Beanie

I am actually blogging from home (imagine that). So, I figured I'd put up some pics of Beanie. That last picture is of Beanie in her Cardinals jersey. She's a little worn out from the excitement of WINNING THE WORLD SERIES!! (Sorry Barb & Tiffany, I have to milk it for all it's worth).

Britney Parties with Paris

Can I just ask why that is newsworthy? I mean, they have that on MSN's homepage. Puhlease.

First off, that's a really strange friendship because Britney is white trash and Paris grew up with the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth. Actually, her spoon may have been Platinum. Regardless, I don't see what the two could have in common.

Brit pays $10 per hair extension and Paris pays approximately $1000 per hair extension. Brit's got two kids and a bad track record of loser boyfriends and husbands. And, might I add, Brit's not exactly "the cat's meow" (then again, neither is Paris, but she's definitely closer than Brit). Paris on the other hand has had boyfriends that are either Greek Shipping heirs or megastars. Oh wait, now that I think of it, both girls have gotten "loose" around a video camera - maybe they're exchanging trade secrets. What do I know?

I guess Brit thinks she'll meet a nice, rich, heir through Paris. Whatever. Good luck with that. I don't think it'll help when you're in the middle of a Las Vegas club stripping down to fishnets - does anyone other than the $.02 hookers on "the east side" (the crime-ridden, streetwalker covered area of Illinois directly across the Mississippi from St. Louis, MO.) wear these anymore?

Oh well, I guess we can expect more juicy gossip from the comeback wannabe. It should get interesting.

The Gangs of St. Louis - Chapter 1: The Mad Irishmen

Kerry Patch - in red square circa 1875

Where to start? I'll go ahead and start in the 1920's with a small neighborhood in St. Louis called "Kerry Patch". This neighborhood was the origin of several of the toughest Irish gangsters - sons of immigrants. Next to "Kerry Patch" was an Italian neighborhood referred to as “Little Italy”. These two neighborhoods are near the site of the present day Edward Jones Dome – home of the St. Louis Rams. A lot of battles would be fought on these grounds.

“The Egan Rats” was a gang conceived by a City Constable named William T. Egan. Egan’s biggest foe, Edward J. Hogan, was a State Representative, State Senator and a Business Manager for the Brewers and Soft Drink Workers Union. Hogan was also known as “Jellyroll” Hogan and was the son of a St. Louis cop. Along with his brother, James Hogan, "Jellyroll" developed his own gang.

“Jellyroll" and James decided to confront “The Rats” by cutting in on their action, which turned the early 20’s into a decade of gun battles inspired by money and hot, Irish tempers. It was a vicious decade with no signs of slowing down.

Despite popular belief, “Jellyroll” didn’t start the roar of the 20’s in St. Louis, Egan did. After flexing Egan’s influential muscle, President Woodrow Wilson granted commutation for a “Rat” Lieutenant named Max Greenberg in March of 1920. Greenberg had been convicted of stealing from an interstate shipment and had been freed from Leavenworth after serving only six months of his five year term. Even though Greenberg was granted freedom due to Egan's campaign, he felt no obligation to show Egan his appreciation and loyalty. A short while after Greenberg’s release, he defrauded Egan out of $2000 on a booze deal and became a turncoat that ended up devoting his life and loyalty to the Hogan brothers.

A year later, in March of 1921, Greenberg was gunned down at 6th St. and Chestnut while with a group of men including a loyal Egan activist named John Sweeney. In the end, Greenberg was merely wounded and Sweeney was dead.

Six months later Egan himself was gunned down outside a pub on 14th & Franklin while stepping outside for a breath of fresh air. Talk about your irony – this would be one of his last breaths. Nearby, a cop on foot heard the shots and ran to Egan’s side. Egan was then transported to the City Hospital located at 14th Street and Lafayette Avenue (this hospital is in the process of being redeveloped into lofts called The Georgian based upon the building’s Georgian Revival architecture). The city’s Police Chief and a priest from St. Patrick’s arrived shortly thereafter. At Egan’s bedside, he was asked, “who did this, Willie?” and he wouldn’t give any names out of respect for the “game”. He was a “Rat”, but not a rat. City Hospital picture taken by Jeff at Isucube.

After Egan’s death, a plumber and WWI veteran, William “Dinty” Colbeck, seized the throne over “The Rats”. And “Dinty” wasn’t about to be stopped. He was thoroughly convinced that Greenberg had been involved in Egan’s death. He was also confident that James Hogan was one of the gunmen that assassinated Egan. “Dinty” vowed to avenge Egan’s death by promising the deaths of Greenberg, James Hogan, Jacob Mackler (Hogan’s Lawyer), and two Hogan gang members named John Doyle and Luke Kennedy. In May of 1922, Kennedy was murdered and the Hogan’s retaliated by shooting up “Dinty’s” plumbing shop on Washington Avenue - but, no one was harmed in the shootings at the plumbing shop. Shortly after this incident, “The Rats” shot up Hogan’s home at 3035 Cass, merely causing more property damage, no carnage.

Chapter 1 will be continued tomorrow. I didn't have much time to look at the book and gather the information I wanted for the first chapter. I'll get it tonight

Your Dominant Intelligence is Musical Intelligence

Every part of your life has a beat, and you're often tapping your fingers or toes. You enjoy sounds of all types, but you also find sound can distract you at the wrong time. You are probably a gifted musician of some sort - even if you haven't realized it. Also a music lover, you tend to appreciate artists of all kinds. You would make a great musician, disc jockey, singer, or composer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

If you've been over to Skittles' Place, you'll see that I'm pretty much copying off of her today (with the quizzes). I'm ALWAYS tapping my fingers or feet. ALWAYS - I considered it my nervous tick. I do NOT enjoy sounds of all types (some sounds drive me nutty), but sounds are awfully distracting at times. I played the clarinet in school and was also trained on the saxophone and flute. I love music and I come from a long line of music lovers. My dad played the drums (learned at a very young age). My grandma and great aunt both played the piano by ear. I don't believe either had a lesson in their life. That amazes me. And, if you look at the list of songs on my iPod, you'll certainly see that I love music and artists of all sorts. I often thought about playing music as a career, but figured there were people far better than I. Interesting.

Stomach Sleeper

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You have a passion for everything - including sleeping.Outgoing and brash, you tend to still shock those who know you well.You tend to be selfish. You are the most likely type to hog the covers.You gravitate toward comfort and don't like extreme situations. What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

Most of this is true...I certainly do hog the covers and I do have a passion for everything. I used to be very outgoing and brash, now I'm starting to become a little shy (probably fallout from being outgoing and brash in the past). I don't think I've always been as selfish as I am now. I do appreciate comfort and I can't STAND extreme situations. So...isn't that weird? Does the sleeping position quiz work for you?

My Thanksgiving Horoscope

Thanksgiving Horoscope for Scorpio

You're the sign most likely to start a family fight. Your signature dish: Cranberry sauce Your signature dessert: Cherries jubilee This holiday: Keep busy baking pies or taking wagers on the football game. It's best for you to stay out of any drama!

What's Your Thanksgiving Horoscope?

Believe it or not, YES this is me! As a matter of fact, I think I might have started a fight last year! :0) Leave it to me. And, I don't like football so much, I'm a baseball girl! I don't care too much for cranberry sauce either. But, I'm big on cherries.

Productivity

I had a very long and productive weekend. It may have turned out badly if I didn’t have the ability to just laugh at what life throws at me sometimes.

Friday night I went home, ate dinner and immediately started cleaning. Fun huh? I suppose I went to bed around 9:30 because I had to get up early on Saturday to take Beanie to the groomer. I must have slept very well because I went to sleep and didn’t wake up once until 7:00 a.m. when my alarm went off.

After the alarm went off, I jumped in the shower, threw on some clothes, grabbed Beanie & her leash and headed to the groomer. It’s just about a 10 minute drive, so I didn’t have to go far. When we got in the car, it hesitated slightly before starting, but I didn’t think anything of it. I dropped Beanie off at the groomer and headed home to do some work around the house. I soon realized taking a shower was in vain, because I sweated my butt off all day.

Around 8:00 a.m., I got home and decided to tackle the leaves. I have two 15 year-old Bradford Pears in my front yard and neither of them had a leaf left on them – they were all on the ground. I threw on my sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes and headed out. *I thank God everyday for my iPod, I think it would have been a very long day without it.* I raked all of the leaves in the front yard into six very large piles. After wasting time talking to several neighbors, I pulled out the leaf bags and started to pile the leaves into the bags. In the end, I filled three 30-gallon cans and 12 leaf bags – all by myself. Let me just say that the back of my thighs and my back still hurt, badly! But, it felt good to get things done. At 12:30, I had to get ready to pick Beanie up from the groomer.

I headed out at about 12:50 and stopped for gas on the way. Well, I got to the gas station, turned my car off and filled up my tank. I go to turn my car back on and guess what. It wouldn’t start! I was so embarrassed and furious. I knew it was either my battery or my alternator since every time I turned the key to try to start it, my windshield washer fluid and headlight washer fluid would come spraying out. Weird, I know. I had no idea what to do – I was at a loss. I’ve NEVER had a car break down on me – NEVER. Well, once I had a flat, but dad showed me how to fix those. So, I immediately grabbed my cell phone and tried to call my parents. Just my luck – they’re outside picking up leaves too and their cell phones were INSIDE! I was panicking. Finally, this very nice guy next to me (from KC) asked if he could help at all. I just told him that my car wouldn’t start. So, he had me try it again to see what was happening. He said that I still had a little juice and that I just needed a jump. He had his wife’s minivan and didn’t have his jumper cables or anything. I thanked him for looking and helping me pinpoint the problem and then he was on his way. After trying my parents about 400 times, I just went inside and asked the gas station attendant if anyone had any jumper cables. He was very nice and ran out to his car and ended up jumping me (sounds sexy doesn’t it? I assure you it wasn't). I was so appreciative. Finally, at about 1:15, I was on my way to get Beanie.

When I got to Kennelwood, I had to leave my car running so that I wouldn’t have to worry about starting it again. Then, Beanie came out and she looked adorable. She’s spoiled rotten because I paid an extra $20 for a spa treatment and $8 to get her teeth brushed! She got her paws and face scrubbed and she was bathed in “special, smelly good” shampoo. And, I really recommend getting your dog’s teeth brushed because she came out with the whitest teeth I’ve seen in a while. She was sooo soft and smelled so good. I figured she deserved it. So, we hop back in the car and head home (after going to Burger King for a Jr. Whopper).

When I got back home I thought I’d mow the lawn to manicure it a little more. I got the lawn mower out and tried to start it. Guess what. IT wouldn’t start either! It had gas, it had oil and it had a tune up. I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t start. My awesome neighbor, Bill, even looked at it for me and tried to start it for me – he couldn’t get anything out of it either. I was pretty fed up with mechanical devices by that time. So I just shoved the lawn mower back in the shed and squirted off my walkway, porch and driveway. I was pretty frozen by the time I finished outside and went inside to warm up. That’s when my mom called.

She asked if I had called. Uh…YEAH!! I told her what happened and she said it sounded like I needed a new battery (which by the way, it means nothing if the eye on your battery is still green). So, she and my dad headed out to my house. When they got there, my dad went outside and pulled the old battery out (in my car, the battery is under some casing that you have to have a ratchet to get to - ridiculous, but I do know how to do it). Then my mom, dad and I headed to Auto Zone for a new battery. Dad had them test it and sho’ nuf, it was dead. I was expecting to spend a good $100 since my car seems to be very expensive on everything. I kinda lucked out, it was only $45 for a 7 year battery with a 2 year warranty. Woo hoo! We went back home and dad put my battery in – the car worked fine! YEA!!! After a full day of picking up leaves, we were all pretty tired so my parents were going to head home.

But, before they left, I asked my dad if he could help me bring my Christmas Tree in since he was there (I didn’t think I could do it by myself). So, we got the Christmas Tree inside and decided to put it up. Let me just tell ya – you have to get one of these trees I got. It’s a pre-lit, pre-shaped tree and it took about half an hour to put up (with decorations and everything). You simply grab the three parts and stand them in the stand. Then, you connect the lights and you remove a belt and the branches all fall into place because they’re on hinges! Is that so cool or what? You have your tree up and lit in a matter of five minutes, then you just decorate. I love the way it turned out. Being the huge Cards fan that I am, I decided on a red, white and silver Christmas Tree – so ALL of my ornaments are either red, red & white or silver. The tree looks really good – here's a pic of it - do you see my crooked star? And, before you think it looks bare, I am one of those types that only puts lights and ornaments on Christmas Trees. Anyway, I finally allowed my parents to leave.

I guess I ended up going to bed around 10:30. I woke up Sunday morning around 8:30 and started in on my laundry. I watched three movies (Christmas with the Kranks, Little Man and for the life of me I can’t remember the third one). I went shopping a little and then came home and finished laundry. I went to bed around 10:30 and here I am.

I can’t believe its Monday already though – that blows. At least this will be a short week and I can’t wait until Turkey Day. We’re supposed to put up the rest of my decorations this weekend and I promised my parents I’d help them with their tree and decorations. So, here go the holidays – not a minute to spare.

AND I WANT A SIBERIAN HUSKY!!! I THINK I’M GOING TO GET ONE! They are so gorgeous and I have a thing for wolves and they kinda look like wolves. Beautiful animals!

Okay, that was my weekend. How was your weekend? What did you get done?

"Fatties"

Why is it so hard to love a fat, obese or overweight person? Why is it so hard to believe someone else cold love a fat person? Why is it so hard to believe that a “fattie” can be loved, admired or envied? Is our society really that superficial? If so, that may be the most disheartening trait of our society.

Okay, before you all wonder why I’m rambling about this “nonsense”, I’ll explain where it started. Last night, I was watching Cold Case (one of my favorite shows) and it was about an overweight girl, named Martha, who was murdered after a dating service fiasco in 1989. In 2006, a Latin hottie named Ramone committed suicide while watching Martha’s Love Juncture video and his suicide reopened Martha's "cold" case. Every cop on the show thought it was impossible that Rrrramone (that’s me rolling my “R’s”) could be interested in this girl. One cop even went as far as to suggest that maybe Rrrramone had some sort of fetish. It left the impression that people who love or enjoy the company of a fat person must be mentally ill - should that really be the message that the media or Hollywood should be sending to the public?

Later in the show, when the police find a secret room of Rrrramone’s, that suggests he stalked and possibly murdered fat women, it was almost as though it was confirmed – it’s impossible to care for, love or be attracted to a fat person. They even had to take it a step further when it was established that he didn’t stalk and murder these women, he simply conned them out of everything they had – naturally, because fat women are stupid too. Finally, when I didn’t think it could get any worse; Martha finds out that Rrrramone is conning her (when she walks in on him stealing her TV) and she is so desperate to keep this arse that she offers to be his accomplice in marrying, conning and murdering other fat girls so that they could be together and be rich.

Come on! Why are alcoholics, drug addicts and gamblers considered to be infected with a disease, but fat people are merely considered to be weak, lazy or disgusting? Most overweight people are victims of the same disease that alcoholics, druggies or gamblers suffer – addiction!

As a matter of fact, overweight people are far more affected by addiction. If you think about it, when alcoholics, druggies or gamblers are rehabilitated, they can quit their addiction cold turkey and are well on their way to recovery. But, what no one seems to understand is that overweight people always have to eat. They aren’t able to just quit and avoid their addiction. They are forced to face their addiction every day, three times a day. I think moderation is amazingly more difficult than avoidance.

At the end of the show, it was revealed that the fat girls were all so desperate for a good-looking man that they were willing to kill each other for this man. It was one of Rrrramone’s earlier “fat girls” that killed Martha because Martha told this girl that she was going to kill Rrrramone for making her do these horrible things. The other girl couldn’t live without Rrrramone, so she killed Martha. I had hopes that it would end with Rrrramone actually caring for Martha. Afterall, I still think it’s possible to be attracted to an overweight person. I guess, maybe, I’m the only one. Will society ever get past outer beauty and recognize inner beauty or even accept overweight people as beautiful? Maybe we have another 50 years for that. I think that’s sad.

That Wasn't Very Nice

This thing actually said that I was not real nerdy, but definitely not hip either! Oh well, sorry if I did homework on Friday night (when in college and had a Saturday morning class). Darn quizzes. :O) And, really, is there such a thing as a "Nerd Wannabe"?

The Gangs of St. Louis - Introduction

On rare occasions, I know things that most people don't or that most people shouldn't. Today it dawned on me that I know way too much about the old gangs, mobs or the Mafia in St. Louis. I have a book that taught me everything there was to know about gangs and the Mafia and I thought it'd be neat to post my own chapters (in my words and from my standpoint) every day or as often as possible. Today, I'm going to start off with an Introduction and after that I'll post a chapter about each family or "turf". I think it's very intriguing and hopefully you will too.

When you think of gangs, the Mob or the Mafia, what cities come to mind? New York? Chicago? Los Angeles? Las Vegas? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume St. Louis isn't on the list of cities that you'd associate with "gangsters". If that were so, unfortunately, you'd miss out on an infamous history of gangs. St. Louis played an important role in the history of gang or mob activity.

Al Capone visited St. Louis regularly and used the alias, "Al Brown", when staying at the old Jefferson Hotel. Most of his visits were in attempt to gain control over Southern Illinois, which is just across the Mighty Mississippi from St. Louis. But, even Capone knew the gangsters in St. Louis demanded respect and weren't to be taken lightly. He was once quoted as saying, "those guys are cuckoo" about the St. Louis mobsters he encountered. Shortly thereafter, the gang that "whacked" all the Italians that Capone sent to do his dirty work in St. Louis adopted the name, "The Cuckoos".

While there were always gangsters in bigger, better-known cities that were ruthless, frigid and rough, most all gangsters in St. Louis possessed those qualities. The simple fact is that the hoodlums in St. Louis could stand toe-to-toe with the biggest, baddest gangs in any city including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The combined effectiveness of St. Louis gangs such as "The Cuckoos", "The Egan Rats", the Buster Wortmans, the Leisures, the Giordanos, and the Vitales left a gory, vicious trail of murders and crime. This was seldom seen in the United States at that time.

The gangsters of St. Louis created a folklore far more adored than any other. They were mysteriously worshipped and respected by other gangsters, citizens and anyone else knowledgeable of their dealings.

These men were envied for their big black luxury cars, fancy suits and beautiful homes. They were admired as businessmen as well as for their "toughness". And, these guys meant business - all business, all the time. They even got their grips on one of the best Boxers of all time.

Soon, you'll know more about these gangs, gangsters and families than you ever wanted to know. Enjoy.

The Daily Puppy

I, now, get this newsletter called The Daily Puppy. Jen got me hooked on it. But, anyway, this picture was on today's issue and I just melted when I saw it. You can take a look at more pictures of Barley at The Daily Puppy link above.

Is that the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

Man, I love me some doggies!

I've Got Quite a Bit More to See

create your own personalized map of the USA

The states I've visited are in red above. I seem to have quite a bit more to see.

create your own visited country map

The countries I've visited are in red above. This is even worse, I really need to get out. I've only been to 5 countries - United States, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and France. That's just sad. What's worse is...I LOVE to travel.

My First Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things J Will Miss/Has Missed While Out of Town My 29th birthday Halloween Shopping for our own Christmas Tree while in our very first house Shopping for Christmas decorations for our house Thanksgiving Putting up the new Christmas tree and decorations (I’m sure he’s happy about this) Shopping for Christmas presents Christmas Eve Christmas Day New Year’s Eve New Year's Day The beautiful cold weather in St. Louis during the holidays His mom’s birthday Links to other Thursday Thirteens! (leave a comment and I’ll add you here!) Barb Tug Mom's Secret Life Cindy Miranda Ruth K T Cat You're Next! I completely give up on trying to get my Linkies - it won't work for anything, so I officially give up. I'll just do it manually.

In case you haven't heard. J, my boyfriend of 7 years, is out of town for work. He's a Stagehand and he's working on a show tour in Texas. He left on October 29 and won't return until January 2 or 3 (somewhere in there). I miss him like crazy, but I am not mad at him or his job for being gone. He loves his job and enjoys the work. And, to be honest, I don't mind the alone time so far. It will be hard to be away from him for the actual holidays, but truth be told, he was gone for work last year during the holidays and I got through it just fine. Luckily, I have family that I spend the holidays with and that's just fine with me. Now, bring on the Thanksgiving dinner!

Someday I'll Figure Men Out

I was wandering around on The Counselor's blog (which I love because she talks about nifty little life lessons) and I saw this little quiz that asked if I was brave enough to take it. I thought, sure...I'm brave...sometimes...okay, well I call it "Selective Bravery".

Anyway, I think I might be able to figure men out someday, but probably not any time soon - especially seeing as how I just spent the whole day yesterday arguing with J about why he didn't call me Monday night. Yes, I'm one of those types of girlfriends.

Mikala is a Good Student of Men

She's pretty good at knowing what men are thinking. But she's not dead on 100% of the time. She needs to let her guy off the hook sometimes... because she may be reading him all wrong!

How Well Do You Understand Men?

Without Further Ado

It's done, it happened, Jen in Omaha created a blogging community for all of us that do NOT fit into a blogging mold. It's called what the BLOG!? and it's absolutely elitist (ha ha, just kidding, well kind of).

Jen is a very smart and funny girl and you'd be special if you joined her community, I promise. Plus, there are already some really amazing members and you'd be cast off the Blogging Island if you didn't join. If you want to join, which would be a wise decision, go to what the BLOG!? and join damnit. In case some of you have a phobia about clicking on links, you can just type http://whatthebloggers.blogspot.com/ into your address bar (or you could overcome your phobia and click on the address) and it will magically take you to what the BLOG!?

One more time, what the BLOG!?

Did you hear me? I said, what the BLOG!?

She even made up some frickin' awesome buttons (I told you she was smart). Look!

I'm only showing these two because they look purdy on my blog! She has tons, well okay, not "tons", but a lawt!

Hump Day!

Okay, is it really only Wednesday? I mean, I could really use a Friday right about now. I am working on a few posts, but I've been so busy at work that I haven't had time to get them done. Then, by the time I get home, I have so much to do there that I don't get online. I'll try for today, I should be able to catch up on everything. I stress *should* because things change at the drop of a dime here at work.

Did anyone watch 3lbs last night? I TiVo'd it and tried to watch it right before I went to bed and it seemed like I was watching House, but this time the doctor was a brain surgeon and he has feelings. I think I liked it though. Any thoughts?

I have tons of ideas for posts, but I have to have the time to write them and post them without looking like a total defect. All I have time to do right now is ramble so that I can get these things off my mind. Like, why is it when I'm flying down the highway in the passing lane, someone who is, very obviously, going slower than I am has to pull over in front of me to stop me? Can someone explain it to me? I would really like to know why they feel the need to be the Highway Vigilante!

And, is it normal for people to eat tuna fish and drink milk at the same time? I mean, maybe it's my severe dislike of fish and dairy, but that just sounds downright nasty to me. There's this guy in our break room that does this every MORNING! Yes, people, in the morning for breakfast. Who on God's green earth eats tuna for breakfast? I don't get it, I really don't get it.

Finally, if I don't get rid of this sinus headache, I'm going to drill two holes into my face, one on each side of my nose and I'm going to let all the pressure out. Right now, it hurts so bad that my neck, upper back (between my shoulder blades), my shoulders, my eyes and my head are in constant, agonizing pain. I can barely keep my head up to look at the computer monitor, but I have to come to work. I keep doing the neck exercises I did as a dancer, but they only help for, maybe, 5 minutes. Then, the pressure just builds back up and I suffer again. Maybe if the weather would pick a frickin' season to stick with, I could live a happy, pain-free life!

Okay, I'm done.

Yummy Tagginess

Barb at Skittles’ Place tagged me and thank God she did, because I was running out of things to say!

Ten Things I've Done This Year (2006):

1. Took in a stray dog and I love that dog with every fiber of my being.
2. Gained weight (I seem to do that every year).
3. Went to Opening Day at the St. Louis Cardinals' new Busch Stadium.
4. Bought a house.
5. Bought all new furniture, appliances and electronics for new house.
6. Painted every wall in the house with the exception of the spare bedroom and basement.
7. Screamed my vocal chords completely out of my head at the stadium as the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series.
8. Developed a new-found interest in my ailing blog and have updated regularly since.
9. Became a Horse Hero and donated money to Charlotte, the abused Chihuahua.
10. Turned 29

And, I have to slip this in here - we re-signed Jimmy Edmonds for another 2 years!!! YEA!!!!

I don’t tag anyone in particular since I don’t really know enough people to actually tag. But, Jen, please feel free to participate!

Christmas Shopping

Thanks to our wonderful Veterans, I had a 3-day weekend last weekend. Friday, I woke up and decided that I should watch TV since I don't usually get to see daytime TV. I watched Montel which was about Transgendered people (can ya believe they had a 6 year old on there?). Then, I watched Jeopardy - I love me some Jeopardy! What else did I watch? God, I don't remember. Must not have been very good, huh?

Anyway, Friday night it stormed and my power went out. That was fun. Luckily, it came back on about 30 minutes later. But, the problem is that my pilot went out on my furnace and I didn't realize it until Saturday night after I froze all day. I had to have my dad come over late Saturday night to relight the pilot. Now I feel special because I know how to light the pilot on my furnace. I felt kinda retarded Saturday when I had my dad drive 45 minutes to do it for me - seeing as how I work at the local electric/gas company. You'd think I'd know how to light a pilot, right? Nope, I didn't. But, now I do! Now, I know how to read the meters (elec. & gas), I know how to check for gas leaks (at the meter), I know how to change the filter on the furnace, and I know how to check the pilot (and light if necessary) on the furnace and water heater. Can you say, "EMPOWERED WOMAN"?

Sunday, my mom and I went shopping for Christmas decorations. I needed everything since this is my first Christmas on my own. We went to Garden Ridge (is it okay to say that on here?) and I spent way more than I should have. I bought tons of ornaments, a skirt for the Christmas Tree, some little decorative pieces, a wreath, some garland and a few other trinkets. Let me tell ya, it was fun! Then, from Garden Ridge, we ran over to Target (I love their house stuff). I spent more there than I spent at Garden Ridge. Have I ever told you guys how much of a bad influence my mom is with money? She's one of those "Oh just buy it, it's cute" types. Yeah, I end up throwing everything in the cart. I wound up getting more ornaments, candles and some T-shirts to sleep in at Target (along with some stuff I had to send to J). It was a very expensive day for me yesterday. Oh well - it was fun.

So, that brings me to this lovely Monday! At least it's Monday AFTERNOON now. I need to go home and clean, but I dread it so much! I'm sure I'll talk myself out of it by the time I get home.

Okay, I've rambled for way too long now. TTFN

Have You Noticed?

In case you all haven't noticed, I have changed my name as well as any names I mention on this blog. I also removed or deleted any posts or comments with my "old" name on them. I guess I'm trying to make this blog a little more anonymous so that I don't run into any complications.

So...

Hi! My name is Mikala, nice to meet you!

Bloggate Debate

I just want to take this opportunity to thank those of you that weighed in on the Bloggate Debate. As I said in my comments, I really do appreciate the support and the comments. You all made my decision-making process a lot easier. I will, definitely, continue blogging. But, in order to avoid any further complications, I deleted the original post in question and any subsequent posts regarding Bloggate.

Again, thank you all! And, Blog on Blogettes!

Politics

Okay, I usually try to avoid talking about politics since my mom always taught me that you "shouldn't talk about politics or religion" with friends and family. But, let me just say THANK THA LAWD those damn commercials are over! I must admit, I'm also happy that I won't be getting any more goofy calls on my cell phone from any of the goofy candidates. I'm so happy, oh so happy, so happy and witty and briiight!

Circuit City - What a Steal!

Preface

I’ve been talking about the “Best Buy” incident in my “tidbits”, but it just occurred to me that it really happened at Circuit City in Crestwood (a town in the suburbs of St. Louis).

This story will make me look like a real loser, so please don’t read too much into it. You’d never know it by what I’m about to post, but I really hate thieves and I’m really not the thieving type. With my dad, the ex-cop, we got our butts whooped for even thinking about stealing something and I never did steal as a kid. Nor did I ever even joke about it again.

By now, you’re probably already thinking that I was a real lush as a teenager, but I was really just a stupid ass that thought you could have more fun drunk (little did I know). You may also be realizing that I was very stupid when it came to drinking & driving and that I did it often. I am being completely honest when I say that I NEVER thought anything bad could or would happen to me or any of my friends. I wasn’t educated on the dangers of drinking & driving – yes, we had the usual MADD assembly at school, but when you’re with your friends, you really don’t think about what you’re hearing and you certainly don’t think it’s possible for it to happen to you. Just because they bring a wrecked car to school and show you how the Firefighters use the Jaws of Life, it doesn’t mean you are really aware of what could happen. But, I digress because this post isn’t really even that much about “drunk driving” – I have more posts coming regarding that later.

On to the story…

I was 17 years old and I was with my usual accomplice, Stephanie. We met up with two guys that we knew, we’ll call them “John” and “Joe” to protect their “innocence”. At the time, I was dating a guy a few years older than me – we’ll call him “Steve”. John, Joe, Stephanie and I were all just hanging out at the mall when we decided to go down to my car and “get drunk”. Yes, that’s just how intelligent we were – I actually carried alcohol in my car and our plan was to “get drunk”. Anyway…after drinking, we decided to go see Steve at Circuit City (where he worked) which was just across the street from the mall.

We pulled into CC’s parking lot and parked right next to Steve’s car. Steve, who worked in the Car Stereo section, was with a customer when we got there. So, we browsed around the store until he was done. Eventually, he made the sale and the customer left. All four of us walked back to Steve’s section of the store and we talked. Apparently, he wasn’t too happy that I was with guys (which didn’t make any sense because we were only dating anyway AND I was just friends with these guys, I had no interest in either of them). Anyway, Steve and I argued a little while Stephanie, John and Joe walked around. Steve was so irate and ignorant so, I finally stormed off to find them and leave. I went back to the vending machines area in the back of the store and found Stephanie. We looked through the vending machines and both agreed that some hot chocolate sounded really good. Neither of us had any change on us, so we decided to go out to the car to get some. Well, by this time, we found John and Joe and we all walked out to the car. Since we were parked by Steve’s car, I made a snide comment about breaking into his car and stealing his stereo system since he was being such an arse. I, honestly, didn’t mean it and Stephanie knew I was just being a brat. Moving forward, Steph and I got some change out of my car and ran back into CC to get that hot chocolate while John and Joe stayed out in my car. Unfortunately for me, my life changed forever when we came back out.

As we walked to my car, we didn’t see anything but John and Joe trying to get something into my car. As flighty as I was, I didn’t think anything of it…UNTIL we got to my car. I noticed Steve’s car door was open and that they had an amplifier that they were trying to get in my back seat. John quickly screamed, “open your trunk”. I was so shocked and confused that I just did it without thinking – opened my trunk that is. I immediately started to freak out as I realized what was happening. John and Joe had taken me seriously and they were stealing Steve’s stereo system. I yelled at them to stop and to put it back. I was still a little confused because I was still a little woozy from drinking and there wasn’t anything wrong with Steve’s car (it didn’t look like they had broken in – so maybe I was okay, maybe they weren’t doing anything wrong – I was hoping that was the case, I knew it wasn’t likely, but I was hoping and praying). Then, when I didn’t think things could get any worse, a friend of Steve’s pulled up and parked his car by Steve’s. He saw what John and Joe were doing and asked them what was going on. This is where I get really stupid. I mean, I was freaking out so bad because 1) I was a drunk 17 year old and 2) my dad was going kill me for even being involved in any type of theft. You know that “Fight or Flight” response people have? Yeah, well apparently, mine is all about "flight" because all I could think to do was high tail it out of there. So, while Steve’s friend was asking us what was going on, I quickly grabbed everyone, got in the car and sped off. I drove John and Joe back to their car at the mall and I screamed at them to get that stuff out of my car because I didn’t want anything to do with it (which, yes, I already had a LOT to do with it and I had been really stupid about this whole situation). So, Stephanie and I dropped them off and made them take the equipment, then we just drove around (which was completely normal for us).

As we drove, Stephanie and I both cried wondering what would happen to us. I knew she wouldn’t get in much trouble because she was just 16 and I was the legal age of 17 (meaning I wasn’t a minor). That's when my mom called my cell phone and asked that we come to the house because there were some police there asking for me. In the end, Steve's friend had goten my license plate number and called the police. The four of us met at the police station and had to give our statements - which is where I saw John and Joe carrying the equipment into the building. Apparently, both guys were smart enough to get their “story” straight while Steph and I just cried like little babies. Both guys told the police that I “made them do it”. Flash forward a few months and we’re in court. Obviously, Stephanie was out of it because she was a minor. But, since, I was driving (God, I’ll never forgive myself for being so stupid), Steve was MY boyfriend, AND I was “manipulative and domineering”, I was sentenced to 3 years of probation and 80 hours of community service. God, can you believe it? “Manipulative and domineering”! Their lawyers actually told the judge that and the judge believed it. I really got three years of probation and 80 hours of community service. God, I’ve never been so ashamed in my life. I felt like asking the judge “if I told John and Joe to jump off a bridge and they did it, would I be convicted of murder?” I’m pretty sure I’ve told a few people to “drop dead” in my life – I guess I better watch out if they actually do.

Now, I know it’s my fault, I know I was in the wrong – but I always wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t been drinking that night, what would have happened if I actually thought about the consequences and about what would happen to me. I don’t tend to tell a lot of people this story because I’m so ashamed of it, but I figure it’s part of who I am (even if that person is a complete idiot) and if I can’t even put it on my blog, then what’s the point, right?

On a side note, you have no idea what it’s like to walk into a probation/parole office every month and be the ONLY preppy, 17 year-old, female. My probation officer used to laugh every time she’d come out to call my name because she always said I looked so out of place and that I always looked terrified of the people surrounding me. God, I was terrified and I was so pissed at ME for putting myself in that situation.

I suppose that’s all I have to say about that lovely incident, except the guys had the audacity to hate me after this and they started spreading rumors about me. I later found out that they were both arrested a couple years later for pretty much the same thing (breaking into cars). I, however, learned my lesson and then some – now I watch what I say around people I barely know (God knows who might actually do what I say – even if it is a "joke"), I know my rights, I know what I should have done, and I know what I had to go through, etc. Hindsight is 20/20, right?

I'm so glad I got that out - I hate to even think about it because it makes me feel so horrible.

She Thinks His Name Was John

Back in high school, we found a song that still gives me goosebumps to this day. It's about a good girl that had ONE one-night-stand in her life and that ONE gave her AIDS. She doesn't even really remember his name, but she remembers every man she's ever been with (because she wasn't the "one-night-stand" type). It's so sad and sobering.

Here are the lyrics:

She Thinks His Name Was John
By Reba McEntire

She can account for all of the men in her past,
Where they are now, who they married, how many kids they have,
She knew their backgrounds, family and friends,
A few she even talks to now and then,

But there is one, she can't put her finger on,
There is one, who never leaves her thoughts,
And she thinks his name was John,

A chance meeting, a party a few years back,
Broad shoulders and blue eyes, his hair was so black,
He was a friend of a friend you could say,
She let his smile just sweep her away,
And in her heart she knew it was wrong,
But too much wine and she left his bed at dawn,
And she thinks his name was John,

Now each day, is one day, that's left in her life,
She won't know love, have a marriage or sing lullabies,
She lays all alone and cries herself to sleep,
'Cause she let a stranger kill her hopes and her dreams,

And all her friends, say what a pity what a loss,
And in the end, when she was barely hanging on,
All she could say, is she thinks his name was John,
She thinks his name was John

AARP

Can someone please explain why I got a letter from AARP saying, "Our records indicate that you haven't yet registered for the benefits of AARP membership, even though you are fully eligible"? I mean, I'm 29 folks...I think you have to be 50 to join AARP, right? I mean, I felt crappy enough about turning 29 (meaning 30 is right around the corner), but then I get this letter? Come on! Tell me this was just a cheap shot at me...please!

What do you think, should I send my registration in? That'd be funny.

I'm a Blogging Chick

Guess what! I'm a Blogging Chick now! What exactly is a Blogging Chick, you ask? Well, Blogging Chicks is a "women's only blogroll. There are Christians and non-Christians on the blogroll. There are women who use profanity (but not excessively) and there are women who don't. This is a diverse group of women, intentionally so."

Go on over and take a look at Blogging Chicks. You can follow this link if you'd like to join as well. You will see the Blogging Chicks blogroll on my sidebar now - you can scroll through and visit the blogs listed.

I'm so excited.

What American Accent Do You Have?

Makes sense, seeing as how I'm from Missouri!



Take the "What American Accent Do You Have?" Quiz

St. Louis Cardinals Apologize for Winning the World Series

If you haven't read The Onion before, you'd be completely confused as to what half of their articles are about - but The Onion has a staff of the most sarcastic writers in the world. So, just know that when you read something on The Onion, the truth is probably just the opposite of what is being stated. I love it though!

So, this morning I was browsing and found this article where LaRussa and the Cardinals apologize for winning the World Series and for not making sure the Tigers won it.

HIFRIGGINLARIOUS.

Sorry guys, I guess I lied about "no baseball talk" until April.

Letter I Wish I'd Sent

Bob, over at Letters I Wish I'd Sent, has done something that I think is hilarious and cathartic. He posts letters that he wishes he sent to the addressees - most of them are pretty much telling these people just how stupid and annoying they really are. I just thought of one I could send this morning.

Dear Lonna*,

I realize you take into account my allergic rhinitis to cigarette smoke when you come back from your smoke breaks. But, I don't know how to tell you that dousing yourself in White Diamonds perfume DOES NOT help the situation... it only makes it worse. Now, not only does my nose go into overactive drainage mode from the smell of cigarette smoke, my nose AND my eyes start running and then I sneeze until my nose is so stuffed up that I can't even get four words out without becoming severly winded - all because of that monstrously strong perfume.

I can't believe I'm about to say this, but can we just go back to having you smell like cigarette smoke? I may produce a little drainage, but with a box of tissues, it's a bit more manageable at that point.

Again, thank you for trying to think of me - I really do appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Mikala (aka Stuffy the Nose)

*names have been changed to protect the identity of the perpetrator

Political Correctness

Have we had enough yet? What is it with these people and Political Correctness? I was raised with “sticks n stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. What happened to that? Who gives a darn if someone calls a “little person” a midget? Or, if you call a female a “chic” or “broad”? Does it really matter? The negative connotations were applied to the terms by the people being described themselves - had they ignored it, the words wouldn't even be that harmful or hurtful.

Give me a break, we’re trying so hard to be politically correct with every step we take that we forget to be courteous, thoughtful and sympathetic! Can we just focus on actions instead of words spoken out of ignorance?

Taggage!

So, I was tagged by Skittles on my other blog, and I thought I'd go ahead and post this over here too - heck, why not? And, it's been quite a while since I was tagged, but to be honest, I forgot about it and then I found it again.

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up? Man, Skittles, you are right, those damn "Head on - apply directly to the forehead" commercials are hideous. But, the one person I'd love to blow up would be Donald Trump.

2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be? Britney Spears - I mean, seriously, was she ever really that good?

3. Who would you really like to just punch in the face? :0) A ton of people! But, if I had to pick one it would be the girl that is in the bathroom (at work) every day at 1:15 brushing her teeth and making a mess of the bathroom.

4. What is your favorite cheese? Nacho cheese!

5. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make? The Cuban Sandwich from Bahama Breeze.

6. You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex and it can only happen once. Who is the lucky celebrity of your choice? Oh, I've been dreaming about this - Colin Farrell! I didn't even have to think about it

7. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick? Jack Johnson.

8. Now that you’ve slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy cow, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it? Shoes!

9. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Hawaii - Man, I love that place.

10. Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do? Go to the beach and spend $100 on Lava Flows (a fantastic alcoholic beverage).

11. A demon rises out of Hell and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It is…? Jaegermeister.

12. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there? I would love to have lived in either the 30's or the 40's. If I were to travel back to the 30's, I would just watch Dizzy Dean pitch for the Cardinals - I wouldn't miss the 1934 World Series (which coincidentally was against the Detroit Tigers also). If I were to travel back to the 40's, I'd like to go to DC on December 6, 1941 and tell them that the Japanese are about to bomb Pearl Harbor the next day. Then I'd travel to Hawaii - I'd love to see Hawaii before it was a state.

13. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place? No automobiles! It will be like Mackinac Island - bikes and Nikes!

14. You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what’s the premise? Shoot, if I knew this, I would be rich and have my own show!

15. What is your favorite curse word? Unfortunately, it is the "F" word, I throw that thing around way more than any lady should.

16. One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything; they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do? Scream, run out and never look back. Spiders don't do anything to me and I have a severe phobia of them, so I'm guessing I'd be afraid of mummies standing around me doing nothing too.

17. Your house is on fire! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the item? Ummm...I'd say my family scrapbook.

18. The Angel of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. What do you do? I'd sit on the beach in Hawaii for half an hour.

19. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What’s it gonna be? Psychic or ability to see the future. And, if possible, can I get a spot on the show "Heroes"?

20. You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? I would experience the time from 10:30 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday, October 27, 2006 - we won the World Series and the feeling in that stadium at that time will be hard to experience again.

21. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Being kicked out of St. Louis University for skipping (have I mentioned how stupid I was as a teenager?).

22. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool stuff… you can move to anywhere else in the world! What country are you going to live in now? I would live in Germany.

23. This question still counts, even for those of you who are under age. Check it out. You have been eternally banned from every single bar in the world except for ONE. Which one is it gonna be? God, thank you for banning me from singles bars! I don't wanna go.

24. Hopefully you didn’t mention this in the super-powers question…. If you did, then we’ll just expand on that. Check it out… Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!! Whose house are you going to float to first, and be like “Dude, check it out… I can FLOAT!” I suppose I'd float on over to my parents' house because my nephew lives with them and he'd love to see someone floating.

25. The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier has given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which celebrity will you bring back to life? Jim Morrison

26. The Gates of Hell have opened, and Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person, etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back? My grandma, my mom's mom.

27. What’s your theme song? I don't know, why don't those of you that know me, tell me?

28. Who do you tag? Anyone and everyone.

Why Keggers Are Not Good For Recent High School Graduates

Okay, so after hearing from Jen regarding my railroad encounter, I decided to tell ALL of my embarrassing, drunken tales. Depending on how many are suitable for all eyes, I may have quite a few.

Below I will explain why the law dictates that you wait until you’re 21 to drink.

My parents held huge graduation parties for my brother and me after we graduated from high school. My brother’s party, which was held in June of 1989, went relatively well. Mine, on the other hand, wasn’t so pleasant – well, for my parents and me anyway. I graduated from high school in June of 1995 and my party was held that same month. I was smack dab in the middle of my wild phase and there were no signs of me slowing down. But, my parents promised me a party so that’s what I got. My parents ordered kegs, invited the entire family (extended family - 3rd cousins, great aunts - the whole shebang) and my friends as well as my brother’s.

I don’t remember if my parents allowed me to drink that night or if I just took it upon myself (which does sound like me). But, I really think my parents told me I could drink as long as I stayed home. So, just like all parties I usually attend, the party progressed while my blood alcohol content soared. My friend, Stephanie, who was pretty much my partner in crime during that phase, was going to spend the night at my house. Towards the end of the night we started to hang out with my brother and his friends more. Mind you, my brother and his friends were all 22 or 23 years old. Well, as the clock neared 1:30 a.m. my parents got ready for bed. My brother and his friends started talking about carrying the party over to his house (the one he shared with his girlfriend, Cindy – we’ll call this house Waterford). Well, I didn’t want the party to end for Stephanie and me, so I invited Steph and myself to their party. My brother said, “Ask mom”. So, I ran inside and asked my mom if I could go over to Waterford with my brother and his friends. Well, she said, “No”. But, if you’ve been following the story and my mindset at that stage in my life, you’d know that I wasn’t about to listen to that. So, I told my brother that mom said, “No” and my brother, in his infinite wisdom, said, “Well, you just graduated high school, you can make the decision for yourself”. Thanks Big Bro! So, Steph and I hop in the car with my brother and his friend, Rich. We run to the gas station to pick up more beer and then head over to Waterford.

When we arrived at Waterford, there were just a few of us left. It was my brother, Steph, Cindy, Angie, Rich and me. Well, we continued to drink and hang out. After drinking keg beer all night, I downed a bottle of Hot Damn, some Cinnamon Schnapps, some more beer, and then I moved on to Peppermint Schnapps to top off the evening. You all know the old adage, “Beer before liquor, never sicker. Liquor before beer, no fear”? Yeah, I learned that was actually VERY TRUE that night. I’m almost positive that if you would have taken me to the hospital that night, they would have diagnosed me with Alcohol Poisoning and pumped my stomach.

So, I guess around 3:30 or so, I started getting sick. Cindy, who is now an RN, tends to bring this up every now and then, we all have a good laugh and I end up feeling like an ass (but, whose fault is that?). **Note: My brother ended up having my first nephew, Zach, with Cindy and they are no longer together** Anyway, I ran to the bathroom to try to make it to the toilet before I threw up all over everything – unfortunately, I didn’t make it. I was so close, yet so far away! I threw up ALL over the bathroom. Poor Cindy had to clean it up. But, the scary part about this is that my vomit was actually black, yes black. Cindy told me that this meant I was bleeding internally – that can’t be good. But, after I prayed to the “porcelain God” for a while, I went back to the living room where everyone was still partying. I think I may have moaned and groaned while I went in and out of consciousness. Here is where things start to get a little blurry (go figure, I’m surprised I remember this much).

Just take into account that the rest of this story is “hearsay” as I don’t remember what happened. I was told that around 4:30, Angie, my brother’s friend that I got along with very well, decided it was time for her to go home. Apparently, I didn’t want her to drive drunk, so I followed her out to her car to plead with her to stay. I guess she wasn’t listening to anything I was saying, because she ended up leaving. Now, she was parked out on the street in front of Waterford (which happens to be the street name). Incidentally, Waterford intersects with a very busy road called Laclede Station. She was actually parked on the corner of Waterford and Laclede Station. I guess I was waaaaay too tired to walk all the way back into the house after she left, because I just fell asleep (okay, maybe I passed out) in the middle of Laclede Station. Sadly for me, everyone in the house was on the brink of passing out as well and didn’t realize what had happened (I was later told that they thought I went back to Angie’s house because they looked outside and didn’t see me – of course they didn’t, I was laying down!). So, while I was passed out in the middle of a busy road, two county cops came toodling by and picked me up. Apparently, my mom answered the door between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. and saw me with the county cops. The cops ask my mom if I was her daughter and I assume she shamefully replied, “Yes”. That’s when they advised my mom that they found me passed out in the middle of the road and that I was very lucky that I didn’t get hit. Man, they were so right. I just wandered in the door and to my bedroom where I quickly fell asleep.

I, completely, understand why the law states that you must be 21 to drink because, quite obviously, 17 isn’t the right age! I, firmly, believe you should be 30…but then, your partying phase would be too late in life and that might mess up careers and the like. Anyway, if your kids are scared to death of embarrassment, go ahead and let them read this story because I will tell you that incident was VERY humiliating. Regrettably, I must not have been frightened of embarrassment, because I continued to do REALLY STUPID & EMBARRASSING things for the next 5 years.

Looking back, I was a very stubborn young lady (if you could call me a “lady”). I was, and still am, the type of person that has to learn from her own mistakes. My parents tried talking to me millions of times; they tried telling me about their mistakes so that I could learn from them instead of putting myself through the same crap. But, like I said, I was too stubborn. I can’t say, I’d take back any of my experiences, but I can say they were awfully embarrassing. I feel like people that knew me then don’t respect me now because of the stupid things I did as a reckless teenager. If only I knew then what I know now, things would have been so different.

Oh well, I don’t know what incident I’ll write about tomorrow, but I know there are plenty to choose from. Linlee, any ideas?

Railroad Tracks

After reading Skittles' post about why she has gray hair, I thought I'd post my encounter with some active railroad tracks in the city of St. Louis. Skittles' post actually made me laugh out loud, but at the same time I thought of the horrible things that COULD have happened had her daughter not been smart enough to get out of the car when she did. I, on the other hand, was not the brightest when it came to safety - specifically railroad safety.


Now, if any of you know me personally, you'll know that I wasn't the easiest teenager to have - I caused my parents a LOT of heartache and stress. I'm guessing some of my antics may have helped in filling out my dad's full head of silver hair. To this day, I don't know what my problem was as a teenager - I guess I just wanted to have my fun and I didn't want anyone taking that away from me. Granted, none of the things I did were any fun in the end, but what did I know?

Anyway...on to the story.

It was sometime in summer, I was 18 or 19 and I was working at Dillard's in Crestwood. Now, if you talk to my friend Beth, these were the best times we ever had. It was a blast to work there since there were about 10 of us that hung out a lot. There was Beth (worked with me in Juniors), Erin (worked with me in Juniors), Kevin (worked in Electronics), Linlee (whom you all know, she worked in Cosmetics), Clint (worked on the dock), Dawn (worked with me in Juniors), Elena (worked in "Separates" - I can't really remember the name of her department, but I know it included "Separates"), Diane (worked in "Separates" and the other department that Elena worked in) and me (obviously I worked in Juniors). There were others, but these were the usuals. Most of these people weren't directly involved in this incident, but I thought I'd let you know who everyone was. Anyway...

One night Erin decided to have a party at her house because her parents were out of town. So, we all hooked up and ended up trotting over to Erin's house. I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure I drove Beth and Kevin to the party. At this party, there were several alcoholic and herbal refreshments and I was your usual teenage glutton. I believe everyone mentioned above was there except Diane - of course there were other folks there, but those were the only ones that worked at Dillard's (that I can remember - remember all the refreshments?)

Anywho, the night progressed as did my toxicity level! But, eventually, the night wound down and we all started getting ready to leave. I believe Beth ended up going home with someone else and I was still expected to drive Kevin home. Kevin lived in the city and I lived in the county (he really lived about 15 minutes from me and 30 minutes from Erin). So, Kevin and I drove the 30 minutes to his house (he drove us to his house so I had time to sober up a little). I dropped him off and I headed out. Unfortunately, the back way out of his neighborhood, which took you to the highway, crossed over some railroad tracks. Somehow I got my little Mercury Capri (this picture is of a car that looks just like mine did, I don't have any pics of mine here at work) off the paved road and down in the gulley that the railroad tracks ran through under the highway. Well, for some stupid ass reason, I thought I could get my car over the tracks and back on the road to the highway. Yeah, that didn't work out so well. The undercarriage of my car got stuck on the tracks - with all four wheels now off the ground. Naturally, I wasn't going anywhere, my friggin' wheels weren't even touching the damn ground! Ugh! **You should all know that this is very embarrassing and I have yet to live this story down - so it's difficult to share**

So, after about 15 minutes of me trying to push my car off the tracks (yes, an 18 or 19 year old girl was trying to push her car off the tracks) I decided it was time to call mom and dad. I got my mentally challenged self back into the car and I dialed the number - my mom answered. She had grown accustomed to my late night/early morning phone calls at this point and knew that something was wrong. The first thing she said was, "what's wrong?" I proceeded to tell her that I got my car stuck on the railroad tracks at Loughborough (under highway 55 - back behind the old Schnucks). She asked, "where are you now?" This is where my unadulterated stupidity comes in - I told her, "I'm in my car, why?" All I heard after that was, "GET OUT OF THE CAR!!!! THOSE ARE ACTIVE TRACKS!!!!" I, now scared to death, started crying and jumped out of the car. About the same time I jumped out of the car, a few city cops drove up. I was crying hysterically but through it, I TRIED to tell them what happened. Now, if I hadn't known humility yet, I surely knew it then as the cops immediately started staring at me and laughing. They knew I wasn't exactly sober and that I was just a county kid out of my element. I explained to them that my dad used to be a city cop and that he would kill me when he got there. After they found out my dad was an ex-city cop, they started treating me even better (this is why I like city cops and county cops not so much). They put me in one of their cop cars and called a tow truck (actually a wrecker was needed to get the car off the tracks). My parents finally arrived and the cops let me leave with them (after they explained the situation to my dad). The cops had to actually call ahead to the train company and have them hold back the two trains that were scheduled to pass through as my car was stuck on the tracks. Of course, my parents and I were extremely appreciative of their efforts and we thanked them profusely. Eventually that night was over and about 10 years have passed since - but I've yet to live it down.

So, now you all have a little dirt on me...use it wisely!

I Say Starve Her!

Okay, sorry guys, but I'm so GOSH DARNED PISSED I can't control myself! Read this and tell me this woman shouldn't be shot in the head! I just wish they'd get her in custody and then starve her for a few weeks - let her see what it's like to be dehydrated and starving!

What is wrong with people, I'm serious - I want to know! Tell me so I can fix it!

And, before you all say anything about the whole "St. Louis was named the Most Dangerous City in the Country" thing, this happened in Illinois - right across the Ole Miss.

H-A-Double L-O-W-Double E-N Spells Halloween!

Do you all remember that song? We used to sing it in Music class in grade school and I loved it! Lawd, I miss grade school and I miss music class, art class and school holiday parties the most! Maybe I should be a teacher - then I could make these memories for kids...but hold on, I have to rant for a few minutes...

It dawned on me this morning that Halloween just isn't any fun as an adult. I used to love Halloween, I mean who wouldn't love the holiday directly after their birthday? But, this year, I figured out that it's just another day for adults and that's a total bummer. We don't have costume contests at work (which would be totally cool if we did), we don't bob for apples, we don't do anything fun! Why? Because, as J would say, EVERYONE IS A STICK IN THE MUD!!!

Why are some schools and towns calling Halloween "Black and Orange Day"? Can you honestly tell me that a holiday in which kids dress up in costumes and run from house to house and ask for candy really offends someone? I mean, if it does - GET A LIFE!!!! When are people going to quit bitching just for the sake of bitching? I'm really irritated by this because my kids won't have the same Halloween memories I had as a kid. My grade school had a Halloween Night (I don't remember what it was called though) - they had games and booths set up, they had apple bobbin', they had a haunted house complete with spaghetti guts and grape eyeballs, they had costume contests - God they had it all! It was the best night. Now, I'm afraid schools will quit doing this kind of stuff because Joey's mom is afraid her kid will have nightmares because he crawled through the spaghetti gut and grape eyeball haunted house. Come on!! When are people going to quit turning their kids into PANSIES!!!????!!! I think it's utterly ridiculous. I guess I'll have to do all of it at my house for my kids because I don't think they should miss out on this stuff!

I mean, I was scared of everything as a kid - I mean, I was scared of Santa Claus for Christ's sake - and I wasn't traumatized by the school haunted house. Shoot, I wasn't even traumatized by Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhies or Michael Myers. GET REAL PEOPLE!!!

Ten Miyyion Dolla!

Okay, so technically speaking, I wasn't specifically tagged for this, but I like it. Jen had it on her blog and I grabbed it, she said I could - so don't yell at me for copying! It gives me a chance to go on about how I would NEVER hurt an animal! :0)

For ten million dollars, would you run over a dog with your car?
HELL NO!!!!! You could put a human and dog down and I'd run over the human! Yes, I'm an antisocial personality and should probably be in prison - but God, I love me some animals! I would LOVE to meet any person that would say yes to this, really...come on, show yourselves! I dare you!

For ten million dollars, would you cheat on your sweetheart with his / her best friend?
Nope, that'd just be weird from then on. Besides, don't they call sleeping with someone for money, "prostitution"?

For ten million dollars, would you allow someone to amputate both your legs?
Nah, I don't think so...I rather enjoy my legs!

For ten million dollars, would you frame someone you already dislike for a heinous crime?
Okay, Jen, here is someone you know that is saying, "yes" to one of these questions - but, yeah, I'd frame someone I already dislike for $10 million - why the hell not? Then I could send a postcard to "Post Secret" saying that someone is in prison for 20 years for something I did. Can you imagine the Karma attached to that? I'd be screwed, but I'd be rich too!

For ten million dollars, would you give up sex for life?
Is this a serious question?

For ten million dollars, would you spike everyone's drink with LSD at Thanksgiving?
Ummm...LOL that makes me laugh thinking about it, but no I'd never do it, not even for $10 million. But, I can see my mom and dad now..."Mikala, why does your face look like a Kaleidoscope?" LOL Oh man...funny stuff.

For ten million dollars, would you eat three big bowls of live spiders?
Nope - I am 100,000,000% positive on this one. I've seen Fear Factor too many times to not have thought about this extensively.

For ten million dollars, would you say really racist things in public, every day, for the rest of your life?
No...period.

For ten million dollars, would you answer a bunch of questions on your blog?
LOL I answer a bunch of retarded questions for nothing on my blog everyday - so of course, I'd take a cool $10 million! Hand it over beeotchs!

Baseball Talk Over Until April

Okay guys, baseball talk is officially over until April - well, I might talk about a few key trades when that starts, but we'll see.

Happy Birthday to me!! Happy Birthday to me!! Happy Birthday Dear Mikala!! Happy Birthday to me!! I will turn 29 at 10:11 pm tonight (I refuse to admit I'm 29 until 10:11 exactly). J and I went out to eat with B and L Saturday evening and we had a good time. B and L got me a baseball calendar for my desk (it's really cute, I gotta get a pic of it on here). It's red, it says "take me out to the ball game" on it, you stick the month and the numbers in the open squares and then there's a baseball sitting on top. Wow, I guess I never realized how hard it would be to explain this thing...but it's super cute! They also got me a red, sequined pen (I love pens)! THANK YOU GUYS!!

J left for Texas Sunday afternoon - he'll be gone for two months. I was kinda bummed that he had to leave for my birthday, but it's for work. I'll miss him a ton - our baby, Koko (puppy), already misses him. I had to buy a pre-lit Christmas Tree yesterday because I can't do all of that by myself. I have so much to do with our first house and the holidays and the fact that he's not here makes it all just that much more overwhelming. Oh well - I'll live, right?

Speaking of Koko, I've now realized that it's impossible to get a picture of this dog - she DOES NOT sit still long enough. I'm still tryin' though.

Let's see...what else is going on...I don't know, I have a couple memes I gotta do - as soon as I get caught up (my life was pretty much on hold for the NLCS and the World Series), I'll post my answers.

I guess that's it...for NOW.

2006 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!

First off, I know this is late, but my weekend was a little crazy!

OH. MY. FUHREAKIN'. GOD!!!!!

Okay, so, if you haven't heard by now, the St. Louis Cardinals won their 10th World Series in franchise history Friday night (second most World Series wins behind the New York Yankees and most in the National League)! The score was 4-2 over the Detroit Tigers. J and I had the BESTEST time in the world Friday night and if I could I would relive that night once every week. The last time the Cardinals won the World Series was when I was just turning 5 in 1982 and I don't really remember it. This one, I'll remember forever! Plus, it's the first time since 1923 that the Kings of baseball could celebrate in a new palace. That's definitely an awesome "housewarming" gift! I am a little hoarse this morning and have been since Saturday morning. I screamed so loud, I thought my vocal chords were going to jump right out of my throat!

First and foremost, Anthony Reyes started the World Series off with a win and I think he deserves some hoots and hollers! GO ANTHONY REYES!!!

You know what? I love that Albert Pujols didn't do everything on his own - it showed that we worked together as a team and didn't ride on his shoulders. But, he did make an awesome catch and release at first base Friday night. He rolled onto his back and threw the ball to Weaver (who ran to first) while laying on his back. It was a great play and I was so happy because at first I thought, "who is he gonna throw it to?" - I didn't see Weaver running to first. Fantasmo!


And, speaking of Weaver, how 'bout that guy? The poor guy was counted out by the Angels and replaced by his younger brother, Jared, when the Cardinals picked him up. I was so proud and happy for him since he was the winning pitcher of the clincher game! He was definitely a Dream Weaver that night. WEA-VER! WEA-VER! WEA-VER! I believe he pitched 7 or 8 innings that night - that's awesome for a World Series game. I would have loved to have seen him pitch a whole game, but he did so well, I guess they wanted to preserve that.

The above pic is Catcher Yadier Molina, Pitcher Jeff Weaver and Pitching Coach Dave Duncan before the start of the game.

Um, Chris Duncan (Dave Duncan's kid) kinda ticked me off, but I knew he wasn't much on the field - he's more of a bat for us. He dropped a few key balls - but we still won, so I won't rip him a new one....if we would have lost, that would have been another story. Yeah, he dropped this ball...I wish he would have just let Jimmy catch it, but oh well.

What about my man, Wainwright? Now, I'll admit that last inning was rough for me - but he did it, he pulled us through to win the World Series! I love that guy! He's such a cutie too. He's a great closer and saver, I hope we hang on to him - I think he could be great, and I don't want Izzy back!

After we won, where we sit in the left field bleachers, they had a good five minutes worth of fireworks right behind us and it was great - but impossible to scream over! I think I hugged about 15 strangers and even told a few people I loved them - but the truth is, I loved everyone that night. I even high-fived a Detroit fan, who was very gracious I might add. He stayed for the dancing and the partying, he even cheered. Oh yeah, it was Superman (you know, the guy that fell face first down the stairs on Thursday night)! Idiot.

Eckstein, whom I've nicknamed, "Little Man" (only because that's all anyone talks about when they talk about Eck), won MVP of the World Series and won a nice, yellow Chevy Corvette (his first new car ever). I believe he won because of a few key hits that we needed to win the games. He even broke his bat in Game 5 - go Little Man!



They had a parade yesterday, but I figure I didn't have to go since I was at the game and already saw the World Series and MVP trophies handed out after the game. Plus, J left for Texas yesterday. But, I looked around and found a couple pics of the parade, see below. Man, I love those Clydesdales! Beautimus! Look at all those people and our gorgeous, new stadium!


So, is Suppan (the guy in the black shirt) friggin' hot or what???? Hand him over!!!

I don't really know what else to say, because it's a whole 3 days later! But...

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

World Series Game 4: Cards 5, Tigers 4

GO CRAZY FOLKS, GO CRAZY! We did, oh man, we did. What an awesome game!

I am lovin' life this morning (well, except for the monstrous headache I have)! Last night was a great game. I must admit I was bummed when they were up 3-0, but I just snapped that mentality out of my head and said to myself, "we're gonna take this game, we have 6-7 more innings". And, boy did we take it! Yeah, it's only a one-run game, but a win's a win!

I think Detroit's Bonderman did a great job at pitching and I think Suppan did alright. I think he could have done better, but he sure didn't let it get messy - he controlled it. God, do I love Adam Wainwright. I am so comfortable when he walks out to the mound. I told J last night that I'm starting to feel as comfortable with him walking to the mound as I do when Carp is scheduled to start.

I'm not really in the mood to give you all a play-by-play of the game last night because it was too crazy. But, let me just say, Little Man (David Eckstein) came through last night and I was happy to see that. After he missed catching a few balls on the infield, I was kinda mad at him (J and I aren't big Eckstein fans). I told J that he owes us and the second I said that he doubled.

Preston Wilson had a big hit and an awesome catch - way to go Pookie!

Oh, and we were down 3-2 and I told the guys (J and the guys we sit around) that I was going to the bathroom so we could get a run. Apparently, we can only do something great when I'm in the bathroom and can't see what happened. So, I left and I swear I wasn't even out to the concourse when Eckstein scored on Rodney's error with So Taguchi. I knew if I went to the bathroom we could do this. We did!

Okay, I have too much of a headache to even think...but, let's see what else.

Oh, I have to tell you all about a Detroit fan that lives here in St. Louis and has St. Louis Season Tickets. He wore Cardinals gear all the way up until the World Series and then he started wearing his Tigers gear. Well, last night, when they were up by 3, he kept screaming that "the Supp [soup] is cold tonight"! I was boiling inside, but didn't say anything (I'm a sore loser and very competitive - I'll admit it). Then, shortly thereafter, when we tied it up, he started shaking up his bottles of beer and spraying them at us. I didn't really mind, but come on. Finally, when we were up 4-3, he was running up and down the stairs in the bleachers and went flying head first into the concrete. He didn't get hurt and I did feel a little better after that - isn't that horrible of me? I feel bad for even being that way, but that's me. Then, he came up to me and said, "did you see me wipe out? I was like Superman" - ooookay. In the end, I think he slightly spoiled a few friendships with those of us that have season tickets around him. The reason I say that is because he broke/ripped the hat (a 1982 World Champions hat) of the guy that sits next to us. They all say it was an accident, but still. Oh well...I'll get over it and I'll be chit chattin' with the guy tonight - maybe.

Dusty Baker, the ex-Cubs Manager (so obviously a rival of ours), is a Sports Analyst and he was there with Chris Berman of ESPN. He sat directly above us in a pressbox type thing. He kept standing up and waving - we were giving him so much crap, I find it hard to believe he couldn't hear all the comments. I guess that's his problem. Oh, and, it was great because when we turned the game around and started winning Chris Berman was all swinging his imaginary bat, clapping, waving his arms and cheering for the Cardinals. I love it! J has a certain fondness of Chris Berman because, back in the old stadium (before I met J), Berman gave him the nickname "Mr. Balloon Head". Apparently, J was at a game (which we actually have this all on video) with his frat buddies and went diving into the "grassy knoll" in the right field bleachers to catch a ball. Now, you know those balloon hats that clowns make for kids at birthday parties? Yeah, J had one of those on when he dove for the ball. When he came up from the "grassy knoll" with "Balloon Head" still intact, Chris Berman started calling him "Mr. Balloon Head" on the news and ESPN. I believe it was on TV a few times. Maybe I can get the video online somehow and I'll load it on here. Anyway...I may have rambled too much today and I've left you with too few pictures...so I'm headed to lunch.

GO CARDS!!!!! GO WEAV!!!!! DREAM WEAVER GET US THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!