Justice?

The two men who knifed one of our employees to death in front of his son on the Friday of May 24th weekend a year and a half ago were sentenced to only 5 years. The one guy had just done 18 months in jail for stabbing someone when he attacked Rubin. What the fuck is wrong with judges?

I need to do some shopping. I haven't for a very long time. We are out of pretty much everything. Lily didn't mind. I made her hot chocolate for breakfast since there was nothing else to drink. There's some frozen cider down in the freezer but it's frozen. And down in the freezer. Frozen.

I am wearing a pair of my son's hand me down jeans because I can't be bothered shopping. They are not cut for a woman's body and definitely not cut for a fat woman's body. Not comfy. I missed the super duper clothing sale I go to because I didn't want to lug my fat self in there. Again. I have been eating so much halloween chocolate, I'm just about sick of it. Just about. I will need carb rehab in another few days. I hate carb rehab. I'd better lay in some B6 to ward off wild blood sugar swings. Maybe some 5htp for depression from no chocolate. Some v8 for a quick fix. Some low fat cold cuts for fast protein. Pickles for cravings. I need tea and rice noodles. Why don't they make rice noodle spirals or shells? Then I could make mac and cheese that I could eat without worry about pain and suffering. I should try making rice noodle spaghetti or alfredo. But I love pad thai or veggies and black bean sauce. Life is so hard. All those choices.

I want a new christmas tree. A skinny prelit one. yup. But I can't be bothered going to the store for that either. Michael's has them on sale. Costco too probably. I wonder who I can get to work Christmas Eve. So I can do the whole Christmas thing on that day. Let everyone do whatever they want - go where they want - Christmas Day. I'll sit in my pj's - maybe I'll buy some Christmas ones and wear them from 3 pm the 24th until 8 am the 26th - and drink Bailey's and wine and eat chocolate and turkey soup and turkey sandwiches and cheese and nuts and appetizers and baklava until I puke. I think that sounds like a wonderful new tradition. I can make Bailey's this year from real Irish Whiskey. Instead of Canadian Club. We won't be getting any CC this year anyway. Gary didn't buy from the company that gives it. No regrets, we paid about $20/ton less for the asphalt. With only 2 tons - I can afford to buy my own freakin bottle of whatever I want. We buy thousands of tons.

Have you seen White Collar? The first episode? Did you notice where the FBI agent dude was going to take his wife for his anniversary vacation? Did you catch it? Belize! Did you catch the town? Uh huh - our little fishing village! Geez, the deal better get finalized soon. There are no touristy places to stay there yet...but it's going to happen and I don't want prices to be too ridiculous for us to build what we want. That villa in the show that the FBI somehow snagged in a drug bust (that makes no sense to me) doesn't exist. Ok, there might be 1 place that might be termed a villa but I don't think it has anything to do with the drug trade people. Yes, we have an idea who they are. But we don't talk about it. Neither does anyone else. Amazing what you learn when no one says anything isn't it? Which is why I don't think the powers that be really want the drug trade to stop. If someone as dense and oblivious to what goes on as I am has any clue, then someone who's looking shouldn't have any difficulty. Period. I think the drug busts that happen are because someone neglected to pay protection money and got punished for that instead. Maybe some little people get charged to show the bigger guys they mean business and to interrupt the cash flow for a while but please.

Enough conspiracy theory nonsense.

Ok - so I bought EVERYTHING at Costco. And then forgot one of the main things I went for and had to go back through the store. I'm a good packer though - I went through the check out with one cart but emerged at the other side with 2. My car was full. To be fair with me - I bought the damn Christmas tree (it WAS on sale!) and that giant dog bed up there. Thank heavens they like it. I also bought a lot of stuff in anticipation of baking for Christmas or maybe before then. Gary's got a hankering for muffins. I'd like to make that applesauce one with no fat. I'm sure I'll find a recipe somewhere. I left the tree in my car. It can stay there for the rest of the month. It's not so skinny but it is pre-lit and automatic - meaning I don't have to figure out where the branches go.

Another Pleasant Valley Sunday...

Watch both videos at once.



I took the dogs to the dog park. My first experience. Dexter's too.

Winston was great. He ran off happily playing chase with any other dog wanting to run. Mr. Congeniality.

Dexter was a bit shy at first. There were a lot of very large dogs there. Some of them seriously wanted to play "Smush the Puppy". The bench I sat on was Home Free. But it had nothing to do with me. Didn't matter who sat there - they were protection. (I love that the owner of the worst of the bully dogs said that Dex wasn't petrified but having fun as he sat cowering and shaking under the bench) He got lots of attention because he was just so darn cute. Kids wanted to maul him. He got braver as time went on and ventured out further to meet other dogs besides the ones who wanted him for lunch (I think they'd left). And got along great except with this one. Who also had a hate on for one of the other dogs. Dexter would sniff him and the dog would snap at Dex who would turn and bark at him. Which set the dog off some more. Dex has an attitude. Tell him he can't do something he wants to and he barks at you. Like when he attacks the indoor house plants - tell him NO! And you get a WOOF! back. My younger son was just like that when he was a baby. I put him in one of those now illegal walkers (those things were great but you had to shut the door to the stairs - fast) and he'd head right for the Boston Fern and merrily strip the leaves off. Told him NO! and he'd AHHHHRRRRGHGHGHG! 'd at me and went right back to it. So I've got another one of those. BUT no matter where he was in that dog park, when he heard me call, he'd come barreling back to me. Winston pretended he was someone else.

Ick

I ate McDonald's food last night for the first time in at least 5 years (besides egg Mcmuffins - McD's hasn't figured a way to screw up an egg yet). I had their Angus burger in which the meat tasted no different than any other McD's product. And felt so sick that a couple hours later I was sure I'd hurl. I didn't - I fell asleep instead but it will be a very long time before I put that poison in my body again.

Date night

Back in June, Gary bought a coupon thing that gives us 10 buy 1 get 1 dinners and 10 buy 1 get 1 lunches. It's a restaurant we used to go to way back when we first started going out. Good, real food - not too pricey with a warm casual decor. We finally managed to take advantage for the first time tonight.

We get seated in the back room in an out of the way table and peruse the menu for ages - heck - we can't even decide what to drink but we're in no hurry. We're out and it's all good.

A couple get seated behind us.

A young couple at a table next to us.

And we order and all is good for a while.

And the man behind us becomes louder and louder. Obnoxiously, rudely loud. Abusive. Foul. He can't say anything pleasant to the woman. About her. About her family. About her children. About her friends. About her business associates. I'm wondering, why is she sitting there with him? Why is she taking this. I can see she's mortified. But this isn't the first time she's had to listen to him. You can tell she'd rather be anywhere but here.

I really dislike eavesdropping. I don't want to know the next table's conversation and I tried really hard not hear this man. Sometimes I could focus elsewhere but he was ruining the evening. Not just for the woman and us but the young couple as well. You know how eyes meet and shoulders shrug. Gary finally had enough and asked the man - very nicely for Gary too I might add - to please keep it down and watch the language. The man apologized profusely and didn't lower his voice by a single decibel but managed to stop swearing for about 5 minutes.

I wanted to tell the woman there was help for abused women. She appeared to be a smart, professional lady - nicely dressed, nice hair, fairly attractive. She didn't need this crude asshole who told her she didn't know anything - that she hadn't a clue. And she PAID for dinner!

I hope she dumps him. Now.

So...

I think Dexter just doesn't care what I hung this here for. Winston is sitting well away staring at Dexter playing with the demon noise maker.
Notice how the mat is rather chewed up? Thanks Dex. Winston chewed one up too. Got a new one sitting in the corner for that happy day when the chewing of strange things is over.

I'm thinking that somehow, it is the cold responsible for my stiffness and pain. I went to work wearing 2 sweaters and my winter coat and had my bum warmer on. I took off the winter coat but left on the 2 sweaters while working. Yes, it got very hot. I was sweating but kept the sweaters on. Why? because the pain and stiffness was easing. I had no headache and just a little stiffness when I got home. I feel pretty good today but intend to stay a little over dressed. I doubt this is fibromyalgia. But it doesn't make sense to be anything else either - but then I'm no doctor.