Morning Martini

What to Think About?

2009-12-17T04:37:00.000-08:00

I don’t know what to think about the healthcare bill. I don’t know what to think of the daily polls I see on teevee. I don’t know what to think of the noise I hear coming from all the cable news channels. Since I don’t know what to think of these things I have decided what I’m going to do. For the next couple of weeks, I’m not going to think of them at all.

Mr. Pop has finally completed a series of business trips he recently found on his agenda and now he is safely back at home for the holidays. The weather forecast suggests we will have some cooler if not cold temperatures next week. Martini goes to the groomer Saturday so he will be looking all spiffy for the holidays. In other words, I would like to spend the next couple of weeks thinking about how fortunate I am to have so many nice things to look forward to and let the rest of the world spin on by.

Our Very Own Grinch

2009-12-15T03:16:00.000-08:00

Joe Lieberman seems bound and determined to want to be America’s Grinch on steroids. Not only is he willing to steal healthcare from so many Americans, he’s also willing to make a total ass of himself as he does it. I suggest something smellier than coal in his stocking this year. You’re a cruel one, Mr. Lieberman.

Is it over already?

2009-12-14T02:59:00.001-08:00

There was a time as I was growing up and on into my adult life when Christmas decorating began two weeks before Christmas. Today? Not so much.

Yesterday we went to Home Depot and Lowe’s looking for a particular tool. Lowe’s had no more Christmas trees for sale and what little Christmas decorations they had were sort of piled on one aisle. Where the big Christmas display had been a week or so ago there was now a big display of grills and outdoor furniture.

At Home Depot there were a handful of real trees and like Lowe’s, all the Christmas decorations that were left were piled toward the back of the store in one aisle.

So what happened? When did two weeks before Christmas, in stores, appear to be two weeks after Christmas?

What is wrong with Dick Cheney?

2009-12-10T02:29:00.000-08:00

Dick Cheney makes the Grinch look like a sweetheart. He has all but called the President a traitor to his country. I don’t know if he’s insanely paranoid, just plain evil or what his diagnosis would be, but I do think he is a danger to the country. He may get so worked up that he says something that could have negative repercussions for our country. Someone needs to tell him for the sake of the country to STFU!

My Fantasy Christmas Gift

2009-12-09T03:11:00.000-08:00

I have a fantasy Christmas gift I would like to receive one year. You know those Budweiser Christmas commercials where you see the Clydesdales pulling the big wagon in the beautiful snow covered woods? Well, I want to sit beside the man in charge of he reins as the horses so beautifully pull that wagon along the path. I want to experience that feeling.

Yeah, I know my chances of that happening have a lot in common with pigs flying and hell freezing over but I still wish it were possible.

Damn it!

2009-12-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

I wish just for a few months Washington Republicans could act like human beings instead of pains in the butt.

Between the insanity of Glenn Beck and the heartlessness of Republicans along with some Democrats, I am just about ready to become a political recluse. I thought the last eight years were a nightmare and they were, but some in Congress seem to enjoy nightmares so much that they want to keep them around for the next three or eight years.

It’s hard to try to stay informed and not fall into the abyss of political depression. Every time I feel myself getting disgusted and depressed, I just remember that as bad as DC is, it used to be somewhat worse. At least now we have a President who is trying to make things better instead of a President who was hell bent on destroying our country.

Toys are more fun than trees

2009-12-07T02:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we put up our Christmas tree and decorated it. Martini sat in what appeared to be little dog awe as he observed the activities. He didn’t attempt to touch anything or even get on the tree skirt beneath the tree. But after about twenty minutes he decided this wasn’t going to be much fun for him so he went into the bedroom, chose one of this toys and brought it into the living room begging us to throw it for him.

I guess his rationale was that if decorating a tree wasn’t much fun for him, it certainly couldn’t be much fun for us. He's thoughtful isn't he?

Pick Two

2009-12-04T03:17:00.000-08:00

I think we all feel that a lot of the members of the bush administration should probably be in jail right now. Let’s say you can only choose two who you feel certainly qualify for jail time, who would you choose?

My picks would be Rumsfeld and Cheney. I don’t think I need to explain why.

Thunderstorm in December

2009-12-03T05:00:00.001-08:00

We are waiting for a big thunderstorm to pass through our area this morning. I will trade anyone one Florida thunderstorm for just a little seasonal snow fall. The storm and the humidity that goes with it just might kill by Christmas buzz a little today.

Thank goodness Martini pays no attention to the sounds of thunder. Maybe he can teach me how he remains so calm and collected. He’s much better at that than I am.

It’s all a big deal

2009-12-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

Every bit of Christmas decoration is a big deal when you are only 11 inches tall and weigh eight pounds. Martini is all about investigating all this red and green and gold and sliver stuff. He looks at it but if I say, “Leave it” that’s the last time he touches it. This little dude picks up on commands the first couple of times we begin teaching them to him. We are very fortunate he’s that intelligent.

But so far the biggest surprise was when I took him outside Saturday and he caught sight of Mr. Pop up on the roof putting up the Christmas lights around the eaves. Mr. Pop called to him to get his attention. Martini looked all around before finally looking up at the roof. He just stood there staring not wagging his tail or anything. Then he looked at me and cocked his head as if to say, “ What the hell is he doing up there?”

Are we spoiling this little dog? I don’t think so. We’re just enjoying the hell out of having a new little soul with us and watching him having just as much fun with us as we are having with him.

Okay, we did buy a little Christmas dog stocking for him to hang up. Spoiling no, anthropomorphizing maybe but just a little bit. It’s just so much fun and besides Fred the Cat has had his own stocking for years.

Ready, Set and almost Go

2009-11-30T02:11:00.000-08:00

Since it was such a pleasantly cool weekend here weather wise, Mr. Pop took the opportunity this Friday and Saturday to put up all the outside Christmas lights and decorations. That sort of thing isn’t much fun when you are sweating to death. Kinda takes the merry out of Christmas. A cool clear weekend is much appreciated in these parts.

We’ll put up the tree next weekend and then turn on the outside lights. For now they are just on standby and awaiting the throwing of the switch.

This year we are full steam ahead about the holidays and I think it has a lot to do with a little grey and gold dog. Who says you can’t have serious Christmas spirit after just one Martini? For us this year, one is all it takes.

Holiday Busy

2009-11-25T03:13:00.001-08:00

Mr. Pop will be out hunting and gathering today for tomorrow’s feast. Okay, he’s actually going to the market to pick up the fresh turkey we ordered two weeks ago.

Me, I’ll be chaining myself to the stove this morning and beginning the preparations for the feast. First chore of the day is baking the cornbread for the dressing tomorrow. My mother’s old cast iron skillet will be in use. For the first time in a long time I’m in the mood for cooking and drinking and laughing all through the days of this holiday.

Here’s a toast to everyone for a wonderful Thanksgiving and the weekend to follow.

Just a post script, you couldn’t get me near any stores Friday even if you held a gun to my head.

Happy Thanksgiving, you turkeys!

Big Buzz Kill

2009-11-23T03:02:00.000-08:00

I have been so looking forward to the holidays and if there is one way I have found to kill the holiday buzz, it’s politics. I have been trying to ignore all things political as if it were the plague.

Once again this year we are all making charitable donations rather than giving each other gifts so there is none of that crowd fighting in the stores. No pressure to try “the perfect gift” for everyone. Pressure is also a holiday buzz kill.

I refuse to let anything political or commercial get in my way right now. I am going to enjoy every second of this season and let the rest of the world deal as best it can for now.

Are we that wimpy?

2009-11-18T02:07:00.001-08:00

Wow, for a country that calls itself the home of the free and the brave, some of us sure get frightened at the thought of holding a suspected terrorist’s trial in our country. I guess the police in NYC are being sent the message that they aren’t capable of protecting the city during such a trial. If I were one of those cops, I’d be more than a little pissed.

What message is this fraidy cat reaction sending to other terrorist? It sounds like this country is saying we are so weak that we can’t handle something like this trial and the imprisonment of these men if they are found guilty. Is that the message that we want to send, because if it is, it sounds pretty wimpy to me.

2012

2009-11-17T02:34:00.001-08:00

I don’ know which is more troublesome, that some people believe the world will end in 2012 or that some people believe that Palin could be the republican presidential candidate in 2012. Could these all be the same people? For me the idea of Palin becoming president would pretty much be the end of the world at least as we know it.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to hell now

2009-11-16T02:24:00.000-08:00

After a week without my computer and two hundred dollars later, we’re back.

I’m pretty sure I’m going to hell now due to the things I have said and thought about the person who came up with the Trojan horse that infected my computer. A tech said I must have gotten it from an email but since I seldom even open emails, I have to doubt that.

To be honest, a week without a computer in the house was very beneficial for me because I got caught up on a ton of things I needed to do around the house. This place is spic and span for the holidays.

While I cursed the person who created the computer infection, I got even with him or her by making something positive come of my computer-less time. I didn’t make lemonade with the lemon but I did use my downtime to my benefit. There’s something very satisfying to me about that.

Computer Problems

2009-11-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

Trojan Horse messed up my computer. Hope to be back up and running properly by Tuesday or Wednesday. Wish me luck

The Big Cat is Back

2009-11-06T03:02:00.000-08:00

After taking a few weeks off, Fred the Cat is back. I’m fired up and ready to go, at least for this weekend.

This is the 1000th post on this site. Between Pop and me and a couple from Martini, we have posted 1000 pieces of our minds. It sure has been fun.

The big event will be this Sunday. That’s Little Mister Fancy Pants, Martini’s third birthday. He looks pretty good for his age and remember this comment is coming from me, the cat in the house. He’s not bad for a little brother even if he does look like a squeaky stuffed toy.

So we’ll be doing some Birthday celebrating here this weekend. What’s on your agenda?

Whatever you do, enjoy the hell out of it.

Sincerely,
Fred the Cat (the cat that loves you guys!)

Quick Question

2009-11-05T04:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever heard as much spin over elections as you have heard about what happened Tuesday night? And does anyone care what some talking head thinks? I know I sure don’t and I avoided cable news channels yesterday like the plague.

Christmas comes early for Martini

2009-11-03T04:36:00.000-08:00

My previous dog, Murphy, was never much for playing with toys aside from a particular brand of plush toy pigs, however that never stopped me from buying him Christmas toys at Christmas. That habit continued with me even after he was very old and didn’t play with any toys anymore. It just wasn’t Christmas if I didn’t get Murphy a toy or toys.

For about the last four or five years of Murphy’s life, his Christmas toys were always placed in a little basket by his bed at Christmas. Then put away like all the other decorations after the holidays.

The last Christmas of Murphy’s life we knew it was most likely his last and that year since we would be away, we didn’t get out any Christmas decorations. Last year we didn’t have a little dog so once again some decorations were never taken out.

This past weekend I thought about that little basket of toys and began to wonder where I had put them, two years ago. Yesterday I decided to look in one closet where I keep miscellaneous Christmas things. I found the bag with the little basket in it. I had forgotten what the toys were and what they looked like. I called Martini and began opening the bag. I poured out thirteen, for all means and purposes, brand new Christmas dog toys. If little dogs almost faint, he must have felt faint. His little tail was wagging for all it was worth as he leaped from one toy to the next. For the rest of the day yesterday he was exploring each toy and locating the squeaker in each of them.

While he was having so much fun, I gathered up some of his other toys and put them in the guest room. After Christmas when the Christmas toys are put away, he will have his other toys to explore all over again.

Staying Home this Year

2009-11-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

Yea! We have decided to stay home for Thanksgiving this year. For the past several years we have traveled to have Thanksgiving dinner with Mr. Pop’s relatives, but this year will be different.

This year the aroma of roasting turkey will waft through our house. The sound of the parades will come from our TV. And maybe best of all, the leftovers will be temptingly in our refrigerator. Oh, and the football games will be watched uninterrupted by chit chat.

For the first time in a long time I am actually looking forward to Thanksgiving. The preparations and cooking are a lot of work, but oh the rewards!

Happy Halloween Weekend

2009-10-30T03:30:00.000-07:00

Have a safe and happy Halloween and save some treats for me. If I come trick or treating to your door, what’ll I get?

Justification

2009-10-29T03:17:00.000-07:00

Can anyone give me one good reason for Joe Lieberman’s existence in the Senate?

On another note, I sincerely do not believe the republicans believe even half of what they are saying these days. They have lost their way and are now just determined to cause this Democratic President to fail, no matter what they have to do or say to make that happen. They realize their President, for the last eight years, was a total disaster and they feel if they can make this President fail, it will somehow redeem their party and its name.

Meanwhile all the nut jobs on the right are putting their party two steps back every time they do or say something. All this is going on and while it does, our country is being stymied on any progress we need to make. It is truly a shame that politics has become more of a sporting event than an event between statesmen.

Suckers and News Readers

2009-10-27T02:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am still paying attention to things political but the funny thing is, I’m relying less and less on the cable news channels to give me reliable information. They all spend way too much time trying to be like their friends at Fox and be “fair and balanced”. They totally forget that we turn to them for facts, not for opinions.

This is the same group of cable news channels who fell for the Balloon Boy story, hook, line and sinker. They glommed on it without asking any sensible questions. They proved that Barnum was right when he said, “There’s a sucker born every minute”. And who knew that so many of those suckers would be news readers on cable news channels?

Best 23 Years!

2009-10-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mr. Pop and I celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary. I have to tell you, those 23 years were the best years of my life without any doubt. I am so very much looking forward to the years to come if they are anything like these past ones have been. Damn, I’m a fortunate woman in so many ways.