State Fair Blue Ribbon Time

 Tomorrow is State Fair day at work. We get 1/2 a day off, a bus ticket, an admission ticket, and some $$$ to spend. This is one of my favorite days at work -- it's like when we had the Indoor Picnic in grade school. Sometime in February we didn't go home for lunch (we used to do that every day) -- we stayed and had a hot dog, potato chips, milk (which I didn't drink because I know it came from) and an Eskimo Pie. Then we'd go to the gym and watch a movie. It was one of the best day at school.

I can't wait to go to the Creative Arts Building and see the BLUE RIBBON winning three person chessboard that my nephew Brett made (as seen here). Did you see the BLUE RIBBON part? Not that I'm an overly proud aunt but BLUE RIBBON. I'm also looking forward to a snow cone and corn on the cob.

If you are wondering why we have a State Fair day at work ... it's all my fault. A number of years ago (probably 5 or 6) the MTC had a contest for companies that had a Metro Pass program. You wrote a composition why your company should get a free bus to the fair and you would get the bus and admission tickets. Well, I wrote the winning poem:

WHAT? A half day at the state fair,

Away from the computer glare?

Stop all of our mousely clicks,

For something greasy on a stick?

Our cubicles to leave behind?

A vacation from the daily grind?

No more memos to discuss?

And we get our own big bus?

So what would we do if we win?

I’m not sure where to begin…

There’s Sweet Martha with her cookie jar,

Horticulture, arts, and international bizarre,

And heads of butter, oh how absurd,

Let’s not forget to get cheese curds.

You just can’t think about your job,

While eating sweet corn-on-the-cob

See horses, cows, chickens, and hogs,

We can’t forget a foot long dog.

Go to the booths and see some stars,

And get some deep fried candy bars,

Toss some balls; win a prize,

Eat a cup of hot French fries,

Head over to Machinery Hill,

Perhaps a ride at  Ye Olde Mill.

Forget about our budget cuts,

Have some more mini-donuts,

Let ‘em guess what we weigh,

As we head on down to the Midway.

Quilts and sweaters and fruit that’s canned,

Buy a Veg-O-Matic at the Fair’s Grandstand.

No worrying ‘bout a 401K

Unless, of course, it’s Senior Day.

A ride up on the old space tower,

Lots to do in just six hours,

Milk shakes, ice cream, lemonade,

All this fun and we still get paid.

I hope we’re the group that you pick,

‘Cause we need some fun … on a stick.

I'm like another Emily Dickenson or Robert Frost or Rod McKuen. 

Blue Ribbons, Goats and an Old Lady

In case you haven't see this photo -- the in thing with babies today is to take a picture of them in an outfit that says "1 month" "2 months" etc. so I thought for my birthday I'd follow the trend. 696 months is a lot of months.

I'm heading to the fair this week. Mostly to see my nephew Brett's BLUE RIBBON entry of a handmade 3-person chessboard. It is on display at the Creative Arts Building. I'm very proud of him. I'll post some pictures next time so you can see how cool it is.

Been using my CPAP machine lately. And NO it has nothing to do with a PAP test -- if it does I'm not using it correctly. It does really help me sleep better and I'm not so tired during the day. It still is a pain in the ass to use and I would rather not have it but it's better than sleeping with a goat -- which has nothing to do with sleep apnea but I have a feeling in some countries if you had sleep apnea they would tell you that sleeping with a goat would cure you.

Well on that goat note I think I'll bail. Have a happy happy Monday.

Fancy Nails and Daisy Update

I had my day (well actually 1/2 a day) of beauty on Saturday for my birthday. I went to the Spalon Montage in Edina where life is beautiful all the time. It is a very high class outfit and I'm not sure I fit right in but I'm not sure that matters.

The first stop was to have a facial. I've had one before, or I thought I had, but this was something else. You go into a room that has soft lighting and that music playing that I believe is suppose to make you feel tranquil but after about 10 minutes makes me feel like I want to take stab my eardrums with a bamboo shoot. But the massaging took away the edge. It was going so well until all of a sudden this bright light is shone on me (I had some kind of eye protectors on) and McKenzie began to remove blackheads and unclog pores -- OUCH!!! It felt like a razor going into my face. I didn't like that at all but I have to admit my face felt mah-vah-lous. Then back to massaging. By the time it was over I felt a bit like a wet noodle but I had no time for that. It was off to my hair cut.

Amber has been cutting my hair for quite a while now and she does such a great job. I was trying to convince her to give me a Mylie Cyrus look but I think she may have lost her license if she had done so.

After the hair cut it was pedi time. Mi (or My?) had her hands full with me. We discovered quickly that I was a big more ticklish than I thought. She had to keep telling me to relax my toes. I apparently have highly stressed out toes. But I love the whirlpool you get to put your feet in but the room has five stations that were all filled and I felt a bit like I was at the Jiffy Lube in stall 3. Mi also did my manicure -- the results you can see here.

When I checked out I told them not to tell me the total ... I didn't want to know. When I finally looked it was not as high as I expected so that was good. It was a fun to be pampered, if only for a few hours.

Daisy Report

Miss Daisy and I are having a great time together. She has really settled in here. She likes to run from the bed to the loveseat to the couch and back until she finally lands wherever I am. She does like to be in the same room as me -- aw sweet. She is a great walking dog too. We go for a nice walk three or four times a day. She doesn't stop as much as her big sister Freckles so we can get around the block rather quickly. The other day I was getting out of the shower and I heard some noise, when I peeked in the living room Miss Daisy was standing on top of the coffee table, looking proud as can be. I had left some of my Honey Nut Cheerios there and it was too much for her. Which is surprising because she doesn't like many treats and does eat a lot of food. You have to mix her kibble with soft food in order for her to eat it -- and even then she'll only eat what has soft food on it. The dog treats I would give to Freckles she has no interest in -- what a crazy dog. Her biggest interest is in getting her belly rubbed. Yesterday I learned she likes to have you put a blanket on her and let her figure her way out.

Wouldn't it be nice if all you really wanted out of life was some food now and then, a little water, a walk, and to have your belly rubbed. I do, however, feel like life has thrown a big blanket over me and I'm trying to find my way out. I hope when I do get out someone will give me a belly rub (or at least unplug my closed pores).

Olympic Fever Is Over

Yes, my favorite Olympic moment. 

Well the Olympics are over. I like watching them, but I wish I didn't have to watch so much beach volleyball. I heard that the toughest ticket to get was to beach volleyball. Guess I'm, once again, out of the loop on this one.

My favorite is diving. I look at how much they can do in a matter of seconds. They twist and turn and somersault and then go into the water in this straight line. I can't even eat an Oreo in the amount of time they do all of that. I will never get into the Oreo Olympics at this pace. I must keep practicing until I've perfected my skills -- no matter what the sacrifices are.

In other news, my boyfriend Randy Travis seems to have gotten in trouble. Arrested for drunk driving, found laying in the road next to his smashed up car. Oh and by the way, he was naked. Before he crashed his car he walked into the local convenience store, naked, and wanted cigarettes. After being arrested he threatened to kill the police. Randy, Randy, Randy -- who do you think you are, Keifer Sutherland? Yes, I blame myself. Randy knows that Keifer is my number one and he's just trying to show me that he can be a stupid alcoholic too. Boys, stop fighting over me before one of you really screws up and ends up going on tour with Charlie Sheen.

Burn Mary Burn

Do you remember this? Yes, they still make Noxzema but this is the old label. When I would get sunburned I would cover myself in Noxzema -- it was so cool (as in temperature not as in groovy) and felt so good on my burned skin. And it had a strong smell to it so you could tell I was coming into a room about 5 minutes before I got there and you knew I'd been there at least a half hour after I left. But it felt so cool.

Well I need my Noxzema. Yesterday I was out on a golf course for an event where I work (no I wasn't golfing) and even though I used sunscreen I am burned. Last night I was putting cold ice packs on my face and arms and chestal area. No redhead should be out in the sun for hours like that -- I believe we have an unnatural immunity to sunblock.

Now, once this stops burning it will start itching and I'll start peeling and it will not be pretty. Oh well, I'll still be beautiful even if I look like a walking onion.

Daisy Update: First, I changed her middle name from Lou to Doodle because I keep calling her Daisy Doodle. She is doing so well. She seems to be fine during the day in her crate and when I come home she is happy and does the quietest little sounds. No indoor potty problems. We go out three times a day and she likes to walk so I'm getting a lot of walking time in which is good for me too. She does move around quite a bit at night and wakes me up but I think I'll get use to that and start sleeping through it. One of the big differences between Daisy and her big sister Freckles is that Daisy will not lay in bed forever when I get up. When I'm up, she's up. So I have to pull on some clothes right away and head outside for our morning toilette. I don't wake up quickly so I'm kind of out there sleep walking but again, we'll get use to it. I'm taking her to see my vet on Saturday to have her microchipped and get a kennel cough vaccination. Then I can get her license and dog park permit. It will be interesting to see how she does in the dog park.

Well off to another day filled with unicorns, butterflies, and rainbows in a land we call denial, I mean work.

Daisy Is Here

 I'd like to introduce the beagle formerly known as Cuddles -- Miss Daisy Lou Hirsch. She is just a tiny little thing, especially compared to her sister Freckle Magoo Hirsch.

Daisy spent all of her life at a breeder facility. She wasn't in a "puppy mill" but she did live in a kennel and never had a family. She just kept delivering puppies until they didn't need her anymore. Poor little Daisy. Well she has retired at Camp Mary where she will be treated well.

A friend of mine, who shall remain nameless (Peter) doesn't like the name Daisy but I do. I like the flower daisy ever since I saw the movie "Harold and Maude" in the 1970s. If you've never seen it I highly recommend it as one of the best movies ever. There is a scene where Harold and Maude are talking about flowers:

Maude: I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They're so tall and simple. What flower would you like to be?
Harold: I don't know. One of these, maybe.
Maude: Why do you say that?
Harold: Because they're all alike.
Maude: Oooh, but they're *not*. Look. See, some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have lost some petals. All *kinds* of observable differences. You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who are *this*,
[she points to a daisy]
Maude: yet allow themselves be treated as *that*.
[she gestures to a field of daisies]

And so let's all usher in the era of Daisy. 

Ready or Not Here I Come ...

I'm heading over to Wisconsin tonight to meet Cuddles. I was going to go and see her at the end of June but cancelled when I found myself crying A LOT. But I went to the wonderful pet grief support group at that Humane Society and this woman talked about a dog she had 9 years ago that she still cries over now and then. But she also has a new dog that has helped her heart to heal -- she hasn't stopped loving or missing the other dog but she just has another dog to love. So last night I washed Freckles old blankets for the first time -- as goofy as it sounds I didn't wash them before because I could still smell Freckles on them. But if I get a new dog, she or he gets a new start including clean blankets.

I'm meeting the woman from the rescue group at Target ... I feel like I'm involved in some interstate drug ring. Do I need to get a passport to bring a dog over the state line? My friend Peter asked if she was a Packer fan or worse yet a yankee fan? I'll have to ask her when we meet. I'm going to say "jeter" and see if she growls or wags her tail. Then I'll say "cheesehead" and see if she starts to howl or tries to run away. These are important issues we need to clear up from the start.

Stay tune to see what happens. In the meantime here's a question -- "Does anyone really know what time it is; does anyone really care?" Talk amongst yourselves.