Return of the Madonna Wh*re

No time for whining about medical woes or the dog's boogery-blind eye or the wife's fear of street salt... there is big news to be had for 2012:

Madonna has a new album awaiting release....she has a tour in the works...AND, she is the half time entertainment at the Super Bowl.

2012 is going to be the BEST.YEAR.EVER!

Well, it will be if the world doesn't end.  If the world ends in 2012, that's going to kinda suck. At least it will be after I see Madonna on tour.

(Yes, that's MY photo.  I didn't glean it from anywhere. It's from when me and MJagger went to one of her Chicago concerts. So, don't be giving me any grief, you guardians of the Internet.  It's mine, mine, mine!)

As the actual concert/tour dates haven't been officially released, I don't have the details-- it looks like her Madge-esty will be in the area late July 2012.  Suffice it to say, MJagger and I best start saving our pennies now, because I ain't sitting in the cheap seats.  I am way too old for that nonsense--in fact, I will be 50 by the time the concert rolls into town and 50-year-olds do NOT sit in the cheap seats. 

I have a lot to do before "The Summer of Madonna" arrives. 

• I have to get back into concert form, building my endurance so I am able to dance for two hours. 
• I have to build my endurance so I can hold my pee while dancing for two hours. 
• I have to get some speed work in so I can sprint-to-the-parking-lot after the concert....or
• I can learn to hold my pee even longer and wait until we get to the toll road Oasis before going to the bathroom after dancing for two hours and then hanging out in traffic. 
• I have shopping to do--one must have appropriate garb for going to a Madonna concert.  What to wear?  What to wear? 
• I'll have to learn all the words to her new songs (which won't be easy, considering my peri-menopausal state).

I'm glad I have a few month's notice to get everything in order.  It's been awhile since I've had anything to be excited about in the Madonna Department. I'm glad she's giving me the perfect gift to start the year.  I'd write more but I have to go do some core-strengthing exercises and start shopping for a new wardrobe....

Happy New Year!


P.S. The world is not going to end in 2012.  Please do not jump on that band wagon. I'm begging you. All the nonsense has already started.  Just stop it.  If the world ends, I'll apologize.  Until then, focus on Madonna and all will be well in the world.

Of Dog Food and Tax Time


Here's a photo of Freckles trying to take a nap in the sliver of sunlight that remains available this late in the year.  Oh, for a bit of sun to cure all our SAD.

All these years I have been feeding Freckles & Lucy the best of the best dog foods--meat as first ingredient, the least amount of fillers, a balance of canned foods along with dry kibble, the fewest gross ingredients, even organic when given the chance.  They certainly eat better than me and the wife. I did lots of research to find the best foods.  I read label after label of ingredients.  I special ordered things I couldn't find locally....

....but, after spending all that money on those vet bills this year--despite feeding them all that costly food--I've begun to question my sanity.  All that expensive, organic, high-quality dog food didn't seem to make them any healthier.  Here my dogs are eating caviar and all the other dogs on the planet are eating candy...guess who has the healthier dogs?  The owners with the dogs eating the "candy" food, that's who!

What is "candy" dog food, you ask? It's the cheap food you find in the grocery store--you know, the dog food most normal people give their dogs.

Could it be that--gasp!--the expensive dog food did little more besides make me poorer???

So, I gave in and purchased a bag of the "candy" food.  I figure  at this point it doesn't really matter and besides, they LOVE the candy food--what's not to love about eating candy? I eat candy.  I eat lots of candy.  It's not like Freckles is suddenly going to regain her eye sight or that Lucy is suddenly going to grow new teeth based on the quality of their food. They're old and deserve a little candy.  It's time to have some fun.

Don't panic--I'm mixing the candy food in with all that healthy, expensive food and I will continue to do so.  Even I can't live on candy alone.  I'll continue to give them that special prescription food that supposedly helps keep Lucy's teeth clean as well as the healthy, happy, wholesome food.

The only downside I've noticed is that they poop more.  I wasn't surprised by this, as many dog food reviews do indeed note that the better quality food leads to smaller, more compact, less frequent poop.  Of course, when one owns a Shih Tzu, it's not like giant poops are an issue.  I'm all good with a little more pooping.

As for the pending tax time, I've confirmed something I was hoping to be wrong about (apologies for the dangling participle).  Because we are in a civil union, we get to fill out our State tax forms as a couple--yeah!  I've waited a long time for that.  It rocks to be legal.  But, before we can enjoy the glory of being an officially civilized couple in the State, we first have to fill out the Federal forms "as if married" (that's the terminology the State uses) and then use the data from the "as if married" Federal forms to complete our State tax return on the "as if married" federal data. Meaning, the wife and I will each do our "as if married" federal taxes (separately but pretending not to be separate), then do our State Taxes together as if married, then each re-do our Federal taxes as single, as our "as if married" Federal forms are not legal. This hurts my head.  (Strangely enough, the State indicates that couples in civil unions cannot file electronically--they have to file the old fashioned way.  WTF?)  I can't say I'm looking forward to tax time--I can already hear the arguing:
Me:             "No! That's the State form! We need the Federal form."
The wife:    "Are we married or not on this form?"
Me:              "We're single."
The wife:     "Are you sure?"
Me:              "Of course I'm sure.  Is that the State or Federal form?"
The wife:     "It's the "as if married" form."
Me:               "Which is the Federal form on which we base the State form."
The wife:     "Yes."
Me:               "Then, we are single but we're acting as if married?"
The wife:    "If that's our real Federal forms, yes."
Me:              "Yes what?"
The wife:     "Yes, this is the real form which we are using to make the as if married form                            so we can base our State taxes on it."
Me:              "That's not the right form.  You've got the wrong form."
The wife:    "I've got the correct form.  You've got the wrong form."
Me:              "You know we can't file this on line."
The wife:     "Do we both have to file this or do we file one?"
Me:              "I don't know.  I just know we can't do it on line."

Thank goodness for tax-filing computer programs and for the wife being a math major. Start praying for us right now.

....hey, think all that expensive dog food is tax deductible?

Holiday Re-wind

Tis the season to....run around the Midwest looking like a chicken with a head cut off.  (Have you ever seen a chicken without a head? It's actually true.  You lop that puppy off and the thing keeps running around for a dot.  No wonder I'm a vegetarian.) It's the season where the wife and I argue about our spending habits, of eating naughty foods which lead to screaming pant buttons, of recalling holidays of old.  Since I'm short on time and can't blog while in a car--well, actually, I could if I weren't doing all the driving, but blogging and driving is not a good idea--I am giving you a holiday re-wind from December 2006.  Most of you weren't reading the blog way back when, so I figure this is fair game.  I do so love the story of Santa in the Bathroom. 

"Happy Holidays" to those of you who no longer say "Merry Christmas!"  Merry Christmas to those of you who disdain the saying "Happy Holidays!"

(December 2006 Edition) ......To help you get into the holiday spirit, I thought I'd share memories of a few favorite gifts and foods over the years. Take, for instance, the Christmas when I was five years old. If I'm not mistaken, we were living in Boston at that time and had returned to the Windy City for the holiday festivities. We stayed with our grandparents that year, with Lil Sis and I taking over my aunt's bed. This was an AWESOME Christmas, as Santa brought me a G.I. Joe Machine Gun! Now, that's a good present. (I'm serious!) Although that was a mighty exciting part of this particular holiday, finding Santa in the bathroom was the highlight of Christmas Eve....

...While trying to sleep on Christmas Even (you know how hard that can be), I was peeking out of my supposedly closed eyes while "sleeping" in my aunt's bedroom. I was facing the doorway. It was still mighty dark out. Suddenly, I swear to you that I saw Santa walk into the bathroom and shut the door. I was so excited I could barely contain myself!

SANTA.is.in.the.BATHROOM!

He's HERE! HE'S HERE! HERE! HERE! HERE!

(Even Santa has to pee, doesn't he? I mean, that's a LONG journey he takes.)

I quickly SQUEEZED my eyes shut, as I figured Santa would take the gifts back if he knew I was awake. I prayed I wouldn't squirm in delight.  

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE DON'T LET SANTA KNOW I'M AWAKE!!! SANTA, I'VE BEEN GOOD ALL YEAR! PLEASE DON'T LET ME BLOW IT NOW!

I kept those eyes squeezed shut and I did not peek to see if he ever came out the bathroom door.  Maybe he went out the window.  (They didn't have a chimney, so the bathroom window might work quite well.) Thankfully, Santa did not see me and thus the machine gun was mine for the taking. 

Looking back, I assume it was my grandfather in the bathroom, but who REALLY knows???!

Over the years, I've been given some awesome presents: a telescope in fourth grade, a new 10 speed bike in eighth grade (yellow! Woo woo!) and even a yellow hat with a siren on top when I was in tenth grade. I think my favorite gift in the recent years was the Poop Calendar I received from a co-worker last year. I know, I know, that is so juvenile, but it was the best calendar I have ever received--dog poop every month! You KNOW how much I love to talk about poop--well, this just gave me permission to talk about dog poop at any given moment during the work day. (It IS a fine line between staff and client, I tell you.) If I weren't in such a food coma, I'd tell you more about holidays gone by. Until I "pass" those cheesy potatoes, I won't be doing much of anything, so you'll just have to wait....a few hours...a few days? Please don't make it a week....

Holidaze Ramblings


Oh sure, now you ALL want queermuffs!  All you haters have come to realize what a great idea they are and now you are trying to buy some....just remember who got you hooked on these babies....

....Actually, all credit goes to Argo Warrior Princess, as she is the one who introduced me to earbags and Milo. You know, I drank some Milo after dinner tonight--I should have worn my queermuffs while drinking it.  Next time.

Next, you'll all want Poteidaia t-shirts.  I know you're already jealous.  I was way excited when this diddy arrived in the mail this weekend.  For those of you who are not in the know (what is WRONG with YOU?), Lucy's full name is "Lucy, Bark of Poteidaia," so I was REALLY excited to find this shirt.  I like it so much I might wear it on Christmas Day. I know the baby Jesus would give this shirt two thumbs up.

The wife has made it her mission to teach me how to operate the television and the required 756 remotes that are assigned to the various electronic equipment.  I have no interest in such nonsense--I just want to watch football in HD.

Thankfully, the Packer game was NOT on yesterday--it was blacked out by our good-for-nothing cable provider--because had we been able to see it, I might never have been allowed to turn the TV on again. The wife can't take the pain associated with such loss.

We received the BEST.HOLIDAY.CARD.EVER! this week. The wife and I found it so funny that we were literally snorting in laughter. It is not appropriate to re-post but if it were, you'd laugh, too.  Suffice it to say that our creative friends took their dog to a local outdoor nativity scene (you know, the kind with the life-sized statues and a real-looking stable) and placed their dog in the manger.  Their dog posed as the baby Jesus, peering out from the manger.  They snapped a few photos and next thing you know, they have the perfect holiday photo card.  Not just any old photo card--the BEST photo card ever! Genius. 

In case you are wondering (and I KNOW you are wondering), my medical mystery continues.  I've secured an appointment with someone who might come up with some alternative answers, as I'm rather irritated with the traditional medical field.  My doctor refers to my problem as "a nuisance" and that although it is a very real problem and it's something that you can see on a CT scan, there's really not much to do unless I want to take some major drugs (of which I want nothing to do with).  Thankfully, all the medical tests I've had over the past six months demonstrate on thing: I am a healthy, healthy person despite my nuisance.  My test results (all seven bazillion of them) were stellar and for that I am grateful.  I just happen to have this weird, very rare issue.  I've decided that Western medicine has failed me and that it's time for something new, another avenue. 

I'm putting on my queerfmuffs, donning my Poteidaia T-shirt, putting my paws up and taking my chakras on the road.  I'm going east.  I'm loading my one-eyed dog, the dentally-challenged canine, the wife and our four remotes into the car and I'm gonna get me some eastern medicine. Then, I'm gonna drink me some more Milo.  I've got to have a complete recovery by the time Madonna performs during the Super Bowl half time show.....

Three Cheers For the Queer....muff!

Before I get to the point of my babbling, I would like to say two words:

Four remotes. 

We have four remotes in our lives.  This is three more than I prefer to have and three more than I will ever figure out.  She tried to explain things to me but I stopped listening after she picked up remote #2.  I'm going to not watch TV unless she's home.  That way, I will have no remotes in my life.

The wife doesn't like when I talk about things like the TV because it might attract robbers.  Trust me, they'd be much better off going next door because we only have this one nice piece of electronic equipment.  We're just entering the 21st century.   We still have our stereo components from college--that should tell you something, because we haven't been in college for 25 or more years.  Besides, we have dogs and we have the nosiest neighbor in the country, which is AWESOME when it comes to having your very own neighborhood watch.  We keep our dogs locked and our alarm armed.  The TV is safe. Our college stereo is safe.  My 500 vinyl albums are safe.

Now, if you were breaking and entering to steal my new queermuffs, I'd understand.  I've been worried about only having ONE set of queermuffs for the past few years because I lose everything and I really can't live without my queermuffs....

.....some of you--okay, almost all of you--are wondering, "what the hell is a queermuff?" and why is this lady babbling about them?  If you had some, you'd feel the same way--you'd want to profess your love for them every day it is below 50 degrees.  I break them out when there is a chance of a cold front....a cool front....hell, a soft breeze blowing from the west.

Allow me to introduce you to the queermuff:

I know, I know, you can barely stand the excitement!  These are my brand-spankin' new leopard print ones.  They are a size "medium," which is problematic because I have a large size ear, but one must sacrifice when it comes to beauty.  They didn't have an leopard print ones in size large, so I went with the medium.  I figure I can stuff my ear in a medium.  It's not like you wear queermuffs for hours at a time.

No, that is not their "real" name.  The name of which I employ evolved over the years, mainly because the wife finds them so unattractive and ridiculous.  It went from ear muffs to queermuffs in a matter of months. 

These are NOT ear muffs, so do not insult them.  These gems don't need a wire or a string or a piece of plastic to keep them in place.  These don't mess your hair. These don't fall off.  These don't roll away.  One for each ear.  POW! POW!  Warm ears! 

You can wear one or both at a time.  You can mix and match. You can wear them to bed.  You can wear them with your formal wear.  Why do you think I got the leopard print ones? Those will be my dress queer muffs!

I got these on-line from a certain TV shopping show.  I couldn't pass up the deal--I got four pair for the price of three and the shipping was a steal.  That means one pair of leopard print for me and three pair for....well, I can't tell you who they are for, as they are being given as Christmas gifts! 

I am SURE these will be the BEST.GIFT.EVER. for the recipients.  100% sure. 

Wait 'til I teach them how to do the "queermuff sassy dance."  It's so sassy I might have to make a video of it for you visiting the Addiverse.....

....or, maybe I'll just wear my queermuffs while trying to figure out those four remotes.

I would like to wish my dear friend "TV" a very happy 50th birthday.  She looks great.  I keep telling her that "50 is the new 40."  I won't tell anyone you are 50.

I took this photo yesterday. I noticed this giant "smoke ring" hovering over my place of employment as I was walking toward the building.  I stopped in my tracks and thought WTH?  It was so bizarre that I took this photo with my camera phone.  I also went and found someone else to look at it, so I'd have a witness.  Never mind that the person I went and got has a chronic mental illness--he seemed in touch with reality just fine for my purposes.  I've never seen anything like it and neither had he.  I thought perhaps a sky-writer had gone wrong--started spelling out a word and then got all dyslexic or something.  I posted it on Book de la Face in an effort to find out what the heck this was.  The local weather guy says it is from a plane in a holding pattern, circling.  I dunno.  I grew up in the landing pattern of O'Hare and I NEVER saw anything that looked like this.....

It's a quiet night in the Addiverse, as our TV and cable have been unplugged by the wife, as she is preparing for the arrival of our new TV.  "The Project," as I now call it, continues to grow.  Cables spewing, furniture flying, angst boiling.  This all before we even have the TV.  Hell, we don't even have the new furniture thing yet. The cable box (with the DVR thingy of which I didn't think we'd ever need but now realize I cannot live without) is unhooked, as the wife has to go to the Cable company and get a new box.  I was aghast when I learned she didn't DVR Glee or Modern Family, as there is no DVR to DVR with.  (She is SO LUCKY they invented Hulu.)  I've always said I could live without TV (and, I still believe this to be true), but I'd need time to adjust--I would need a 30 day warning to prepare for the loss of the Weather Channel.

As the new TV system is all fancy and new fangled, we need a new cable box. You would think this would be very easy.....but, nothing is easy when it comes to the Cable company.  What a racket! They take all your money while holding you by the balls.  There is no other game in town and they know it.  They taunt us.  They don't need to have customer service because there is nowhere else to go.  (Let's not start the satellite nonsense and don't even make me laugh with the digital antenna thing. It's this cable company or nothing. They have the Internet connection to the world.  The phone company can't touch their speed.  I need speed. I need the Internet.  I might be able to live without cable but I CANNOT live without the Internet.) The Cable company has HORRIBLE customer service--I imagine it's like calling "Peggy" in the credit card commercials.  The wife, god love her, has been dealing with the Cable company for the past few days. Her last conversation, made yesterday--Wednesday--went like this:

WIFE:  ....."Do I need a 3-D compatible cable box for a 3-D capable TV?"
CABLE: "Yeah, you need one of those."
WIFE: "How do I get one?"
CABLE: "You have to drive to our office and pick one up."
WIFE: "Where are you located?"
CABLE: "By the airport." 
(The airport, for readers who do not know us, is literally the furthest point in town from where we live, with no easy, direct route.  This is a trek. It is a 25-30 minute pain in the ass.)
WIFE: "Can you tell me if you have one in stock?"
CABLE: "A cable box?"
WIFE: "Yes.  A 3-D compatible cable box."
CABLE: "No, I can't."
WIFE: "You can't tell me if you have this piece of equipment in stock?"
CABLE: "No, you'll just have to drive out here and see if they have one."
WIFE: "Seriously? Can't you check the inventory?"
CABLE: "No, we can't do that.  We'll be able to do that after January 1st."
WIFE: (confused) "You can't tell if something is in stock?"
CABLE: "No, you'll have to come out here.  They don't always have those in stock."
WIFE: "Isn't the equipment where you are?"
CABLE: "No, it's in the warehouse."
WIFE: "So, this isn't the warehouse?"
CABLE: "No."
WIFE: Where's the warehouse, then?"
CABLE: "It's not in this office."
WIFE: "Can I call the warehouse?"
CABLE: "No, they don't answer the phone."
(I am NOT making this up!!!!!)
WIFE: "So, you can't call the warehouse to see if they have a 3-D compatible cable box in stock?"
CABLE: "No."
WIFE: "And I can't call the warehouse to see if they have this in stock?"
CABLE: "No."
WIFE: "I have to drive all the way out there and hope they have one?"
CABLE: "Yup."
WIFE: "I would think your customers would like to be able to call and see if something is in stock."
CABLE: "Yes, customers have mentioned that before.  After January 1st, you can do this."
WIFE: "That doesn't help me now."
CABLE: "No."
WIFE: "When can I do come get the cable box?"
CABLE: "During our operating hours."
WIFE: (on the verge of mass murder) "Can I come tomorrow?"
CABLE: "No, we're closed on Thursday."
(Who the hell closes their business on a Thursday?)
WIFE: "You're closed on Thursday."
CABLE: "Yes,. We're getting ready to put the inventory in the computer."
WIFE: "So, I can drive out there on Friday and hope they have a box in stock?"
CABLE: "Yes."

CABLE: "Yes."
WIFE: "And, sometimes they don't have this in stock?"
CABLE: "Right."
WIFE: "Then what do I do?"
CABLE: "You'll have to come back another day."
WIFE: "I bring the cable box I am currently using with me and trade it in for the new box?"
CABLE: "Yes."
WIFE: "So, if it's not in stock and I've unplugged my cable to bring in the existing box, I'll have to drive home, hook up the cable to the box I just unplugged and then unplug it again when I drive back out there?"
CABLE: "Yes."

As you can imagine, it was not a fun Wednesday night in our home.  This better be one kick-ass 3-D compatible cable box and it best work when she hooks everything up.

"The Project" has reminded us that projects take a life of their own.  Just about the time you think you've figured things out, something else comes up.  Another wire, another component, another something-something, it just grows.  Right now, I'm staring at the massive, existing entertainment center and wondering how the hell we are going to get it up the stairs and out the door...and, then who knows where.  It doesn't come apart. It's too big to put anywhere else.  It's too small for the size TV the wife picked out. 

Maybe I should call the Cable company and see if they want it.  Of course, they won't be able to answer that until after January 1st.

(Maybe that's not an alien symbol or a cloud pattern from a circling plane: maybe it's smoke coming out of the wife's ears when she thinks of the cable company.  Just sayin.)

ICU-TV

We seem to have an eye theme going on in the Addiverse.  My mom is having cataract surgery as I type.  The wife had a dream last night about not being able to see....and, it is definitely time for her to get some "readers" or "cheaters," 'cause she can't read small print anymore.  Just two weeks ago she went to the doctor (I almost typed "went to the vet," because that's where we spend most of our free time) for what appeared to be pink eye, but it turned out to be some inflammation of the eyelid issue. She went out and purchased a giant-ass TV on Cyber Monday, mainly because neither of us can see our wimpy-ass little TV screen any more.  We all know about the booger-encrusted-one-eyed-wonder Freckles has come to be.  We have eye drops, eye ointments and eye washes all around the house. The coating on my lenses is mysterious corroding (I don't know what else to call it) and I am in need of a pair of new glasses myself.

What IS it we don't want to see?

I ask that question in serious fashion.  I've been reading a lot of Louise Hay lately and that is something she would ask me if she were standing in front of me.  I hope I'd see her if she were  standing there. 

You know I love a good visual (pun intended), so I'm including this photo of me from the mid 1990's when I got hit in the face with a softball and ended up making a pulpous, bloody mess out of my eye.  (Don't you wonder why I have photos like this and how I know where to find them immediately upon need?) Actually, the ball made a mess of my face, not technically me....although, I'm the one who wasn't paying attention before the game started and thus got a softball to the face while standing in the coaching box.  Got me some stitches, a pair of irreparable glasses and a completely red-filled eye.  It did make my hazel eye look that much more green and colorful--kind of like a Christmas eye.

Trust me when I say there is a whole long story that goes with the injury.  Readers Digest version: I got hit in the face with the softball, fell to the ground in a bloody mess, heard the wife's feet charging toward me (my knight in shining armor!), hear the wife exclaim something about seeing blood, hear the wife charge quickly away from  me, leaving me in a bloody mess, lying on the ground.  The team got me off the field, blood still pouring out of my head (head injuries ALWAYS bleed a lot, look really dramatic when in reality is not that bad) and put me in my car...and made the wife drive me to the ER.  As she was completely panic stricken (she HATES blood), I had to tell her how to get to the ER because she couldn't remember.  My team mates showed up just a few minutes later, mostly to give direction to the ER doctor and staff (I kid you not).  I'm lucky the ER doctor didn't purposefully poke my eye out with all those questions and directives.

I am pleased to report a full recovery was enjoyed and a new pair of glasses was secured. I always love to get a new pair of glasses but that's not exactly the way I want to have to get them.  

But, I digress.

Let's move on to the new TV.  Now I shouldn't be telling you we're getting a new TV, because what if you are a burglar looking for a new TV to steal and sell? We haven't had to worry about burglars up to this point because our TV is from the early 1990's--anyone peering in our window to case the joint would take one look at that TV and immediately move along.  Besides, they'd get a hernia trying to carry the thing out the door.  We don't need an alarm system-we keep the shades open so burglars can get a good look at what we don't have.  Now, we'll have to shut the blinds (huh--blinds....fits right in the theme).  

I don't know much of anything about TVs.  I know they keep getting bigger while getting thinner.  There is no such thing as a little TV anymore.  Well, maybe for your kitchen or small bedroom, but otherwise they seem to be big as a wall.  The wife purchased a giant TV.  It scares me--I'm not sure we need anything remotely that big or that expensive.  (The vet bills this year still cost more than the fancy TV, so that should put things in perspective.) The wife has really good taste, so you know this is a kick-ass TV.  I'm sure we'll be able to see it just fine.  Heck, I think you'll be able to see it from across the street. There's no buying some Cyber-Monday cheapo appliance when it comes to the wife making such a purchase.  The wife goes for the gold and then works out a deal.  Salesmen tremble in her presence.  She goes to the store armed and dangerous.  They don't even try to scam her....they usually say something like, "wow, you seem to know what you're talking about" and leave it at that.  They just smile and nod, and they don't smile that much.  Suffice it to say, the wife terrified a young man, worked out a deal and made the purchase.

 

I'm more of a book reader than a TV watcher but I'm sure I'll become quite the TV fan, especially when watching all those Xena DVDs and pro football games.  Nothing looks better on the big screen than Xena or a football game. I couldn't care less that it comes with all sorts of things like blu-ray and 3-D, but I do love the idea that we can stream movies from the Internet and that we can do computer things on the big screen.  Make me some popcorn and fire up the screen--I'm settling in for the night!

We've learned that getting a new TV in this day and age is rather complicated.  The entertainment center and all the crap on it needs to go (huh! do they still have entertainment centers and are they called that?), a new piece of what is sure to be expensive furniture will have to take its place, the wall will need to be painted (after all, that huge entertainment center has been plopped there since 1995), the TV will need to be installed, complete with a gazillion wires and cables. What happened to opening the box and plugging it in?    I'm sure it will take both of our master's degrees and some anti-psychotic medications for us to get this puppy fired up.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I think some photos may need to be taken so I can share them with you--er, I mean document this event.

Until the TV arrives, I'm off to chase Freckles so I could put her eye ointment in, I'm going to call my eye doctor & set up an appointment, I'm going to call my mom to see how her eye surgery went and I'm going to surprise the wife with a pair of cheaters from the local drug store.  If that doesn't say "exciting Friday," I don't know what does.  We'll SEE what this day has to offer.....until then, eye see you!