I’m not the only one who sees the Fred Phelps connection.  Here’s a (very) irreverent take on the situation:

We decided to go see a movie tonight, and since our free passes wouldn’t let us see a new release, we ended up seeing The Other Guys. (The Will Ferrell-Mark Wahlberg buddy copy movie.) Rotten Tomatoes had a positive rating of 76%, and hey, Will Ferrell.

Egads. It sucked. Great concept. But it started to drag and it never recovered. Yawn! So imagine my surprise, when, the credits began to roll and feeling the relief of the movie being over, only to discover the credits were the best part. And, by the power of the interwebs, you can see them, too, without having to see the movie! But, fair warning, it might make you feel a little sick to your stomach – and you can’t blame the popcorn.

I spent some time a couple weeks ago, fretting about hitting the one-year anniversary of losing my job. Lots of comparisons and back and forth and being hard on myself. I thought this day would be dreadful.
Turns out, it’s not even in the same stratosphere as losing one’s parent, but we already knew that, on some level, didn’t we?

I just now realized, at 3 in the afternoon, that it was a year ago today I lost my job. (Took me four years to get to that amnesiac level with my father’s death!)  Guess maybe because I spent lunch with someone who’d suffered a similar fate, who regaled me with one of the “funniest” stories I’d heard in some time, that reminded me what I’d left behind wasn’t really all that great? Might be. (Fun sucker! Fun sucker! I’m going to laugh about that one for weeks. I’d share it, but it’s one of those that unless you know the players, it falls flat.)

And the haters I lost in the process? I like to think of ‘em as albatross carcasses NOT strung around my neck. In fact, I’d love to run into any of them, for living well is the best revenge. Is my life perfect? Nope. But for the first time in a long time, I trust the veracity of the people who are in my life, and that’s more than I could say a year ago. And, in the wake of job loss, I got reminded that my life might have turned into a rather bleak, isolated island – but there was still a shining huge sea full of people who would recommend me, who would smile at my name, who would be happy to help me find a new job. Something of a rebirth, I’d say.

So, for once, I give myself a big ol’ eye roll -heh- to have thought it would actually feel more significant than it actually did. Sometimes the anticipation and worry about the unknown can play tricks on you. Then when you see reality, in stark contrast to the fears, it’s laughable.

Speaking of laughing, this is quite possibly the best song EVARR right now, and I can’t think of a more appropriate post to put it in! This is dedicated to the hatahs…. lol

The poll from yesterday, as of 4:00 pm CST, had 26 votes cast – 15 (57.7%) picked a man as the driver; 11 (42.3%) of you said the driver was a woman.

I must say, the majority here is correct: the driver was a man! I had thought woman until I really, really, REALLY considered the giant Star Wars decal. Like I said, it was a real toss up!
Thanks for playing, polls are kinda fun.

I think with all the anger and discontent over all the banks that were bailed out and are now awarding 6-figure bonuses, there is a simple solution.

I think all those bankers should donate their bonuses to relief efforts in Haiti.

Instant redemption, and finally, money well-spent.

Tweet it. Blog it. Who knows. If we can raise nearly $5 million dollars in a few days, those fuckers should give until it hurts, and give some more until it stops hurting. Just think of the PR.

#BankBonusDollarsToHaiti

I must confess, I’ve written probably 25 blog posts in my head about the weather, the snow, the snow removal, primarily the LACK of snow removal, my street, the ruts in my street, and other drivers. I will try to cull down the 1400 vitriolic things I want to say, and just leave it at some basics.

First off, snow removal is crucial. Yep, goin’ out on a big ol’ limb there, and taking the emotional risk to put it out there. I felt like all my years living here, brazenly not wearing a coat in December, scoffing at what others called “cold” has come back to bite me in the ass. However, temperatures and snow fall notwithstanding, Kansas City does a SUCK ASS job of removing snow, especially if it happens on a holiday. I don’t buy the whole “oooo these snowplows are too BIG to fit down your street, and oooo these snowplows were too SMALL to make a difference” argument. Whatevs. I don’t believe for a second that allllll the snowplows were out on Christmas Eve, clearing the way.

Let’s talk about the Ice Ruts on my street. When I was a kid, I had a book I loved, called “The Bingity-Bangity School Bus“. It was all about this beloved school bus that I presume had no shocks, and that sucker off-roaded and tossed the kids all around (in a faithful, loving manner) in ways that would garner lawsuits by the ream these days. In any event, that’s what it’s like to drive down my street. The ruts are icy, and then you have spots where the manhole covers have melted everything, creating wonderful drop-offs that wreak havoc on a vehicle’s suspension system. We never did get salt or sand that I can ascertain, so the melting & re-freezing has made everything extra-special slick in the mornings.

And people. Weaving in and out of traffic because you’re ‘brave’ and ‘in a hurry’ is a recipe for disaster. Last week I witnessed a Lexus darting in and out, only to gain three cars’ lengths at the light. Bravo, you stupid turd. Was it exhilarating? Did you get a real rush?? C’mon. You have to just accept that it is what it is. Find your Snow Zen. Drive slowly, leave loads of room between you & the car in front of you, use your low gears if you have them, let off the gas to begin slowing down, don’t just hit the brakes, and let off the gas if you find yourself sliding. I’ve had a couple friends who had mishaps because of the ice (or b/c another driver was rubbernecking a different accident), and it sucks.

But it’s starting to melt, and that, my friends, is what I have always maintained has been KC’s approach to snow. Meh, it’ll melt. Shrug. I know it’s generated business for insurance companies, collision repair shops and chiropractors, so one could even argue the lack of snow removal has been an economic stimulus effort!  (I DO have a new pair of snow boots because of all this!)

Fit this, girl is having a pretty cool contest on her site – five chances to win, and there are five spice racks being given away!

I keep getting served this goddamned ad, no matter how many times I click  the thumbs-down and tell Facebook why I hate it. Of course, you only get to choose from a preset selection of why you don’t like the ad, and sadly, “I don’t want a Pell Grant from CHARLES MANSON” is not one of the options.

I opened the back door this morning and was greeted by a shiny white moon caught in our walnut tree, along with a shocking burst of cold air. Winter is here!

Heaven help me. I haven’t even been around Christmas music yet this year. The only part I keep replaying is the “wahoo-doray”. Feel free to join me.