Look What I See!

It's been nearly a month since I brought home a tomato plant (and a few other living things). You can read about it and see the picture proof here. I have been disappointed every day since then because my tomato plant flowered, grew but never had a single little tomato. Then, this weekend, I was watering it and spotted these:

Four little green tomatoes!

I was just about to give up on the plant as I had started Googling "why does my tomato plant hate me?" and "how do you command a tomato plant to bear fruit?" Then, to spy those itty bitty tomatoes! It was like the plant was begging me to give it a chance!

I'm going to resist the urge to pluck them when they're small - no matter how much I want to! I think the rule is you wait until they are mostly red, then bring them in to ripen. In my Googling, I did see that if you water the plants too much, the tomatoes won't have any taste. Now, I'm scared my one cup of water each day is too much. I did start watering at night Saturday because I read that's a better time to water them.

I'm just excited that I have these little green things! I hope they continue to grow and that they get a few friends soon!

Week In Pop Culture

Michelle Pfeiffer turns 54 this weekend.

Lindsay Lohan went back to work and made people angry.

If you like The Avengers, this sounds like some good news.

This may not be a good idea, TLC.

Tamera Mowry-Hously is having a baby.

Britney Spears' fiance is also in charge of her.

It doesn't sound like Jennifer Love Hewitt is going to get her hands on Adam Levine any time soon.

Sarah Michelle Gellar is pregnant.

It's not cheap to live like Holly Golightly.

If you gawk at Gwyneth Paltrow, it may be photographed.

Barbara Streisand is turning 70!

Ke$ha is still disgusting.

Drew Barrymore is selling wine now.

Katherine Heigl adopted another daughter.

That apartment made famous by Carrie Bradshaw sold for a LOT of money.

The E! Network hates us.

This is a strange partnership.

NOW it's official:

Martin Lawrence is getting divorced.

Jack Osbourne has a new baby girl.

It looks like Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher may be more than just friends.

Justin Bieber might be having some sort of mental breakdown.

Jennifer Garner looks great again.

Here's Pamela Anderson trying to get some attention.

Demi Lovato explains why young stars can't get/stay sober.

Scarlett Johannson has a strange addiction.

Kiefer Sutherland's dog is musical.

Noah Wyle was arrested.

Coachella may have a lot of good music, but it mostly looks like the two weeks of the year when some famous (and barely famous) people give up personal hygiene.

Katy Perry has a new boyfriend.

Janice Dickinson wants you to look at her.

Chelsea Handler can't stop talking about Angelina Jolie.

LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian made it to their one year anniversary.

This REALLY happened: Mark Wahlberg helped a nun across the street.

Anyone else think Nicole Kidman looks like Jenny McCarthy without the boobs?

Giuliana and Bill Rancic are having a baby.

Robin Gibb is doing better.

Neil Diamond is married.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds bought a home together.

Carey Mulligan is married.

Matthew Perry may be returning to TV.

Cher knows how to take attention away from Chaz.

This news has me curious about that Iron Man franchise thingy.

I don't blame Demi Moore for choosing to do her first post-divorce-and-rehab interview on a network NO ONE watches.

Shia LaBeouf is drawing comic books.

James Franco was honest about one of his movies.

Jennifer Aniston sold her NYC apartment.

Rest in peace, Tommy Marth.

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

If you don't know who the adminstrative professional in your office, that person is doing his/her job too well. So, why don't you take note of these cards and thank the person who makes things appear in the workplace as if it's magic?

Take Your Kids To Work Day

Oh, how I hope kids are not in the workplace today. Besides the potential for them to learn a few words they might already know (they just haven't said in front of their parents), my workplace is really loud and dusty - like mining only slightly less dangerous.

So, if you are taking your kids to work or see a few in your workplace, take a moment to enjoy these cards.

OOOH! It's Spring!

I don't have too much time to be excited about this because spring doesn't last long around here (though it did creep in earlier than usual). The sunny days and cool nights are one of my favorite parts of the season. But I also LOVE that just about everything is in bloom. Here's what happened to my crepe myrtle in one week:

April 17

April 18

April 19

April 20

April 21

April 22

April 23

April 24

I'd like to say that my tree puts out those soft pink flowers all on its own, but the truth is, I have to feed it, water it and tell it how pretty it is. The one year I did not do that, I didn't have a single flower.

I'm enjoying this pretty site as long as I can. It won't be long before the summer sun and a the slightest breeze leave a trail of pink flowers around my neighborhood. I can't believe my HOA doesn't send me nastygrams about that!

Happy Earth Day!

It's a beautiful day to celebrate the Earth! I'm celebrating by doing a little Spring cleaning of my DVR (seriously, you guys, it's got a few seasons of some shows that I wanted to see but didn't so I'm avoiding the sun's harmful rays and freeing up space - I'M MULTI-TASKING!). I hope you give the planet a great big hug today! Here are few cards that my inspire you, you know, if my little introduction here wasn't good enough for you. Not that I'm bitter about that.

The Reconstructionist

As one who sometimes has to write about traffic accidents, I was drawn to the idea of a book based on a character who recreates accidents. But this novel isn't about someone who likes the math and science involved in this skill. It's not just about the car crashes Ellis Barstow studies. I don't even think anything that happens to the fictional Ellis Barstow is an accident.

He sees his half-brother he didn't really like horrifically killed (accident that ends in fire). Life is never the same for Ellis.

Later in life, he winds up seeing his brother's girlfriend, Heather, who is married to John Boggs, Accident Reconstructionist. He joins Boggs's profession. He may not be passionate about the work itself, but he is passionate about Heather. He waited a while before letting her know his feelings. Once he did, his life takes a different turn.

He ruins his friendship with Boggs.

He questions his relationship with Heather.

He questions what he knows about the accident that started it all.

This book becomes more of a tragic love story - mourning the half-brother he didn't like and the friend he admired (while ruining his friend's marriage). Ellis's career was so heavily centered on risk and every little detail that is part of an accident, that it should not be a surprise that he takes great risks to find the answers. He may not love the answers or even like just a little the steps he has to take to find closure. But he does it.

I'm not sure if Ellis liked himself along this journey, but I did. I don't believe in accidents. I think everything happens for a reason. It may have taken a little more than 300 pages to know the answer to "why" in Ellis's story. Now that I know, I'm satisfied. If Ellis were a real person, I think he would be, too.

Week In Pop Culture

Victoria Beckham - flight attendant?

Sylvester Stallone is selling one of his homes.

Giuliana and Bill Rancic are hosting Eva Longoria's relationship show.

George Lopez is hosting the new Dating Game.

Seth Meyers is behind an animated series that will play on Hulu.

Blake Shelton may have a drinking problem.

I can't wait for the return of American Horror Story!

Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp messed up Paul McCartney's video.

Demi Moore looks healthier.

Rita Wilson - WOW!

Jack Nicholson's house is for sale.

I don't get this Nicki Minaj look.

George Clooney's ex can't even keep a Jackass.

I totally agree with Sharon Osbourne.

Mel Gibson is still a jerk.

That's not Alfred Hitchcock. It's Anthony Hopkins!

One of those Hanson kids and his wife are expecting their FIFTH baby!

The way Victoria Beckham celebrated her birthday makes me sad. ALWAYS HAVE THE CAKE!

Madonna have to stop being her daughter's BFF.

SERIOUSLY, Mark Wahlberg?

Tori Spelling is selling her Malibu home.

That resort where Dirty Dancing was set burned down.

Melissa Joan Hart is pregnant.

Anna Paquin is also pregnant.

Halle Berry was jealous of Sandra Bullock.

Kathy Griffin is banned from Today.

That's a whole lot of Heidi Klum.

COME ON, CHRISTINA AGUILERA! PUT ON SOME PANTS!

Barbara Walters talking about sex is beyond creepy.

Marilyn Manson is engaged. Or not.

Hologram 2Pac is strange.

Perhaps a guy with Kelsey Grammer's marital history should not get his current wife's name tattooed on his body.

Rihanna has posted pictures of herself in a bikini.

Leighton Meester's bikini bottom is quite small.

One of the guys from Lady Antebellum is married.

Not the least bit upset that The Hulk may not get another movie.

Mitt Romney may host SNL.

Katy Perry has changed her hair color again.

Robin Gibb is seriously ill.

People, back off new mothers! They don't immediately shrink back to their new size!

Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake in a movie together?

I'd be OK if The Office shut down.

Tina Fey is making a new movie.

Ryan O'Neal has cancer.

Settle in for what will feel like the longest cliffhanger: BRANGELINA ARE ENGAGED!

Rest in peace, Dick Clark.

And Greg Ham.

And Jonathan Frid.

And Levon Helm.

This Is Too Easy

If you look in the upper right hand corner of this blog, you'll see that I have spied a few too many personalized license plates. Sometimes I have help. This one was snapped by my eagle-eyed friend (and frequent contributor) Adam.

This is the perfect time for me to explain that if you have this license plate, you cannot EVER be angry when people judge you or call you crazy. YOU put this out there! I hope you have a matching tattoo on your forehead so that when you're not driving we all know you're around.

I spotted this one:

That's right. The license plate on that BMW says "MOOCH." I'm guessing this driver's friends probably know all about his/her cheap ways whenever they go out for a meal or drinks.

I also found one that is actually quite helpful:

That pink license plate says "CHK EM." As in, "Hey, ladies! Do your monthly breast exam!" It's possible I saw that instant reminder and did a quick exam while I waited for the light to turn green.

It's not just license plates that have gotten my attention lately. Rear window advertising is pretty hard to miss.

Not that I'm in the market for a tattoo, but if I was... No. That will never happen. But why would ANYONE get a tattoo from a place that has the words "DOO DOO" in the name? Doesn't that let you know that you're not getting quality ink? If these people actually are the best tattoo artists on the planet, they should really get a new name. This one stinks.

While I totally support freedom of speech, this seems like the most unusual thing to announce - especially on the side window of your SUV.

When I pulled up along that in a parking lot at my local home improvement store, I was so confused. I snapped that before I got out of my car. I thought maybe the driver is talking about the rims (those are sometimes called shoes - I think, I don't know, slang is hard to keep up with these days).

Nope. I'm pretty sure that from the rap music and reality shows I've seen, those are 20 somethings. I'm so confused. If I wasn't trying to get home to do yard work before the sun roasted me or it rains (which did not happen so you meteorologists are jerks for telling me rain was coming), I would have stuck around to see who drove that. Or not. I really don't like confronting strangers without provocation (even though I think that sticker would give me fair grounds to ask a question or two). I fear being shot by strangers, but not so much that I won't keep taking pictures and posting them when I see you people. Just try not to zoom past me on the highway. I don't want to die taking a picture.

SIDEBAR: Dear officers who may be reading this... I absolutely do not text and drive. My super smart iPhone is capable of jumping out of the holder in my car and snapping pictures on its own. There's an app for it. Look into it.