lovely pictures!

Here we all are at the Hong Kong - can you see the lovely Scorpion Bowl between us?

Jeff & I - aren't we cute???

Jeff up at karaoke, singing his favorite warm-up "Stray Cat Strut"

That's all for now folks!

Sister and Father

I have a younger sister, Karen, who disgustingly looks EXACTLY like Kirsten Dunst. Exactly. Same face, same wry smile, same knowing look in the eye, and freakin' the SAME SIZE. She's like a size 2. It's not right, at all. If my sister REALLY loved me she would oblige me by gaining about 50 pounds, but no. She still wears her HIGH SCHOOL CLOTHES! There's just something wrong there with being able to wear your High School clothing 10+ years later, I think it's unnatural. Like maybe she's made a pact with the devil or something. Don't believe me, here we are this Spring.

I'm right, aren't I? Kirsten Dunst and my sister are twins.

And now here's a picture of my poor father, me, and Kirsten, oops, I mean Karen! Don't we look nice? And doesn't my father look tired? Like he's been beaten down and driven crazy by two daughters? I think my sister and I are personally responsible for all his gray hair, even though I constantly tell him that Karen and I were actually really GOOD teenagers. Neither of us dropped out, or got pregnant, or shot up cocaine., joined a gang, I mean we were GOOD! In fact, Karen was like an A++++ student, played the violin/viola in orchestras, was able to come up with some amazing art products, AND was still like a size 2. As for myself, ahem... well, I had a boyfriend!! And I managed to graduate High School while using only the SMALLEST portion of my brain and/or energy. Oh, and I got into and graduated college. That's really about it for me, and now that I think about it, maybe I'm responsible for more than half his gray hairs!

Naked Cat

Take a good look, Lily has been shaved like a poodle!!

Yes, my poor cat has been cut like a dog. Her body has been shaved, but her legs, tail, and head are still hairy. Effectively, she's NAKED! My poor cat is naked.

Let me explain why I had this done to her, intentionally. Lily is an old kitty cat. And she's never been really good about taking care of herself in the grooming department. Really its not her fault, she was too young to leave her mommy cat when I found her, so she's never really had another cat to show her how things are done. Regardless, I've always had to pay for grooming and brush her and all of that. Well as she's getting older she is less and less tolerant of having me pick out the mats in her fur. She got so many tangles and mats that I thought it would be just easier to have her shaved down, you know so the MSPCA wouldn't come after me for animal neglect and all. Well, it is easier, and she seems to be just fine with the haircut, but it is HYSTERICAL to look at her. We can barely pet her now without elapsing into giggles because she just looks so funny. She's NAKED! And she has no idea that there's something different about her, and no idea why we laugh so hard everytime we see her. Though the good thing is everyone who ever told me she was fat and big (or a BADGER as my Uncle once claimed) are now eating their words because without her fluffy fur she is a TINY, petite little kitty cat.

So take a good look and be jealous that you don't have a naked Princess Lily cat of your own!

High School Look

Remember the 80's? As a child of the 80's I was completely into the whole "dressing like I was about to be prominently featured in a Hair Metal Video circa Whitesnake". My role models for how I wanted to look were as follows:

Traci Lords in "Cry Baby"

Yes, I realize she was a porn star, but please remember that I was only 14 or 15 years old when the movie came out and I had absolutely no idea of who she was. But I LOVED her look and I mimicked it to the best of my ability.

My other role model?

Tawny Kitaen, otherwise know as the girl in the Whitesnake Videos who danced around on a car

Yeah, yeah, I know, it's sad really. My hair was almost exactly like Miss Tawny's. A huge mane of red hair teased within an inch of its life. My make-up was always done, my clothing was usually very short and tight, and I had spike heels that I wore day in and day out. Don't believe me? Here are a few choice photos:

What I wore for my High School Graduation circa 1992.

Ruffled half shirt with bare shoulders? Check. Shorts that were amazingly short and super tight? Check. Big hair? Check. Heavy black eyeliner and mascara? Check . Black pumps even though I went to a THEME Park with friends to celebrate? Check. Souvenir stuffed animal and "I Love You" balloon from my boyfriend at the time? Check. Keep in mind I graduated from a private Christian Academy and had a VERY strict dress code. Every other girl graduating was wearing a pretty dress and heels, NOT dressed like they were about to prance off to dance in a Poison video.

For a better shot of the HUGE hair I used to rock, check out this picture of me and my sister once again, circa 1992:

Take a look at my shirt, that was my boyfriend's shirt, I was always stealing his clothing and wearing it! Oh, and my sister's acid wash!!! Remember acid wash jeans??

One more while we're heading down my memory lane, this is the day of another friend's high school graduation. I believe it was Sage and Tricia's graduation from good ol' BHS. We're all here, Virginia, myself, Terry and Tricia!

I still kind of miss the look of "big hair"! Is that coming back again?

Goody Bag

While I was at Melrose Wakefield Hospital, I got moved from the ER to the Observation Unit. I was already familiar with this floor as its where Jeff was moved to right before he got his gallbladder out. But I did get something that he did not, a goody bag! Take a look at what was waiting for me:

Inside my little goody bag were the following items: lip balm, hand lotion, a toothbrush, bar of soap, comb, tissues, antibacterial gel, and socks with little grips on the bottom.

I especially appreciated the lip balm as the air in the hospital was realy dry and I felt like my lips were just insanely chapped. I haven't really used any of the other items, but I brought the whole thing home with me just the same. It was like they were trying to trick me into thinking I was staying in a 5 star hotel instead of a hospital. No such luck as I was acutely aware of just where I was and why, never mind that the woman next to me was insanely obnoxious. She was so demanding and I swear she rang that bell for a nurse every hour on the hour. Her two teenage daughters even visited her and proceeded to start a burbing contest. Classy. These girls spent the 2 hours they were there to see their mother by burping, constantly. Every other minute one of them would burb, and then giggle hysterically that they couldn't help it.

Anyway, after 12 days of almost constant pain I am finally feeling better. Fingers crossed that I'm at the end of whatever this was because I am so bored I am actually looking forward to going back to work!