I had a crush on Christopher Lambert after watching Highlander back in 1984. I was surprised when I saw the trailer for The Punisher - there he was and hadn't appeared to age a day!! Then I went to the site and... it's NOT Chrisopher. It's Thoman Jane. Completely different guy.

A new "liberal" radio station has launched called Air America. Basically to offer the other side of the conservative radio - the Rush Limbaughs and such.

I want to hear it mainly because the liberals also happen to be comedians and humor is about the only way I can stomache politics.

More pics from Florida, including the puppy, Piglet, and a crazy bird.

Retail Therapy

Jenny got me these great new Sniff tissues that have my likeness on them and say "Retail Therapy". I am a firm believer that purchasing cute gifties for others or for yourself can improve your mood. I generally like to find things that are adorable but that you don't have to be a lottery winner to afford. I always tell my hubby, "you're lucky I shop the way I do". I'm not sure he truly knows how much I could spend were I to buy Marc Jacobs handbags or Jimmy Choo shoes. Alas, unless I find them at a sample sale for 95% off, I am unlikely to own either.

If I were a splurger, I'd buy this Dooney & Bourke bag, which is just the most adorable thing I've laid eyes on since Tom Hanks rolling around in his underwear with that Dogue de Bordeaux in Turner & Hooch. But at 220 bucks, I can't justify spending that kind of money on a purse when family members can barely pay for their groceries.

Some less expensive but nearly as cute alternatives are online at Amici Accessories... found through my InStyle mag. Or maybe a replica Prada or Louis Vuitton bag from fashionflairs.com - very cute and many are under 30 bucks!

I also bought two of these new Body Whips at Parkleigh yesterday. A body cleanser and a Sugar Whip exfoliating cleanser. I can barely stand that they're not edible. They looks like it. They smell like it. They feel like it. I bet I could've gotten hubby to eat some... would've been funny... but entirely too cruel (not to mention I'd be living in fear while anticipating revenge).

And to help others while I help myself... I bought this very cute t-shirt designed by Joie, to support the fight against cancer through the Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Deep Fried Fatty Goodness

Apparently in Britain they call a sandwich a "sarnie". Apparently Americans aren't the only ones who love to indulge in mega-calorie meals. The hot dessert in the UK is called the "Suicide Sarnie" - a deep fried chocolate sandwich covered in chocolate sauce and ice cream - with 1000 calories per serving!

Here's the recipe:
1. Take two slices of white bread and liberally smother in chocolate sauce.
2. Dip in batter and deep fry.
3. Cover in more chocolate sauce and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

Make it, eat it, then run 10 miles to work it off (or not =).

Horse Help

I have yet to see one in action, but apparently Guide Horses are all the rage. Now we're not talking being led around by Hidalgo here, they're miniature horses, compact and painfully adorable.

Apparently, Guide Horses are great for people who are allergic to dogs, love horses, want an animal that lives longer and can live outside when off-duty (as if).

Sign of the Apocalypse

These are the new urinals at
the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse at JFK.

I want to know why CNN thinks they have become the National Enquirer. Here are real headlines from CNN.com...

Dog requires sex change to live
Future Boy Looks Ahead
Gay Mormons in love

What do I look like, a Nuclear Physicist?

drove home very slowly in the snowiness tonight... hoping something good would be on NPR... it was an interview with Physicist, Brian Green, about his String Theory and how the math indicates that there may be 10 dimensions, not just the measly 3 that we can perceive. I felt like I was high, in a bathtub with Donald Sutherland, Boon, & Katy, contemplating the existence of other universes under our own fingernails. Oooh.

Additionally, shouldn't a braniac math-wizz physicist have a better name than Brian Green? How can that compete with an I'm-very-quirky-but-super-intelligent name like Albert Einstein? All I could picture was Brian Austin Green (of Beverly Hills 90210 fame), throwing on a nerdy pair of glasses and singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to communicate his theories on the creation of the universe.

At the end of the interview, I felt slightly more intelligent (I know, the opposite of what one might think would happen when listening to a physicist explain a new theory)... but I felt good that I could follow his thought process. Which means, Brian Green is really good at talking to the less-intellectually-fortunate without making them feel like they should be wearing a helmet to work.

So when I got home, I looked up the NPR show and linked through to The Official String Theory Web Site and was pleasantly surprised to see that the man is blessed with more than just good intelligence genes, he's handsome too. Let me consult my quantum physics equations to determine the odds of getting superior intelligence, ability to relate to common folk, and handsome all in one man. Its a 1 in 2,398,746,899.27 chance.

Mya Update

I'm biased, but I think my niece Mya is just adorable. See for yourself.

I'm Baaack

Well, I'm back Florida. I did meet the puppy on Tuesday, became very attached to each other (puppy cried whenever I left the room), then had to leave the next day. I wonder if she'll remember me when I see her again in a couple months.

If the puppy had come earlier, I might have enjoyed my "vacation" a bit more. I don't think that staying with the in-laws in a retirement community in Middle Bumble Ef Florida can count as a vacation. There must be research that shows humans can only tolerate 3.8 days of visiting relatives. I was there for 7.4 days - you do the math.

Here are some pictures of the little fuzz ball herself.

XX Car

Volvo is designing a car by women for women. At first, I thought that adding in an indentation to accomodate pony tails into the headrest was a bit OTT... then I realized, I have had to take my hair down before to get comfortable while driving, and curly-haired ladies, you know... after you've had your hair up for a while, then take it down, it poofs out so you look like Carrot Top on a bad hair day - and have to drive around looking like a madwoman... so maybe it's not so crazy after all.

The puppy's not coming today. Supposedly tomorrow, but now I'm not getting my hopes up.

Went and saw "50 First Dates" last night (at least there's a movie theater nearby), it was very cute. Made me think of PT *;) - Hawaii is so beautiful and such an interesting culture. I read a good article about it in National Geographic - about how many years ago, Native Hawaiians were forced to give up their culture and language, and more recently, there is a resurgance in rediscovering the traditions.

So I'm in Florida on vacation. Not my idea of an ideal vacation by any stretch of the imagination. Smack dab in the middle of the state... nowhere near beaches or good shopping or young people... in a retirement village... where the most exciting thing to do is play Monkey Train (have yet to figure out what that is, but my Mother-in-law is excited to get us to play)

But let me try to relay the positives:
- it's warm, 85ish... until tomorrow anyway, when the high will be in the 60s (still better than 30s)
- my in-laws are getting a puppy tomorrow
- got to have Chicken Madeira at The Cheesecake Factory (after driving one hour each way)
- I'm not at work

Sooo, that's about it.

Other than that, I want to say to PT *:) that I owe you a BIG thank you for the Valentine's Day giftie, brightened my day. Sorry I'm such a slow-poke loser in thanking you.

And I want to thank Jenny for packing Piglet and tell you that I saw the super-skinny lady. Eeww. This woman we saw last year, she looks both 90 pounds and 90 years old, a sun-worshipper with wrinkles in every crack and crevice (or as Joel might say, crev-ah-se ;). She's probably only 65. Inspired me to wear my hat in the sun this year! I do not want to get old and decrepid... but if I do, I'd rather be plump than look like a slim-jim with arms.

Ooh, if you live in the LA area, you should apply for this Blowout show on Bravo - it looks like fun! What would be even more fun would be if Tiger Woods and Tobey Maguire were the ones doing the blowdrying!

Change of subject...
C'mon, Lord of the Rings didn't have to win EVERYTHING. Thanks goodness Sofia Coppola pulled out Best Original Screenplay. Billy Crystal was funny, the women looked great, Sting looked hot "playing" that chunky monkey or whatever Jenny figured out it was called. It was a fun evening. Perhaps, someday, I will be there as the little sis of a famous actor.