I find out the neatest stuff on Wikipedia!

Hi again :)
So, as you noticed, I took a couple days off my blog. Eh, just needed the break plus...YOU try coming up with something interesting, insightful or plain dirty to blog about every day!

I read an article a few weeks back on yahoo about eye color and what the most common color is. I guessed brown and I was right. Blue followed that along with hazel. What suprised me was the rare color.

Can you guess? GREEN! Green is the rarest color with according to one article (had to start looking after the first article) with only 4% of the world's population. I and my mother have green eyes. I just thought it was cool that there was something rare about me :) The article also said that green eyes are the result of "low to moderate amounts of melanin". This can make them very sensitive to light. Im no exception to that. I try not to go out doors during the high part of the day, its just too damn bright! Makes sense for me to live in AZ eh? Oh well.

So, the picture is my eyes! Digital cameras can be cruel in that they see EVERY detail! The lighting was so nice though, I was inspired to try to take this pict.
Feel free to comment (be nice)
Have a wiki link! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_color

Ham and bean soup

Hey there, how are both of you doing?

Im ok, STILL downing vitamin C and sudafed like its going out of style. Im so tired of being sick. Damn cold!

Well, hubby felt bad for me so he decided to make ham and bean soup with the leftover ham we got sent home with from christmas dinner. He substituted the ham and some bacon for the ham hock, but it came out really good. Mild and subtle, but definatly ham and bean

Here is the recipe, from www.alrecipes.com

Basic Ham and Bean Soup

1 pound dry great northern beans
8 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ham hock (hubby used bacon)
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder (we used a teaspoon of regular yellow mustard)
2 bay leaves
2 cups chopped ham
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Directions
1. Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the pot for at least 60 minutes
2. After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
3. Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground wight pepper to taste.
makes 9 servings

This is a really good soup for those cold nights, like tonight (36 in Tucson! WTF!)
Hubby loves to cook, and I'm happy to let him be my "food bitch".

"don't worry, be happy!"
C

Oh my! I'm tired :)

Just got home from Christmas with my husband's family. Great people and a lot of fun. Ham and Turducken, not the best for my stomach but I was conservative so I'm doing well.

Hubby and his brother love to get into long philosophical conversation about politics, history and religion. This of course starts when hubby says "Im tired, let's go home". Well, half an hour later...discussion about the ramifications of the new Pope on the modern catholic church (BIL is catholic, hubby isn't). As we are leaving (45 min later) they start talking about how in some congregations of the catholic church, they do not allow a celebate marriage. You have to be able to consumate the marriage or they refuse to marry you. He talked of a couple who had their marriage request denied because he was a paraplegic and was unable to "seal the deal". You know me, I look at him and say "Well, there are other types of sex, doesn't that count?" No he said, only tab A into slot B counted.

Wellll...
can you guess what it made me think of? Yep, "Licking carpet"
The photo is from South Park episode 111-Tom's Rhinoplasty
It has the fantastic line "My mom said if you want to become a lesbian you have to lick carpet"

It made me laugh and then remember one of the filthiest, funniest songs on the subject of-Cunnilingus. Come on, if we are continuing to be open minded about our bodies, let us use the proper word. Not sure what the word is? Well, it is when a person uses their tounge to sexually stimulate the genitalia of a woman. Again, if I am not up front and honest about this, it makes me no better than people who refuse to talk about masterbating.

Well, the song is by a group called The Yeastie Girls. It is called "You Suck". It came out in the early 90's-AIDS was scary, killing and spreading. This song kind of came as a response to the fear of other "types of sexual fulfillment".
(If you are still here stop laughing for a second and take a breath-that's better)
Here is a link for the song on youtube.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=idH5i-uzMRs
and...

here are the lyrics...

www.artists.letssingit.com/yeastie-girls-lyrics-you-suck-9ngrk23

Yeah, I know I had the actual lyrics posted here, but my mom wanted to check out my blog, and I didnt want to scare her toooo much *evil grin*
Peace!

Merry almost Christmas!

Yep, Im sitting here blogging instead of cleaning my house. How many people the world over are franticly cleaning in anticipation of "THE RELATIVES"? I remember as a girl, my grandparents coming for Christmas. My mother would say that grandma was coming to look at my room so make sure it looks how you want it to look. Yeah well, things parents say stick in a kids mind you know... So now, my mother and father are coming for breakfast. Its a tradition I started a couple years ago. Hubby has a large family here and we usually have the large meal with them. Making breakfast for my parents is my way of having something special just for them.

Family. I was thinking about that today-you know, as I did the headless chicken dance to finish my shopping. My grandmother (father's mom) passed away 3 years ago. I didnt see her as much as I should have. I have regret for that.

My grandma rocked-she was the lone liberal in a houseful of millitary conservatives. She wouldnt hesitate to mutter "SHIT!" or tell my father to shut up. She didnt take crap but she was the most loving, giving and caring person Ive ever known. I like to think I take after her with my easy going attitude about people and life in general. She loved without condition. My mom talks about how when I was born, my father called her and she got to hear me cry. When she saw me, she said I would be Miss America. Well, that kinda went out the window with among other things, the fact that Im only 5'3" and not a stick figure. Besides, Im too much like her to put on a fake smile and parade in a bathing suit. Way too misogenistic for me. A body is just that, a shell. It's packaging. What is on the inside is so much more important than the facade the world sees.

I hope that she is looking down on me with her pretty smile. I know that she's proud me. I really miss her.

Hold your loved ones close this Christmas, no matter how crazy they make you. Our time with them is finite.

Double clicking the mouse??

So-If you can't be a grown up about, certain subjects-best to go to another blog now...

Topic of tonights thoughts
Songs about "lovin' yourself"!

My hubby totally suprised me with a new stereo for Christmas! Now, I can listen to cd's, mp3, high def radio, digital radio in my car! Im so stoked-I dont have to listen to local stations anymore :)

So tonight, hubby and I went cruzing, after all, we HAD to drive a while to appreciate the new stereo, right? Well, we are listening to a mix cd when "She Bop" starts. We started discussing songs about, well, you know.
Slaping the salami
Spanking the monkey
Rosie and her five sisters
and on and on
oh, and my favorite phrase for it-"double clicking your mouse" from American Pie-btw, I recommend a couple shots of tequila right before you watch that movie. It's funny sober yes, but a bit buzzed-fall on the floor and roll funny!

but I digress, we were talking about masterbation songs right (oops I said the naughty word!)

Others we thought of:
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
I Touch Myself - Divinyls
Longview - Green Day
My Ding a Ling - Chuck Berry
Darling Nikki - Prince
Orgasim Addict - the Buzzcocks
Dancing with Myself - Billy Idol
Blister in the Sun - Violent Femmes
The Stroke - Billy Squire
Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood
Stacy's Mom - Fountains of Wayne
Icicle - Tori Amos
Elvis Costello - Pump it Up

Oh, I know there are more, but I figure that's a healthy list for you to search youtube with.

We get soo hung up about sex in the US. "Oh GOD, my little boy doesn't do THAT!" Well, let's be honest. Boys discover their "third arm" at what, like a month old? After that, it's all "downhill" or down torso... "GIRLS don't do THAT!" Oh hell yes, girls DO do that. Masterbation is a natural part of discovering your body. While you MIIGHT believe a girl that says she hasn't EVER, maybe, but most men? No, probably not. But that's ok! It just means that men are very in touch (no, I really didn't mean that as a pun, but it would be a good one) with their sexuality and what their responses to sexual stimulation are. Women can be more shy about it. Another line from American Pie that rings true "Have you ever, you know...had an orgasm?" " I'm not sure" "that's a no". If you don't know if you have had one, you haven't.

Honestly, I wish we were more open about this part of human sexuality. Not going as far as instruction in school of course, but just not demonizing it. Teaching that it is normal and everyone does it I think would go much further than "if you touch yourself, you will go blind, get acne and grow hair from your palms".

Oh well, at least I'm open minded about it. Yeah, I know, total shock right? If I want people to be open minded about it, I gotta start somewhere. Why not here? After all, I have a worldwide influence over my 4 readers ;)
Peace and love!

Ravel's Bolero

Another sunday come and gone. My little cat Molly is begging to come and be my wrist rest. I sit here listening to Ravel's Bolero. I dont remember the first time I heard this, maybe the Olympics? Not sure. I know I was really young. I listen to how it builds, adds, evolves...

Starts with the single flute and just a tint of cello-the begining of life
little build, a single horn?
the flute stays its familiar course. Like how we build memories on a foundation
add a clarinet, another layer
a little more violin, building
now drums, gently
the same melody, interchanging between the flute and clarinet
several flutes
building building

It amazes me every time I hear this piece of music that I hear something different. It occured to me tonight that this beautiful piece is a lifetime in 15 minutes. From the simple start through growing, learning, changing to the finale
and then silence

powerful.

Have you listened to it lately? This version is a little different than the one I have on my cd (I think it starts with an obo instead of a flute), but still amazing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4J5j74VPw

Let's do the Time Warp again!

Ahh, does that bring back memories... Yes, I will freely admit it, my claim to "acting" fame is that I performed for a year and a half in the local cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I was a "Magenta"-basically, I was the maid that didnt get completly naked! My fiance (back then, now hubby) was a "Brad" and a "Riff Raff". I remember our fellow castmates thought it was cool that their Magenta and Riff were getting married. God, how many Sundays did I go to work half asleep because I performed Saturday and hadnt gotten to bed before 4am??? WAAAAY to many LOL!

Thing I loved about doing Rocky, you were accepted no matter what. You could go in a leather corset, fishnets and stilletos and be a GUY and they would love you for it. I enjoyed yelling at the movie, singing along, dancing and throwing toilet paper. I used to say that Rocky was good clean filthy fun. You didnt need booze or drugs to have a blast. You could be WAAAY over the top of overt sexuality and no one thought anything of it. God, I remember going to a show in Phoenix, hubby and I in costume, and him biting my neck with the entire theater cheering him on. Hmm, good memory ;) It's been a while since we went to Rocky. Maybe I should go...

Things to take to the Rocky Horror Picture Show
rice
toast
newspaper
water gun
toilet paper
and a strong sense of fun!

New CPAP cushions to Etsy

Howdy ho neighbooroonies!

Well, I finally got off my butt (yeah right, like I ever stop!) and got some more cpap cushions up to etsy. I got 3 new sets up last night before I was too tired to do anymore-posting at midnight-hmmm, no wonder I was tired. Here is a link to one of them http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=18800385 I have (I think) 10 different patterns done, with more in the shopping bags, waiting to be cut down. Fleece is hard to resist! Tactially, it is so pleasurable to work with. Its easy going-soft, warm, flexible, forgiving. Besides, with millions of colors and patterns-I will never get bored!

I hate being bored.

I think that was part of the reason I stayed at my last job so long. Retail hell sure. Retail management-another level of hell. But you know, even in hell, I was never bored. I used to say that my job was constant craft hour, that it changed from one day to the next. I never knew what new challenge was waiting for me.

Well, I gained a reputation over the years of being able to do almost anything. Having that reputation can be its own curse. I was expected to pull the impossible out of my ass! I even had customers waiting in the parking lot for me when I arrived at work... Let me tell you, nothing is quite like getting out of your car at 7:30 in the morning, coffee in one hand, purse in the other, and having someone barge up to you and say "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU! I WANT ____". People, I havent had my coffee. Coffee is what made dumb bearable. So you can imagine my mood if someone interupted my coffee.

Yeah, not pretty.

Oh well, now life is better! No retail, no customers, no register, no nametag, no uniform. Peace and quiet which lets me crank work out. I still get my constant craft hour, but without the innane "How do you make the copier work". I always wanted to answer "press the damn button, just like the last 10 times you used it" but Im too nice, I never did. Just goes to show, you can lead a horse to water but you cant teach him how to use a copier. Ever.

I have tons of copy center manager stories, anyone interested?

Oh Nathan! Captain Tightpants himself LOL!

Hi to all my (2) readers!
Sitting and relaxing after lunch. Notice how I write a lot after and during lunch? Inspiration or spare time?? Maybe some of both.

So, I found another favorite food that I have become sensitive to. It breaks my heart, but I regretfully have to add Spagettios to the ever increasing list of foods to avoid. I dont have a gall bladder. The gall bladder helps you digest fats. Well, I lost mine at 21. Now, its a FEW ;) years later. I never used to have sensitivities, even though they warned me that I would. That all changed about 3 years ago. First food on the list, POPCORN! I had terrible nausea and stomach pain after eating popcorn. Took me a bit to figure out that the popcorn was the culprit.

Now, I have to avoid fried foods. REALLY avoid them! I stopped at a Wendys for a soda last month and the smell coming out the window about made me sick right there. Drove PAST an Arbys the other day, I had to plug my nose. Maybe the catalyst was being really sick a few years ago. Three weeks in a hospital can change a person I guess. Since then, my lungs are much more delicate. I am super sensitive to smells. Not any of that have to live in a glass room stuff, but strong perfumes, B.O., cigarette smell or smoke and of course, cooking oil - not only makes me ill but can give me trouble breathing. *Sigh* I guess the lesson is to be careful about what you eat BEFORE your body MAKES you!
What do you think? What makes you ill that you used to love?

Nice Day Today

Hi Friends
I love Sundays. They are so peaceful and quiet. I guess my not having kids does factor into the "peace" aspect... I went to a horse show yesterday which was fun. Got to go out to a friend's house out past the Tucson Mountains. She has some of the prettiest views of the desert. Its funny to me how people see the word "desert" in their minds. The word usually brings visions of sand dunes and cow skeletons. If you have never been to Tucson you dont know. The desert is beautiful, alive and GREEN! We are in a cooler season right now so we have these beautiful crisp clear days. Lows in the 40's highs in the mid 70's. The sky is so blue you could just stare at it for hours. The best part, sunsets. I know, I've talked about sunsets here before. This is another one of those things I could describe but those descriptions do no justice. I took several picts for the benefit of a new friend who has never been to Tucson and posted them on my Facebook. The sunset that I caught with my camera yesterday, simply amazing. Winter sunsets are not usually like this one. Ones like this are usually seen during monsoon in june july and august. Those are accompanied by stunning electrical storms and warm rain. The Saguaro National Monument during a monsoon sunset is one of the things that should be on that list of things to see before you die.

In any case, this one was...wow. What do you think? Let me know! It's nice to know if someone likes my blog much less is reading it! ;)
Peace and cheer!
Christine

Interesting stuff on gas prices in Tucson, AZ

So, Ive been keeping track over the last several fill ups on my car, just to see what the trending looked like for pricing. I have a 2000 Toyota RAV 4. I think this is interesting and a little scary. Here are my results...

Drumroll.......

10/25/08 2.699/gal purchased 11.76 gal for a total of $31.71
11/8/08 2.329/gal purchased 12.88 gal for a total of $30.00
11/23/08 1.89/gal purchased 12.17 gal for a total of 23.01
12/7/08 1.659/gal purchased 11.45 gal for a total of 19.00

so over the course of 45 days, the price per gallon dropped almost $1! To think 3 or 4 months ago I paid $3.97...
wow.

Lunch is Gross

FUNNY OF THE DAY
Sittin here, bored, works all done, eatin lunch. I usually like the healthy choice steaming bowls but today its kinda grossing me out. I guess you shouldnt try to eat general tao chicken and rice on a stomach that is just recovering from the flu...Yeah I know, stupid stupid stupid. Oh well, I can fish the chicken out and I will survive.

We finally turned the heater on last night. It was 64 in the house, my teeth are chattering and I said ENOUGH time to turn it on. Why is it every year when you go to turn on the furnace you can never remember how to do it? I have to read the damn instructions every time-and we've lived here 5 years! Humph! Anyway, it's now up and running and my house is a nice 73 degrees. Ive been wanting to sew but its just too darn cold in there. Now at least I don't see my breath. (God, this rice is yucky) So that means I will probably miss the christmas season shoppers on etsy.

To be honest Ive been a little burned out. I needed the mental holiday. Besides, I am now over one year free from retail hell, Im actually in the Christmas spirit! Let me tell you, working retail at Christmas will crush the very essence of the spark of the Christmas spirit right out of your soul. Typically, I wouldnt get into the spirit untill January. Say Merry Christmas to someone on Jan 5th and see all the strange looks you get LOL! Oh god, how many years did I wear a santa hat to work just to try to cheer myself into the season, only to be crushed with "but WHHYYYY cant I buy the super value special laptop!?! Your ad says that every store has at least 5!" This from the idiot that comes in at 3 in the afternoon on black friday, expecting every super sale item to be just sitting there with a big frickin bow on it just for them. Did you hear about the Walmart employee that was trampled to death by frickin black friday assholes? They broke the door down and ran him over. For what? OOHHH a 37" HDTV for $299-that Wii that is on sale?? Things people, these are things. And because of those things, that man will not spend his holiday with his family. His family will have to live through every holiday for the rest of their lives knowing that Daddy died because of greedy bargain hunting black friday shoppers. Makes me sick, can you tell? I remember my last Black Friday working at Office Depot. I took a camera and took pictures of the line that had been waiting since 9pm the night before and the crazy people rushing in and waiting in line. I remember someone cussing at me and saying "put the camera down and get me ___". I dont even remember what the creep wanted. I do remember forever the crazyness. If you are interested, here is a link to the pictures http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556012882TKDBVz

Ok, my lunch is still gross, so I have to go toss it and get back to work. Have a great day and feel free to comment so I dont feel like I'm talking to myself here!

Quiet mood tonight

Hi again
it's me...
but you knew that already

I am finally recovering from the flu. I am sitting here, in the quiet with David Lanz "Variations on a theme from Pachelbel's Canon". You can hear it too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6LnmzK2xFg&feature=related
This is such a beautiful piece of music. You can just close your eyes and feel the days stress flow out of you. I guess Im feeling introspective as well as cold. Hubby is off to get new filters for the heater so I can use my sewing room. Right now, it's an arctic zone. I have never handled cold well. Snow is something best watched on tv. My fingers just lock up and I have a terrible time warming them up again. In the words of the great Gloria Gainer I will survive.

So Im just sitting here, thinking...

Driving home tonight I finally remembered the name of the album of Piano music I bought back in 91 at the Nature Conservancy. It was Return to the Heart by David Lanz. I remember I bought it while I was in art school. I got it on cassette and listened to it in class. Might as well say back in the stone age, when we had the big personal cassette players with the headphones (no ear buds back then unless you broke the headphones and took the speaker part out and shoved THAT into your ear).

But the music was so beautiful

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Found a quote in a book at the thrift store today
"There is no chance, no desitiny, no fate
that can circumvent or hinder or control
the firm resolve of a determined mind"

Just a slip of typewritten paper, yellow with age-but still powerful.
Peace be with you all
Christine

Eva Cassidy

Have you heard of Eva Cassidy? She was a singer songwriter with an amazing crystal clear soprano voice. She died of melanoma at age 33 in 1996. I stumbled on her while looking at etsy forums. The topic was what song moves you... Many many people said her rendition of Over the Rainbow was the most beautiful and touching thing they had ever heard. I looked her up on youtube and discovered her breathtaking voice. This version of Over the Rainbow is amazing. She died so young and was virtually unheard of before her death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUwTdqPkluY

True to form, blogger isnt letting me imbed the video, so copy paste.

Where have I been Joe DiMaggio....

Hi everyone-all what, 2 or 3 of you? Ah, its all good.

So, what has happened since last I wrote, hmm let me see. Well, we finally told the Bushies where to go and elected Mr Barack Obama as our 44 president. How wonderful and awe inspiring is that really! I have always been a proud American but this made me proud of Americans. We finally stood up and said NO MORE. Makes me smile. Im looking forward to watching Obama work.

You know, I didn't care for Clinton. I found him a bit "used car salesman-ish". All the crap with Lewinski, so stupid. He got several blow jobs in his office by an intern... How many times has that happened in offices across the nation? Hell, it probably wasnt the first time in the Oval office. Sounds like some guys idea of the ultimate naughty sexcapade-a BJ in the president's office. The rest of the world looked at us like we were insane. And then there was W. The first time I saw him on tv when he was running for president I turned to my mother and said "that guy is a criminal, you just don't know what he did yet". She said he was a good christian man. He never fooled me. I saw through to the small minded unintellegence that he embodied. Before the war when they were rattling their sabers, hubby and I said "WAIT!!" but little W wanted his war so he made up WMD to help convince the masses that we should declare war. Iraq didnt have anything to do with 9/11 then or now. And now, in the last month of his presidency, he has regrets. I have regrets too. I regret that that man represented my country. I regret that so many have died-Americans, Iraqis, Afgahnis, and all the others in a war created by lies. I regret my little brother having to spend 2 tours of duty in Iraq. I regret that the GOP has made Christian synonymous with hate and Muslim synonymous with evil and enemy.

I digress though. This is past now, not our present. We should look to our future. The big bright one just on the horizon and a month away. It gives meaning to the audacity of hope, I have hope after so long I really do have hope.

Let's see, what else.... OH, I heard about this movie called Twilight coming out. I have always loved vampire stories-Interview with the Vampire is one of my favorite books. So I decided to read the book before seeing the movie. Went to Borders and discovered there were 4 books. Hmm Harry Potter all over again??? Naaah :) So on that sunday, I bought the first book. Tuesday after work I went back to get the second book. Thursday, the third. Sunday, I went back for the last book. I finished it Tuesday (after obsessing about going home to read for days). Very interesting series and fun storytelling. Check it out!

Anyway, I went to the movie. Dispite a few cheesy bits the story was there. I didnt drag hubby, I know better than to force a "chick flick" on him (HIS description). I thought the actor that played Edward perfect great in the role. His name is Robert Pattinson. I was interested in finding out a little more about him so I googled him (what did we do before google-libraries?? ACK!) He's a Londoner, which suprised me. I didnt know he was English. I didnt realize he was the same person that played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Saw a few interviews with him and the "English" is very evident. I have friends in England and he reminds me so much of them, especially Az, who is from London as well. Robert strikes me as shy and overwhelmed with the fandom that has attacked him. I would love to hear him talk about how something was "gorgeous" or "brilliant". The main thing is with all the fame over Edward, people (crazy fangirls camping days to see him) loose sight of the fact that he is a person. They create in their minds who they think he is and who they want him to be. That can make for a lonely guy who doesnt know who he can trust in a foreign country full of girls obsessed with him. Made me think what he could use the most was a friend. I am a married woman in love with my husband, so I dont want his body (yes, he is very handsome but please, Im old enough to be his very,very young mother LOL) but I wish him peace and serenity for dealing with the insanity.
And Robert, if you ever need a plaster or a kind words of a friend, you are welcome anytime. Yeah, I know...a little fangirl of me, but it is sincere.

Until my next novella
Christine