Superbowl Sunday for me! 2005 OSCARS

favorite Oscar gown--Kate Winslet . Couldn't find a photo for the men, but *sigh* Clive Owen was very dashing! So, I thought about posting my predictions, but that would mean I'd have to commit to just one.

My thoughts: Sorry, but the Oscars are about glamour. While I think anyone can be glamourous, given the opportunity, not everyone wants to participate in cheap, unclassy humor doled out by Chris Rock. Not that the event needs to be stuffy, but it felt like they were trying to hard to pull in the fringe viewers, that they alienated the rest of us. Never thought I'd say this...YAY Sean Penn! for advising Rock that Jude Law is indeed a fine actor.

I really wanted "The Aviator" to win more of the BIG awards. I loved that film. It was such an indulgence of a part of the Golden Years in Hollywood. As with everything these days, the film industry is sadly becoming more about business than art, and this totally took me back to when it was royalty. Woohoo! to Cate Blanchett for her best supporting actress win!

I had a feeling after I saw Million Dollar Baby that it would grab up a lot of the awards. I didn't even originally intend on seeing it the day I did. I bought a ticket to something else and curiosity was killing me to know what the surprise was, so I ducked into that theater. (ssshhh...don't tell!) I actually thought it was something simple like Eastwood's character turns out to be her father, but NO, even more controversial. I don't agree with assisted suicide, but I still liked the movie. A movie doesn't have to be advocating a certain opinion just because they portray something. I look at movies and say "Slice of life" -- I may not agree with someone else's opinion, but that's not going to keep them from having it.

Glad 'Sideways' got some recognition. I just saw that a couple weeks ago. It's also a California movie. Very fun to see California places. Need a trip there very soon!

I haven't seen 'Ray' but I may have to. Love Ray Charles' music. From the clips, it looks like he nailed Ray Charles like Blanchett nailed Hepburn. While the black community celebrates Jamie Foxx winning as a black man, I salute him for doing such a perfect job as an actor.

One last YAY! -- While I love Shrek for just being plain funny, YAY! Incredibles. I went to see it with a friend, sort of hesitantly, as I am at things Disney (I'll explain later), but he kept telling me how good it was, so I had to go. AND IT WAS! Best character was definitely Edna!
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It's Old Home Week...no, Month, no...WINTER in Florida!

Also, Chris Thomasmeyer and his new wife, Natalie were here -- this was taken at All Star Sports cafe at WDW as the Pittsburgh Pirates...errrr....Steelers were losing to the Patriots. (yet they were still smiling)
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For Springfield friends--Look who wandered down to Florida from Colorado Springs! Mary & Lowell Bohn were visiting around Florida, and stayed with Bob & Rosie for a night. I met up with them and had dinner and then we went and hung out at the house that evening.
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What a runaround

Alright, so I walk in a couple weeks ago to a dentist office who is listed on my dental insurance list. They tell me that they are not taking new appointments for the insurance I have, but maybe if I wait, the woman in the corner who is having a personal conversation with someone else dressed as though they work there will be able to help me. I left. I've chatted with people from the insurance company a couple other times, and reluctantly not changed over to this dentist office. Today, being the 23rd of the month and tomorrow, the 24th (funny how that works) is the cut off for being able to change and get in by the 1st of the new month....where was I?....so, I called the insurance office today and changed to them and asked (just to make sure) if there was a problem--what if they are not taking new patients with this insurance plan?--and she told me point blank that she wouldn't be able to enter me into the system with that change if they indeed were not taking new patients. OK...so now I am holding my breath on hold waiting to hear whether or not they will take the appointment.

And now I calling back because I was disconnected while on hold....

NO RESOLUTION--I end up with an appointment at the dentist I've been seeing. Can't get in to one of the many other dentists in that office...it's their policy that once you start with one, you can't change. The appointment is in mid-April....

Alright...I must admit it! Yes, I am going to ......and I ....... Oh yeah, I can't tell the whole world wide web yet. I have to keep some secrets.

So, my dog, Max, he's taught himself some interesting things lately. Last week in the midst of my ongoing headache-sinus issues-really elevated blood pressure b/c I took decongestant w/ ephedra sickness, I was sleeping a lot. One morning when I'd slept most of it away, he came up and laid next to me. He sat there for a minute or two and then stood up and sort of threw his 42 pounds of weight at me and laid down again, as if to say "Get your lazy butt up and take me out!" I'm starting to believe he's definitely more intelligent than your average tourist! :-P

The last couple months, I've stayed way out of the loop at work, trying to avoid hearing everyone else's woes. Today, I did get stuck on a boat with someone who is generally quite a nice person, but who is definitely climbing the ladder I am trying to throw myself off of. I suddenly realized he's another one of those people who want to accumulate dirt on everyone else so as to help himself up another rung. As a seasonal guy said yesterday, why oh why would young people want to sacrifice their future to stay at this company?!?

OK...off to throw things in the dryer before bed.

another shot I took as they floated by. It's not unusual that they are floating by, but that I actually noticed it. I think it was because of a northerly wind today. Usually they come from the east and land south of where I live a little.
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How cool is it to wake up to this outside your window?
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*blush*

OK...so since I don't know who all reads this, I'm just going to say I'm sooooo embarrassed and leave it at that.

Lots of fun

Ok, so I haven't posted in a few days, but it's because I haven't been home and I was having lots and lots of fun...and causing a bit of trouble.

So...from about January 21 until today, I've had friends and family in town and we've done all sorts of things.

Friends from Pennsylvania came down for a long weekend with the rat...err...mouse...and we hung out at fun places like the Magic Kingdom, Rain Forest Cafe, and the All-Star Cafe at Disney World, where we sadly watched the defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

I went to Bradenton on and off throughout the week. While growing up, my dad knew several major league baseball players. Two of his better friends from that time played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The daughter of one of them called me back in October to tell me to keep the week free. Pittsburgh Pirates Fantasy Camp rolled into town. This year, they celebrated the 45th anniversary of the 1960 World Series Champions. Although quite tiring, we had a lot of fun, and one night near the end of the week, Jennifer and I completely got slap happy and created several works of art with photos we had taken around the ball fields. We were a little afraid we'd offend these heroes of 1960, but they thought the pictures were absolutely hysterical. A copy of the bikini girls with Schofield was confiscated and hung in the pros' dugout.

When not at the fantasy camp, I was driving around FL. Jennifer, Jenna, and I went to Siesta Key beach and ate at the Dacquari Deck, they went to Discovery Cove and Sea World, we went to see Arabian Knights, had lunch one day at the Beachhouse restaurant on Anna Maria Island, and went to Epcot and ate at Le Cellier. I have not eaten so much in any given week in my entire life.

My sister, Michelle, flew in on Friday. She joined us in watching baseball on Saturday. She and I were going to go to Key West by boat from Ft Myers, but opted for not travelling, and spent a couple days playing at Disney World and she went to visit some of the relatives over in Lakeland. Today, we went to one of the outlet malls, the RonJon Surf shop in Orlando, and to the White Wolf Cafe in Orlando before I took her to the airport.

Now I have one day to recuperate before going back to work.