Taylor Swift...

Do I think she's a legitimite artist? Sure. Do I think she's a legitimate songwriter? Sure. Do I hate her? No. Ok, that last question remains to be seen. I feel it's apropos to post regarding this issue since her concert is, probably still, going on as I type this here in Dallas. She is NOT a vocalist, by any means, AND her songs all deal with high school issues. Of course, everyone and, just about anyone, can relate in some way to her songs (I mean we all went to high school right?); however, seriously? Vocalist? No, seriously...vocalist? She cannot sing. Her "music" may be ok but her musicability is seriously lacking. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying her songwriting ability sucks or her presentation, God forbid, sucks. Vocalist. Let's go ahead and make this clear as a bell... vo-cal-ist: noun. a singer. Ok, alright, she's a "singer" but the basic definition of vocalist does not infer"singing well". She sucks in my book aka cannot carry a tune. Were it not for millions of "tweens" this poor girl would never have made it beyond her first awards show. Seriously. I mean, seriously. When you're in a category with the likes of Reba, Martina McBride, CARRIE UNDERWOOD and Miranda Lambert...SURELY she must be asking herself, "am I as deserving VOCALLY as them?" The answer is and will always be...NOPE. Poor girl, I hope she enjoys her ride because surely as a "singer/songwriter" she will eventually realize which part of that "title" she's actually decent at....oh and have I mentioned yet, it's not singer.

Flotsam and Jetsam

An aplty titled blog if you ask me! You see not terribly long ago Seam officially set up the aquarium. Through the generosity of friends, we received numerous items INCLUDING two clown fish aka Nemo. So here we have this little aquarium that is, obviously, Disney themed. Ok, it's really not but how else would I allow such a time consuming and, needless to say, expensive hobby right? So it's Disney themed ("only in my mind" counts). So Seam decides one day that he really needs an eel in this tank. Why? I haven't a clue, it would literally be the FURTHEST species on my list of "musts". However, it's there now. I've been closely monitoring the little villain because, well, he eats, of all things...fish! So, I've decided to name him Flotsam, solely because of the movie The Little Mermaid. Are you seeing a pattern? Jetsam will never exist, probably because #1 Flotsam already has a death wish and it's name is Kevin and #2 Seam knows that there's no saving an eel in my book (long story short: Flotsam GOT OUT OF THE AQUARIUM and almost died...serves the idiot [eel not Seam] right!). Sooooooo, my final question to all my loyal followers, that is to say, all 3 of you...WHY would anyone EVER put a Disney Hero and a Disney Villain in the same habitat???? Only time will tell who will win the war and as of now, I foresee my culinary skills turning to sushi, that's right unagi anyone?

Flotsam and Jetsam as seen in The Little Mermaid....


Flotsam as seen in Plano, TX....

Oscar Night is Tomorrow

Who's watching? I will be, probably because I'm a sucker for pop culture, well kinda anyway. I will begin this post with the fact I have NOT seen but a handful of the nominated movies. I mean, I own Up but have yet to watch it (I know! Sacrilegious!), Coraline is in the mailbox as we speak from Netflix, yeah it's gonna stay there until I'm willing to check the mail. Let's see, I saw District 9...ok, I saw about 30 minutes of the flick and turned it off...stupid movie. Oh wait, I did see Julie & Julia...great movie? You bet! Do I want Meryl Streep to win? No. While I realize her caliber of acting is amazing, I'm secretly rooting for Sandra Bullock or Gabourey Sidibe (just trying to spell her name took me 4 tries, even then I had to consult another website lol). I've seen neither Precious or The Blind Side, but still. You gotta root for someone right?

I saw one of the Documentary Feature nominees, Which Way Home. It was sad but telling of the determination CHILDREN have to get to the US simply to provide for family and/or live. I think the most disturbing portions of the documentary were the updates of the children it followed. Sad. So I'm rooting for this flick because it's the only one I've seen and it's an eye opener. Wait, why wasn't Religulous nominated? Oh well.

So you may be asking yourself, why are you watching the Oscars if you haven't even seen the majority of nominated movies? The answer is clear as a bell....BECAUSE.

Alright, alright...I'm also watching to see what people wear LOL! I know. ALSO, to hear the speeches, there are usually some great ones like the one below! Concise, to the point and, yet, speaks VOLUMES...classy.



Hattie McDaniel receiving her Oscar for one of the greatest movies, Gone With The Wind (bite your tongue). To be so graceful, heartfelt and appreciative after everything....I'm referring to the fact that she was "not allowed" to attend the premier of the movie given it was premiered in 1939 Atlanta. Times have changed, thankfully. However, this is still such a classy speech.

A Sizable Sum of Cash

About a week ago, I finally gave in. Yes, Seam has had his sights set on going to the South Pacific for some time now. Will this actually come to fruition....mmm, probably not. However, I was the missing link. I refused to even consider such a place because, well, it's INSANELY expensive. Not to mention the LAST thing I want to do on vacation is spend almost an entire day in an airplane (literally, roundtrip flight=about 20 hours NOT including connections) for only 4 days in, what seems to be, paradise. Ok, scratch that last part... I mean the term "paradise", it completely kills my complaint regarding flight time. So anyway, I finally said, ok, we'll go and I'll contribute about $1000 to the trip. The SAD thing is, a grand is like a drop in the bucket when it comes to this caliber of vacation's cost. In a way, I'm regretting making the decision to give a green light. As many of you know, I'm not a "beachy, heat seeking, sun bathing, snorkeling"-type person. The sheer beauty of the place is what draws me in and, that alone, is enough. However, there are NUMEROUS other places I'd rather pay for, including, but not limited to: WALT DISNEY WORLD, Alaska, the UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, an African Safari, Japan, heck even Thailand (yum...Pad Thai lol). I guess I shouldn't complain, if he's wanting to pay (the majority anyway) for a trip to Bora Bora or Tahiti, then I should be grateful. I just can't help but wonder, what else could I see with that sizable sum of cash?


As an aside, should this trip not work out, I have numerous other ideas in mind. Most notably, taking my niece and sister to Disney, a 10 day road trip through California, ALASKA! and, of course, Italy. We'll see what happens. I mean, we may not be able to go anywhere!

A new leaf...I hope

I'm going to be making a concerted effort to blog, at the VERY least, once per week. I've neglected this way too long and I'm not really sure why. I mean sure I'm working 40 hours per week, taking classes,...ummm....ok, well that's it lol. So for you loyal followers, *tap* *tap* is this thing on? All I hear are crickets! So for MYSELF then, I'll be trying to keep up. I can't promise anything super intriguing but, I'll try. See ya soon!

The "Jew"

So today at work, we had a client that brought her dog in for grooming. They are very nice people and very loyal. When they came to pick up their beautiful Golden Retriever, I went to get her and brought her out. They were very pleased with the groom, even going so far as tipping the groomer for a job well done. However, upon further inspection, this client politely and quietly asked if we happened to have a blue or holiday neutral bandana since they celebrate Hanukkah. "Of course!" I replied. So I head back to the kennel to get one, when I quickly realize almost ALL the fabric used for bandanas are overtly Christmas themed. So I asked, "Do we have a simple blue bandana or something neutral since they celebrate Hanukkah?" The reply I received was unexpected and, quite honestly, offensive. I was told no and that they should just deal with the Christmas bandana and stop complaining. So I took it upon myself to look through the "uncut" fabric and found something neutral, it was pale blue with plain snowmen. I asked if we could cut it so they could have one, I was told no because "people should stop complaining about everything being Christmas themed." He went further, "Those Jews, I hear they have money but that's all I know." Needless to say I was pissed off, these people are very nice and there was no complaining. Well besides that I felt like saying you can keep those remarks to your damn self because there's no use for ignorance. So what, these clients simply celebrate a different holiday, thanks to the American way. I realize that a bandana on a dog is something minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but to use it as some sort of platform to express your frustration with something SO MUCH BIGGER than you...is ridiculous. So I ended up offering them a completely random bandana, nowhere close to blue...I believe it was dark red/cream gingham. My parting words to those staff members..."People need to realize that NUMEROUS Americans celebrate holidays in December OTHER THAN Christmas. A simple request from someone who helps keep you employed is a no brainer...MAKE IT HAPPEN!" Then as a final "slap in the face" remark, I ended it with, "Oh by the way, I celebrate Xmas, how do you like them apples?!?" My sarcasm continues to amaze me lol.

So my frustration lies in the fact that this client went without her request, to which I profusely apologized and, especially since, we normally have such bandanas. I mean afterall, there's not just one Jewish family that frequents Windhaven.

Loving Texas

I don't think I would have ever said this before moving to Kansas for, what turned out to be, a couple of months but...I love Texas. Even living in that small town (aka Gunter), I would like all of you to know...we are SPOILED! I'm not meaning to compare Texas to Kansas, it's just been nice being back. I've not been on here in a while because of a few things, I go to school half time and work full time. So my time, when at home, is spent on school, relaxing, cooking, relaxing, farming (yes) and relaxing. I know I've neglected my blog and I regret that, it's nice to have an outlet of some kind. By the way, should you be on Facebook and are intrigued by Farmville, add me as a neighbor! Though, I find it humorous that some people think I actually only have time to sit here and play on Farmville, it's not the case, I'm just able to multitask well. Regardless of my faults (ie procrastination) I am able to do many things. Although, I don't have children, which some use as an excuse for lack of time but, hey, it's ok...it's only a game afterall.

So, work is good, nothing is more fulfilling than working for a paycheck, I say this because I was without one for some time. I'm happy to have seen our first snow. Actually, I was quite shocked by that. I did a double take when I looked out the window, I recalled the weatherman that night saying we wouldn't get any winter precip, then it happened. IT ACTUALLY SNOWED HERE FIRST!!!! Although Kansas has seen much worse things since that day, it was nice to experience it. My only wish is to experience it more this season, I may be alone in that but it's true no less.

Speaking of work, it's been a little awkward going back. There's a new manager and given I was able to get my job back, I took my place as the highest paid employee. So, it's awkward when I hear they are now budget conscious because I feel it's partially because of me. So it's strange when this new person comes up to me and asks if I want a certain day off. Granted I'm always given the choice, but I know I cost the hospital more than the others. I should add I'm not always the target but I KNOW when I'm asked, it's "hoped" that I'll either leave early or take a day off. So that sucks but life is good at the moment. Just wanted to share!