I have 900 million things I'd like to write about today. Because I'm going in 100 billion different directions. Work is busy, life is busy, and my mind is overloaded. Which probably explains why I want to curl up and go to sleep at 3pm the past few days. But not why I'm taking the time to blog. Random Observation: There is no such thing as complimentary valet parking. If you think there is, then you don't get it. Thoughts like these insert themselves in my mind while I'm thinking about how I will get to Target, Home Depot, the post office and eat a $10 sandwich all within 45 minutes. Ah, consumerism. Political/Socio-Economic Issue:  I watched a documentary last night--The Shock Doctrine. The underlying message is that Capitalism and free market economies destroy countries, and use catastrophe (a.k.a. the shock) to bring the public along for the ride. See Ronald Regan, Margaret Thatcher, George Bush, and Augusto Pinochet (look it up). While I could dedicate an ...

I'm fat...so fat that despite the sunshine I can't bear to get in a bathing suit and lay on the dock. Dinner last night was SPECTACULAR. The menu? Choice filets, asparagus and this wonderful tomato salad. Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese and Bacon 4-6 tomatoes, different varieties (Roma, Ugly Ripe, Vine Ripe, Heirloom, whatever your fancy) Blue Cheese, crumbled Bacon, thick cut and crumbled *don't microwave it, fry it and make it the good stuff 1 avocado, sliced Dressing: 4 tablespoons of olive oil 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar 2 teaspoons dijon mustard 1-2 garlic cloves, minced finely Pinch of parsley, sage and thyme if you so please Salt and pepper to taste Combine and whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and herbs until smooth. You can put in fridge for up to 6 hours. Slice or cut tomatoes into quarters, season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, top with avocado, bacon and blue cheese, and drizzle with the dressing. Garnish wit...

Ever since I got my iPad, I don't really have any. Unless you count Free Cell, neurotically checking Facebook, Plants v. Zombies, and taking pictures of the places I have lived via Maps. The below would be my favorite. Yes, Ladies & Gentlemen, the crack house I used to reside in. It didn't used to look like that, I swear. Or maybe it did, and I was too drunk too notice. Anyhoo...being able to take that photo is in itself remarkable. Just Monday I didn't know how to take screen shots with the iPad or iPhone. Luckily, I have a really smart team--the same team that gets it done when everybody else tell them no, so that someone else in the company can present the same idea a year later and call it "new". I digress. They showed me how simple it was to take a screen shot, which got me to thinking, "what else can this shiny flat thing do?". Well, the short list: 1) Predict the weather 2) Find me a house to buy 3) Monitor my sleep patterns and wak...

Frank was my favorite. Ali's too. As if it wasn't obvious by her muted, teary excitement as she gave away roses to men she didn't like. Sleep with them? Sure! Marry them? Not a chance. Needless to say, I'm all kinds of into the Bachelorette this season. Because it sucks. I always believed you could find love on TV, and that for sure all 20 men would fall madly in love with one woman they have to share. And she of course would have her pick and live happily ever after. I'm high. Along with 9.9 million other viewers, and my entire family. All ridiculousness aside, I did feel previous Bacehlor's and Bachelorette's were maybe not so influenced by producers to keep the less than ideal picks of the litter on the show. This season they introduced a whole new brand of crazy to guard and protect the audience. It is PAINFULLY obvious with this lovely albeit excruciatingly boring woman that she's just not that into you. Or you. Or you. Or you, you, you an...

Let me start by saying that I am about as qualified to debate this topic as I am to perform heart surgery. That is, stay-at-home versus working mom. My experience is limited to a 30lb furry two-year-old and three years teaching day care. But lack of experience has never stopped me from forming an opinion. A dear friend of mine (we'll call her Sally) is a working mom, not by choice. She was venting to a group of friends over lunch about her exhausting existence. And the useless ass she married. Different post. Here's the short version. A stay-at-home mom (we'll call her Shirley), apparently on the defensive (or her period), went bat shit. Complete with the stated facts that Sally "is selfish" to work and her children "will suffer emotional instability" as a result. Oh, and that Shirley's job is "no different" and "just as hard" as Sally's. I would have pummeled Shirley and her pissed in her wine. But enough about that ...

Inevitably, Monday starts with this question. But no one ever answers it. "Fine" and "Busy" are highly subjective terms that don't say very much about how you spend your free time. I would like to think that in our "live for the weekend" American culture, the answer to this question would be much more interesting. But apparently it's not. Is it because weekends aren't that exciting, or are we just not talking about it? I think I live a much more exciting life than most. Scratch that, I make better use of my time. Sure, I have to clean, cook, fix, care for, and so on. But I also take opportunities...to visit here and there, to update this or that, to try a new food, and so on. I'm not talking trips to Dubai or 5-star dinners...more like a local museum, planters for the deck, and a new Indian restaurant. And the occasional last minute trip to Vegas, naturally. Life is way too short to spend the (limited) free time we have doing things ...

My iPad. I finally got it. We missed the FedEx guy twice, so we scurried down to Alpharetta to pick it up despite the fact they would try again on Monday. So worth the drive and shitty Indian dinner we had while there. What a wondrous piece of machinery that warrants every single penny I agonized over spending. I cried, really, when I downloaded my first book. It's so inexplicably crazy special to me. With just a few hours of exploration under my belt, I am a big fan of iBooks and Amazon Kindle Store for iPad (I know, right?), mail, google maps, video, free cell, and general web surfing. The ease of set up and sync of all of my Apple devices and the ability to turn on (and off) 3G from my friends at AT&T at whim only adds to the experience. Today, I will take that little beauty down to the dock, read a bit, then jump in for a lounge on my new blue lake floaties. They are indestructible and very comfortable. And they better be for $90 a piece. Neighbors swore by them, and...

I've been seeing an ENT--that's ear, nose and throat--doctor. Surgeon actually, which is why every appointment is a 4-hour ordeal. It's worth it though, as he does actually spend time with me and this guy is incredibly knowledgeable. He pretty much explained away every ailment I have been suffering from since before I can even remember, including things you would not expect an ENT to know or treat. Primary symptoms are irritating and incessant post-nasal drip (that's snot down the back of your throat), stuffiness at nighttime, and headaches on cue at 4pm each day. The diagnosis? Slightly deviated septum, irregularly small nasal passages, and TMJ caused by an orthodontist taking too many teeth out of my mouth and allowing my jaw to shift. Watch me eat. I open my mouth to the right. Never noticed this. Nice. The treatment? A little allergy med to see if some of the symptoms are environmental. The next step possibly being surgery. Which is where the question comes into...