Ex-Presidents Are Funny

I tried to embed the video, but kept getting an error message. So here's a link to Daddy Bush and Clinton making funnies on the road.

Pharmacies can SUCK IT

Yesterday, on my way to work, I stopped at a nearby pharmacy to get one prescription refilled and drop off two other prescriptions. This should have been a very easy task. Not so much.

First, I sat at the drive-thru window for three minutes before one of the FOUR people in the pharmacy responded to my repeated buzzing. Then, finally, one came to help me. She sent out the tray so I could send my prescriptions to her. She walked away. Another three minutes passed (I was watching the clock) and she finally returned to collect my prescriptions. She said they would be ready in an hour. I said I'd pick them up the next day.

This morning, I wake up a little early (it's trash day and the days I sleep till my usual time, the trash truck comes early, so I try to beat it each Tuesday). I haul out my ginormous trash can, then get in the car to go get my drugs. Again, I sit at the drive-thru for three minutes while I wait for someone to respond to my buzz. Finally, a woman comes to the window, gets my information, then goes off to retrieve my pills. She returns with just one of my three prescriptions - the refill!

I tell her there are two more. I explain they were written prescriptions. She walks off and returns with those same prescriptions in hand. THEY HAD NOT BEEN FILLED! What the heck happens in that room with all the magical drugs? So, then she says she'll take care of it right away. Five minutes later, she sends my remaining prescriptions out.

Here's what I don't understand: (1) how can they just fill one prescription and not the others? (2) why is it that when I dropped them off the day before, it would take an hour, but this morning they could get to it in five minutes?

Pharmacies need to learn how to run a drive-thru like a fast food joint. Give me my stuff in 10 minutes or less (preferably less). JERKS.

If I were a superhero, I would certainly not wear tights

Super Nicole would wear PJs with fuzzy slippers. Looks lazy, no? FOOLED YOU! I can totally kick your ass. You won't see it coming!



As for my super powers...well, if I told you, you might use that against me. You'll just have to learn what they are the hard way.



Go ahead. Try me.

If I could tame a wild animal

I always wanted a seal. They're so cute!



The only place I could put it would be my bathtub. It's a good thing I have 2!



I would start the day by drawing it a fresh bath, making it clap or play a musical instrument for its meals and perhaps have it learn to answer the door.



Also, my seal would never smell bad. It would have fantastic manners. And it would get along just fine with my cat and dog.

Sunday Giggle

I have literally done almost nothing all week. And it has been fan-freaking-tastic!

I decided I needed to do some catching up on the news world since I have to return to work Monday (boo!). I came across this story and it made me giggle almost as much as this photo.
It made me think of some of the silly road signs I've seen. A favorite is one I've always wanted to photograph. It's near Refugio. It's a shrimp in a circle with a line through it.

"No Shrimping."

It's pretty random. I suppose they just don't want people throwing nets off the highway into the water. Still, it always makes me smile when I pass it. It's been years since I've taken that route, so I wonder if it is still there.

That's all I have for now. I know this post is kind of lame. But once I come out of exile, I'll try to find something more exciting for you!

I ♥ Not Working

It's not that I don't love my job, I do.

But I have spent the last week doing only what I want to do - and I have never been happier! I could really get used to the not having to be at work at certain hours of the day. I wish there was some way I could work at home. It's been so nice not to hear anyone slam phones, announce "nutball" when the phone rings or have to attend meetings.

Now, I just have to find some way to pay my bills without leaving the house. Or getting out of my PJs.

Ideas, anyone?

Hope, Change And All That Jazz

I've become a bit irritated by people today - more than usual.

You see, I have spent most of the day watching CNN's coverage of Obama's first day. Haters, roll your eyes, throw something at your monitor or gag now.
I haven't been doing this because Barack Obama got my vote. I've been glued to it because this is history! To think that when our young country was founded, a black man only counted as three-fifths of a person and now a bi-racial man is President of the United States - I mean, that's amazing!

To think that Abraham Lincoln worked to free the slaves, and that just Sunday, Obama sat at Lincoln's feet in a celebration of what was to come - crazy! Seeing all those people who marched with Dr. King and have waited to see his (and their) dream come true - unbelievable! And that is why, once again, I cried. I call them "tears of hope." Why? Because I have so much hope for our future. Every day marks a new accomplishment. We are running out of excuses as to why we cannot do things. I offer these words from our new President as proof:

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.

It must be earned. Think about that. He is not saying, "Put all your trust in me. I have all the answers." He is only asking of America the same thing every president before him has asked: Give me the chance to lead. You can be reluctant to follow. Just give me some time.

I never believed Obama had all the answers for our country. I believed (and still believe) he has the most potential to create change our country desperately needs. War. Plummeting market. Unemployment. Those are very real - and scary - issues.

I know I've written about my personal reasons for believing in Obama, so I won't get into that here. I just ask that you take a moment to reflect on this historic event and give him the opportunity to tackle those issues. I promise you that if he cannot turn things around, I'll write about it. I hope to hold you skeptics accountable, too. If he can pull off the change he has promised, I expect you to give him credit.

And Here's The Video

Watch it now! There's no telling how long it will be up before HBO comes and forces the video to be pulled!

In The Name of Love

I'm having a moment.

I'm not often the girl who sits on the sofa and cries at the TV. But today, I was.

I watched HBO's We Are One and was so moved through the whole thing. From the wonderful speeches reminding us of inaugurations past to the performances by some of the best singers in the world.

And while I was on the verge of tears through the patriotic songs, I couldn't stop the tears from falling when U2 performed "Pride (In The Name of Love)." That song has always been special, but seeing these four Irish guys perform that very song in front of the Lincoln Memorial was - and still is - something that made big, fat crocodile tears fall from my eyes.

I don't care who you voted for in November. Put politics aside. Think of how far our young country has come. I never thought I'd see anyone but a white man in the Oval Office. When Dr. King had his dream, he believed America could - and would - change. That's what I was thinking about as Bono sang. To think that no child in this great country will ever have to say, "I can't" when so many have said "Yes, we can." I can't help but be emotional. There are no more excuses. We make our own paths. And we do it, not because we can, but because we want to.

And we do it in the name of love.

Rude Awakening

I was dead to the world this morning. Then, something got my attention. I sat up, wondered where some beeping was coming from, then realized it was the alarm to my house!

My heart started racing. I walked to the living room, looked at my front and back doors, then tried to focus to see the garage doors - all of which were closed. So I darted down the hall, turned off the alarm and tried to reset it.

Nothing.

I picked up the phone, thinking I should call someone before I go about checking things around my house - just in case. I called the only person I knew was awake at 4:45 in the a.m. - Josie. In a daze, I explained to her what was happening. She took down my address just in case the police would be needed. I opened the back door, let Charley out and he didn't make a peep - a sure sign no one was outside.

Then, I went around checking the doors and windows more closely.

Nothing.

So I decided to call the alarm company to see what happened. I hung up with Josie, promising to call her back as soon as I finished with ADT. I was told there was an issue with the windows in either the master bathroom or bedroom. I was told to open and close the windows. Now, let me just say, when it's below freezing outside, the last thing I wanted to do was open windows - especially since I couldn't really see into that part of my back yard. Still, I did as I was told. The alarm still wouldn't activate. The alarm lady told me something I did not know: if it's really cold outside, the window frames can shrink a bit and that can make the alarm connections slip.

GREAT. Foiled by cold weather!

I was taught how to bypass that part of my house so I could set the alarm and try to go back to sleep. I called Josie to let her know what was happening. Then, I wondered how I would return to sleepytime. Josie gave me some good advice - which I won't share here because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

I slept a few more hours, but I am sooo tired today! I will need to get caffeinated to make it through the day at work. Oh - as for the alarm... once the weather warmed up some, I opened and closed the windows again. The alarm beeped to acknowledge I had done that and all is good - for now. Here's hoping I don't get another wake up call like that again!

Not Off To A Great Start

I was so full of optimism a week ago. I really did intend to write more outside of work. So far, the only thing I've written are a few checks. And this blog.

I had a media blackout for a couple of days as I suffered from a wicked sinus infection. It wasn't until Sunday that I really felt up to watching TV. I didn't really read (again, something on my list that I can't check off - boo). It just hurt too much to keep my eyes open. The first thing off the DVR to make the cut? NPH on SNL. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him! He was funny. This skit was one of my favorites:

I still don't get Taylor Swift. Yes, she's darling. But she kinda screeches when she sings.

I'm going to watch the Golden Globes tonight and (hopefully) do some writing. And I'm going to make some chicken noodle soup from scratch. No can of soup for this girl.

I'm still optimistic that I can make this year good. I know that if I don't try, I can't be mad at how the year ends. So here's to me trying to be the glass is half full right now. Wish me luck!

Looking Ahead To 2009

I don't like to make resolutions because they're really hard to stick to. But I have come up with a list of things I would like to make an effort to try doing this year. Please don't try to hold me accountable - that kind of pressure will just make me stop doing the things I've been doing the last few days. And here they are:

• Read more. I'm not just talking about magazines, of which I get way too many. I'm talking about books. I've had a huge stack of books on my night stand for nearly two years. I hope to read at least one a month. That's a good pace for me. If I finish more than one a month, I'll be happy.
• Write more. I'm not counting the writing I do at work. As much as I love to write - and I really do (even though last week I had a few nights where I just wasn't in the mood and threatened to make the anchors ad-lib the show) - I just don't consider that real writing. I want to do more creative writing. Blogging counts. So do the books that I've been slowly writing. I would love to finish them and get them published. If any of you know how I can make that happen, let me know! I was a little scared when I saw a couple of experts say I should aim for a minimum of 20,000 words. That's a lot, y'all!
  
• Get out of debt. This time I mean it. It will be hard to focus my spending on my needs instead of my wants. I know that if I take a little more time, I can avoid impulse spending. For example, simply avoiding the Coach store will make it easy for me not to buy another purse. See? That alone will save me a few hundred dollars. Seriously, I want to pay off my credit cards and only use them when absolutely necessary. I have paid off the cards before and loved how it felt. Now, it's time to tackle that again.
• Be healthier. I'm not saying I want to be like my Fun Mom and run marathons (I don't want to run to work - which is basically what a marathon is). I'm trying to stock my fridge and pantry with healthy things (no Oreos). And I'm going to try to avoid fast food - or at least the fried kind. I'm not quitting it. I'm just going to pretend that it's not there. Because I'm not swearing off anything, I can still have it if I want it so don't go trying to smack things out of my hands. You will get punched in the gut FOR SURE! I just know it would be better for my PCOS if I was healthier. And anything that can keep me out of the O.R. is not necessarily a bad thing.
• Be a better friend. I think I do a pretty good job of staying in touch with my friends. While phone calls are nice, I know that I need to make some trips to see my girls who live longer than a road trip away from me! Now, buying airfare may be tricky since I'm going to try not using the credit cards, but I need to find a way - even if it's by saving my change.

Those are just some of the things I plan to do this year. You'll have to check back over the year to see what I have accomplished!

Looking Back at 2008

They say there's no going back. Not true in the blog world. I've been looking back at the posts I've written in the last year and was reminded of a few things. Here goes:

April:
I started this little blog this month. Since then, I've had nearly 8,000 hits (and counting). I have posted pictures of things I thought were funny, from newspaper headlines to videos of things that make me laugh. I have also taken to sharing dumb things I do, like this incident from work or my love of a certain anchorman's pastel jackets.

May:
Those of you who know me well know I subscribe to way too many magazines. So imagine my surprise when I come across a photo that nearly made me go blind. I post it on my blog. I ask a certain sports blog why they don't have it - then, magically, they link to my blog and more strangers than I ever could have imagined have found my boring musings. I also discovered the most annoying song, sent to us by a Spurs fan with too much time on his hands. Every time I hear this song, I want to stab myself in the ear with a pencil. Gas prices also soared, right along with my temper. But I put those feelings to good use with the Suck It, Oil Companies posts.

June:
I like to dare my coworkers to do things - often for my own entertainment, but sometimes I'll pay (What? Like a quarter doesn't get you anything these days??). I documented one dare. Also this month, the funniest political ad was released. I'm happy to report I included it in one of our news stories - with THE MAN himself explaining that is not his fringe suede jacket you see in the video. Every time I hear that, the song is stuck in my head for hours! Charley got a little brother - that he certainly did not ask for - and things have not been the same in my house since! We also said goodbye to my beloved cat, Cornell. I rescued him from the streets when I was working at my first TV job. He turned out to be one of the best cats I ever knew.

July:
I made my first video. I tried my best to get Corporate America to pay attention to me (ahem, I'm still waiting for my swag to arrive). Estelle Getty died. I had no idea when I wrote this that it would bring foreign visitors to my blog. I noticed the boys at work tend to dress alike. BTW - uniforms are NOT required.

August:
Just in time for the year's hottest month, I discovered my favorite fudgsicle in the office vending machine. If anyone from HEB reads this, put these bad boys on your list! I can't find them in stores! Perhaps I should stay away from the fudgesicles if I want to be more like Cindy Crawford. I became a Glamspotter and haven't bought shampoo since. I had another frustating summer of indoor heat. I decided I like the Bidens.

September:
I became angry with Republicans for stereotyping Texans. I discovered what's wrong with me. Tina Fey made me giggle. I've had it up to *here* with the chupacabra. I decided until I have Cindy Crawford's body I'm not putting my jiggly parts out there so that this does not happen to me.

October:
My love of TV was justified by one of my favorite pop culture bloggers. Charley placed second in the wiener dog races. I refused to name my quirks. I decided to stop using WebMD to diagnose what I was sure was late stage cancer.

November:
My case of electionitis came to an end - and I was OK with it. I met Chesty Cough. I got my diagnosis - and nearly quit my allergy doctor. I made my Christmas wish list.

December:
I learned the hard way that Chaplin's ability to leap five feet in the air isn't a good thing. After weeks of searching, my holiday spirit arrived - kinda. I learned to listen to my Dad - and that hydraulic jacks make tire changing much easier. And I learned a new (naughty) phrase.

That's the year in blogging. Many more things happened to me, but since I didn't start the blog until a few months into 2008, I don't really remember them. Here's hoping 2009 is even better than the last year!

Happy New Year!

I made it home in time to spend the last hour of 2008 at home, watching The Coop and Kathy Griffin (my new favorite tradition as I have lost interest in the musicians Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest roll out each year). Now, when I first started watching, 2009 had just arrived on the east coast. That means The Coop & KG had to fill an hour as the crowd in Times Square got the heck out of the cold. This can make for awkward television (which I love - so long as I'm not producing it). They showed bands performing all over the country. I was confused by the choice to include Lil Wayne and his pole dancers. Even The Coop made note of the fact that they could only use the music and not show Lil Wayne's performance.

But as the minutes counted down to 2009, you couldn't help but notice the people yelling not nice things at KG. What didn't help? The fact that she yelled right back at the people. The best response is here - but a warning: the language is naughty. I think it will be my new favorite phrase! Denise & I giggled about it for so long that we realized it was 2009 when they started showing the cities in the central time zone celebrating. Bill was lucky enough to be in the chopper at midnight and snapped this picture.
I will reflect back on the year and make my resolution(s) later. Until then, I hope you had a safe and happy end of 2009 and wish you the best in the new year!