MILK

All I can say is go out and see this movie this holiday weekend! Borrow a car....take the subway....hail a cab....walk or run....to your local theater!

It will inspire you.

It is easy for some to take for granted the struggles that we face as gays or lesbians. We know that there are people out there who hold much hate and disgust for us but as long as we live in a our cute little cul de sac where everyone loves us......we are not impacted by that "noise". Some of us continue to go on without reeeeaallly knowing what some chosen individuals did in defense of our lives today. They dared to step out there and say......"We will not be treated as second class citizens or as the dirt underneath your shoe. We DO matter and watch how we - together - can change life as we know it!"

Lyn and I left the theater last night ready to pick up a protest sign and march somewhere....anywhere.....in the rain. Harvey Milk came and conquered.....again.

This movie will recruit and revitalize you.

So this is Christmas.....

Wow....what a day.

After an early morning rise, I started my day with my Dad and breakfast. I chose to cook again this year because this was a new tradition that my brother and I decided would be a good idea last year. So I was determined to keep up the new tradition and kept the menu to a minimum since I was the chief cook and bottle washer.

Then....on to Mom's for more food. This meal was more filling than the first and I was glad to see this "last meal" coming to tell the truth. The last 24 hours - including Christmas Eve - has been one big food fest leaving me in a sizable food coma. I have summoned just enough energy to blog this evening. Actually....I was hoping that a little more activity would allow me to work off a few calories.

Lyn headed home with her family today and methinks that she is in a food coma now herself because my text messages since 6:30 have garnished no response. I think Fried Chicken was on her menu today. I have seen many o' women fall into a deep food coma after several helpings of Fried Chicken and all the fixins. If I get no response soon, I may have to go out in the backyard and send up a few signal flares so she can find her way home. I realize that drinking and driving is not a good combination, but a food coma is not something to take lightly!

Tomorrow will be a day of taking it easy and unwinding a bit. Cocktails and a movie sound like a really good plan. I have a feeling that it will also include a few trips to a local mall or favorite department store just to check out the bargains. Just typing that last sentence made the "non-shopper" in me scream out in angst......(sigh)

Enjoy the food coma while it lasts. Tomorrow is another thing entirely.......

Christmas gifts

As I sit here this evening and catch up on my blog reading, I am reminded of some of my "Christmas gifts past". Some of them I have conveniently forgotten.....I suppose it is better to just blame my old lesbian memory, but there are some Christmas' that I just simply can't remember what I received from my significant other at the time. I am sure that they were all fabulous - the correct size, color, shape and blinked, beeped and buzzed. I'm sure that I was thrilled with each and every one of them.

I think.

I don't recall getting a "bad" gift per say. I mean....nothing sticks out in my mind as something that was just so wrong I will not only remember it in this lifetime but in the next three lifetimes. And, I am just as hopeful that in all of my years of bestowing gifts......I made sound decisions. Again....no recollections of gifts being hurled back in my direction or loud wailing cries from significant others.

I have always thought I was more of a receiver than a giver, but after recollecting on "Christmas gifts past", I am not so sure. I love buying for other people and seeing the joyous expressions on their faces when they receive something fabulous! That makes me feel wonderful!

This season is about giving, but in order to give.....someone has to receive. This leads me to my question this evening. What makes you more happy - giving or receiving?

Are you serious?

Ok....before I get to the "meat" of this posting this evening......read the following news story and meet me back here.

http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story/Underwear-Researcher-Pleads-Guilty-To-Abusing/9rywkkBBckOZoIRjZW3O8A.cspx

Yeah. I only have one thing to say about this.....Do the parents of these children NOT share some of the blame here? I mean seriously......they allowed their children to be take to a separate room while this strange guy took pictures of them in their underwear!

How many times do we have to watch this stuff on the news and read it in the paper before we allow ourselves to be suspicious of these type of circumstances? Could these folks be so greedy - "Oh my child could be the next big time model or the next Hannah Montana" - that they would want to take this kind of risk?

It is this type of stupidity that just leaves my mouth open in amazement.........

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes today is the day!

As some of you may know, Thanksgiving Day has always been a huge cooking day for me. This was my big day to prepare a feast for my family! This year I came to the decision that with my recent loss of my brother Paul that I just could not bring myself to prepare "the feast" with the same fervor as past years. So where does that leave me?

It leaves me assisting Lyn with her turkey day preparations of course! She is heading north as we speak to eat with her family with turkey in the trunk and a fabulous container of Cranberry Pomegranate sauce! The cranberry sauce was my contribution. I must tell you that I was sorely tempted to add a little vodka to the mixture since the sauce sounded more like a martini. What a surprise that would have been to a Baptist family! It turned out remarkably well despite the big mess it left in Lyn's kitchen. I will likely make it again when I cook for my friends on 12/14 and then.......it will be a spiked sauce!

Tonight I am heading out to the outlet mall at midnight to get a little Christmas shopping done. Yes....it opens at midnight and it is packed with people! It is very fun and if an outlet store is open near you at midnight tonight I highly recommend that you go. What else are you doing tonight besides nursing a food coma?

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today. This day probably has more meaning for me than any other for I am profoundly thankful for all of my friends and family that have been hovering close by for the last 6 weeks. If I could name them all here I would but then I would miss most of this day!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I think I killed Rudolph

Yeah.....I am hoping that I am wrong. The night of the election I was on my way to Lyn's house when a deer ran into my path. I am usually vigilant for them since I live in an area where the deer abound and frequent my backyard on a daily basis. And yes.....I have been known to feed them from time to time as they bring their young into the yard. Ok....I am softie.

End result of the little collision.......$1616.00.

My only consolation is that there is now a deer in Northern Kentucky who can truly light up the night's sky because he has a headlight permanently attached to his head.......

No V-Necks Need Apply

Rita's favorite season is fast approaching. This weekend she's gone headfirst into her HSN/QVC browsing mode. Sunday Morning on CBS? Hmmmmph. I'm blogging to the sounds of some bubble-head doing her best to sell Rita a pressure cooker.

Seriously. It's like crack to her. And what's even odder -- SHE HATES TO SHOP.

I, of course, adore shopping. Just not via the tube.

I particularly like to gift those I love (and seek to dress in a style of my choosing) with warm, fuzzy, stylish sweaters.

Lands End and Eddie Bauer holiday catalogs send me over the edge.

A snazzy argyle. A fine cashmere. A thick, chunky, handknit import from the British Isles.

One of my favorite post-Holiday shopping activities is to peruse clearance tables piled high with men's sweaters. I have several lovely steals from the local Gap outlet that I wear as a coat until 'real' winter arrives.

So you can imagine my reaction the first time I presented Rita with one of my bargain finds for herself -- a lovely V-Neck shetland in a fabulous soft gray green.

She didn't shriek or run away -- but it was a decidedly mommie dearest decree -- no v-necks. Ever.

That almost ended the relationship before it began.

But I don't give up.

Rita will be the first to tell you I'm a strong believer in assimilation.

Each and every Fall when the catalogs start arriving I try again.

"Isn't it lovely? It's a shallow v, not really noticeable."

"Well, with a turtleneck under it it's not really a v-neck."

*sigh*

One last shot over the political bow!

Wow....how time flies! Here we are.... the night before the biggest and most sought after Presidential election any of us will ever remember! The two candidates have been chosen and we have heard the rhetoric from both sides for the last four months. I am tired of hearing the commercials, the bickering and Sarah Palin. I think that is the correct order for all three of my pain points.

My goal is to vote for Barack Obama tomorrow. There is not an argument out there that can now convince me that I should vote for the old Maverick and his pup. A maverick is defined as follows:

1. an unbranded calf, cow, or steer, esp. an unbranded calf that is separated from its mother.
2. a lone dissenter, as an intellectual, an artist, or a politician, who takes an independent stand apart from his or her associates.
3. (initial capital letter) an electro-optically guided U.S. air-to-ground tactical missile for destroying tanks and other hardened targets at ranges up to 15 mi. (24 km).

Feel free to choose any one of those definitions that appeal to you most.

I am of the opinion that I don't want a lone dissenter who has the temperament of a guided missile in the White House. We have not had the good fortune to see him "blow up" on the campaign trail, but we have all heard of his reputation. We do not need someone who is more volatile than Dubya. We do not need someone who takes the lone road because he wants to make the lone decision because he is feeling "mavericky". If he is elected, do you not think he IS going to take things into his own hands? He will because he has been telling us for the last year that he is exactly that type of guy. He goes it alone if he has to and bucks the established practice.

Wow.....great way to reestablish those NATO allie connections that have been incinerated by Dubya for the last eight years. We are a country that needs its allies and those connections need to be reconstructed by someone who has the ability to reach across the table and work with others. Not someone who is a lone dissenter.

Around the world, third world countries not only have our jobs (I have seen what outsourcing can do) but also hold our IOU slips because we've had to borrow money from them. It is time that we hold major corporations responsible for sending those jobs overseas and leaving us without good jobs. I am not talking just about manufacturing jobs here, but IT jobs as well.

It is time for us to take back the "America" brand and image. It is time for all of us to unite together and move forward as a united front and not a divided country. Do you not think that the rest of the world knows that most of the American citizens can't stand their President or what he stands for?

Tomorrow I am voting for Barack Obama because he represents real change and a fresh perspective on what it takes to bring us to the table as a united front to the world. He represents my views and my philosophies in my personal life. It is not about one issue - "the Gay issue" - its about several issues. It is about my confidence in the person and his abilities to lead this country.

I cannot take the chance on John McCain. His choice of VP should have been clear to all of us that his judgement is in serious question. If I have to question his judgement on his VP selection, I have to worry about what other decision this "maverick" will make as he picks up the phone at 3am. I don't want him making a off-the-cuff decision at 3am that could cost me my life and my pursuit of happiness.

No thanks John McCain. You are just not worth the risk.

Here I am

In case you all thought I have vanished into thin air I thought I would check in to prove that this blog is still very much an active thing for me!

In the last few weeks I have been dealing with a very sad family issue. I lost my brother Paul on October 16th at the young age of 40. I'm not going to get into many details but it was an accident that didn't need to happen. It took a very funny, charming and well mannered man from my life and the life of my parents. Lots of great things have been said about him over the last few weeks and the outpouring of support from people I have never met (at his funeral) was overwhelming.

We have been left shocked and dismayed by this loss and are taking things one day at a time. I have watched my mother exude a personal inner strength that I would have never imagined she would have during a time such as this. I have to believe that he is in a better place and that provides me and my family with great comfort during this time.

I have been back to work for the last two weeks and it has helped to preoccupy my mind and renew my spirit. It is nice to be able to come back to the blog and write a few things again.

It is time to regroup and learn to adjust to the "new normal" in my life. There will be good days and bad days but I know that while my mind and heart will not forget in time I will learn to reconcile with it as I move forward.

Debate Suggestion

Just a random thought I had today about the presidential debates. Wouldn't be interesting to have the ladies from "The View" moderate one of the debates? Barbara Walters could stand by and ensure that everyone - including Whoopi, Sherri, Joy, and Elizabeth (yes even her) - stay within the designated timeframes.

Now there would be some down to earth, heart and soul questions to both candidates. A far cry different than what we will see from Bob Schieffer tomorrow night.

(sigh) Is this almost over?

"Double Talk Express"

The latest article about McCain from Rolling Stone magazine this week. He can't seem to make up his mind...........

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/23316955/the_doubletalk_express/

Laundry

You can learn a lot about a person by how simple tasks are performed around the house. I think that it can be enlightening actually. I learn more and more about Lyn as each year goes drifting by.

Case in point......laundry.

Now I will admit....I am not the Martha Stewart of the laundry room but I am learning thanks to her lovely book. However, I do know the basics and there is simply one function for which my attention span drops dramatically - Folding. After spending one morning emptying Lyn's dryer of clothes and learning what her previous partner did for her when it comes to folding......I have decided that "Folding" should be a salaried position. That's right, I said salaried.

Apparently, women in the past have neatly folded clothes, placed them in neat little stacks awaiting for their master to pick them up from the laundry room. I also believe - although this was disputed - that the clothes were placed in color coordinated stacks in alphabetical order by color.

I could go on about the "proper" clothing drawers and the placement of particular clothing items in each drawer but I think you get the idea here. I obviously need to attend a local "Laundry Anonymous" meeting to correct my laundry deficiencies! I cannot possibly live up to the expectations of "Partners Past" after living solo for the last 12 years. The expectations are enormous and equally rivals the mountains of laundry in a blended household!

Hello....my name is Rita............

Saturday morning ramblings

Ahhhh.....Fall is here my friends! The much cooler nights here in the Ohio Valley have been a welcomed sight for my AC unit. We seem to have much shorter periods of Fall these days. Thanks to the recent hurricanes and the windstorms that it brought to the Midwest and the NE much of the pretty trees and their leaves didn't stand much of a chance. Today I am going to begin a little yard cleanup in preparation for winter. I have been told by two sources who follow the Farmers Almanac religiously that we are in for a bad winter. I don't know whether to believe it or not but it does lead me to think about getting a snow blower.

• How about OJ Simpson? Thirteen years to the day of when he was "pardoned" for killing his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman, he receives a guilty verdict in Vegas for Armed Robbery and Kidnapping. Apparently the sentence - even if it is light - could keep him in jail for much of his remaining days. I don't know if it brings much solace to the Goldman/Brown families since they wanted him to pay for the murder of their family members many years ago but the fact that his verdict arrives exactly on the day 13 years later is freaky to say the least. It might be the "ghost of Christmas past" coming back to haunt him in a very real way.
• Ok....has everyone finished reading their copy of the Bailout Plan? Anyone? Apparently the only way they could get some of the H of R folks to vote for it was if they added some "fat projects" of theirs to the bill. So now we are paying for other stuff that isn't relevant to the bailing out of Wall Street. I did check the bill to see who didn't vote for it in my area - Congressman "Comb-over" Chabot voted No. The thing about this bill is no one reeeeaallly knows if it is going to work out or not. They are taking their best stab at it. Kinda like adding Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket.......
• Speaking of the good Governor from Alaska.........I thought she had a good night at the debate as well as Senator Biden. Let's face it - either of these candidates were capable of turning this debate into a real nightmare! Thank God for 5 days of debate prep and 35 years of Congressional experience to keep everything in line. I compare Sarah Palin's efforts to her Republican Convention speech. She had a binder of information at her podium and since she can read well.....she had no problem following along. "Joe" as Sarah Palin likes to call Senator Biden did a lot of smiling during the debate and I am still trying to figure out if this was his way of belittling her comments or if he was simply thinking...."Wow...she is an attractive woman when she taunts me like that."
• Hooray! to Tina Fey's impressions of the great moosehunter! It should be another lively SNL session tonight!

This has truly been a lively week all around and I know I could ramble on a few more topics but then I would miss my chance to cleanup the yard. Ugh! Everyone have a great week!

TA TA!

I'm voting Republican

Not! But the video is fabulous!

Halloween

I know it is a bit early to start talking about October 31st but what a fantastic way to get ideas for costumes! What got me started on this today is the fact that my new job actually allows their employees to dress up for the day. I can't even imagine such a privilege since my old job had no conception of providing such fun to their employees. Apparently, my new employer embraces such fun and frivolity amongst the staff and I must say I find that refreshing!

This year's theme (yes....they even have themes!)..........the Undead.

Now the first thing that popped into my mind when I heard the theme was Thriller. The classic example of a video full of "Undeads". It is a zombie freeforall. A quick trip to the Goodwill/Salvation Army store and I can find a plethora of interesting clothes to cut up into rags to remake my image into the perfect zombie! What fun! I am absolutely giddy with the idea of dressing up for work. I am not sure why that is but maybe it is because I really never had the opportunity in the last 18 years to do so at work.

As soon as Lyn heard of our theme.......she immediately thought I should dress up as John McCain. I think it is suiting since he has one foot in the grave anyway but because I have only been at this position for less than a month..........I don't think it is wise to throw any political jabs at my co-workers just yet. There will be plenty of time for that later when Obama wins and the Democrats take even more control of the House and Senate.

So are any of you afforded the same opportunity at Halloween? If so.....what are your costume plans? It's not too soon to start shopping at your local Halloween costume shop. The makeup and masks go quick folks so you better get shopping!

Booooo!

Political comparisons

I do hereby promise that once we have elected whomever we elect as our President I will not write a political blog for at least three months after the election.

With that said.....I couldn't help but pass along the recent political fodder. If you are offended in anyway, it is what it is.

More facts can be found at http://www.factcheck.org/.

* If you are born in Hawaii, raised by your grandparents in Kansas, you're 'exotic, different.'
* If you grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, you're a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack, you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
* If you name your kids Willow, Trig and Track, you're a maverick.

* If you graduate from Harvard law School, you are unstable.
* If you attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded.

* If you spend 3 years as a brilliant community organizer, become the first black President of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you don't have any real leadership experience.
* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, then you're qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.
* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a Christian.

* If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system, while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's.
* If you're husband is nicknamed 'First Dude', with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

Chainsaw Massacre

Coming soon.

Rita's got some tree damage thanks to Ike's mid-western swing. I have missing shingles and a demolished plant or two on the deck, nothing requiring serious labor.

If you've got a chainsaw and a spare Saturday, Rita's buying the beer. Bonfire to follow.

If she can find the fire pit.

Women Against Sarah Palin

What a refreshing blog! Pass it along!

http://womenagainstsarahpalin.blogspot.com

Diet angst

I have recommitted myself to the South Beach diet plan. Of course I am feeling the "support" from Lyn to recommit as well. And she is right....I have packed on a few pounds and I need to get back to a proper fighting weight. "I am a healthier Rita" I tell myself. I tell myself that a lot. Let me emphasize the word a lot.

So now I am blogging so I can resist the urge to have a snack that will leave me feeling incredibly guilty tomorrow. I know I know....it is only day one of my recommitment. Diets are hell people! If a Jeanie would appear to me right now and grant me one wish, I would ask for the ability to eat whatever I want and not gain any more weight. Wouldn't that be grand? We ALL know women like that don't we? They can sit down and eat a large pepperoni pie with a pitcher of beer and still slide into a size 10. I hate those people.

I have never seen a size 10. Ok.....wait...I have seen it but I think I was in the 8th grade. Those days flew by me so fast I don't even remember sizes! EEEEEK!

I realize that there is really no easy way to lose weight. No matter what road you take in regards to your weight loss plan. Healthy food choices are a must if you stand a chance in hell to ever seeing something close to a size 10.

So pardon me for my dietary angst this evening. I am trying to get back on track and it just ain't an easy road. In the long run I know I will feel better. However, just know this, if you leave me alone in a room with your plate of nachos, cheesecake, chile con queso, pizza or a pot of clam chowdah........you do so at your own risk.

Fellow Navy POW speaks about McCain

Alaska blog recommendation

Just had to recommend this blog to my readers this afternoon. Fresh perspective straight from Alaska. It was highly informative and entertaining!

http://mudflats.wordpress.com/

Now I understand.....

why men of either party would vote for John McCain just because of Governor Sarah Palin.

She has the whole "naughty librarian" look going on. We may lose some lesbian votes on these pictures alone.

Veeps - Part 2

Wow.....what an interesting choice John McCain made today for his VP. The door is now closed on the whole "experience" discussion with this choice. He has chosen the Governor of one of the least populated states in the union - Sarah Palin. This is probably the best he can do at the moment.

A couple things that I just can't let go here.

1) If he thought he was going to get the women vote because he has a woman on his ticket, it is an insult to women everywhere. We are simply not going to vote for her just because she is a woman. She is NOT the right woman. She pales in comparison to Hillary. EEEEK!


2) How can she relate to mainstream America in the other 48 contiguous states? How does a Governor from Alaska relate to the struggles of Americans in Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis or Dallas? Alaska has a very specific demographic and I don't think she can relate to some of the issues that are occurring down here.


3) She has been governor for two years and they are trying to play up that she has "executive" experience. Ok......Obama hasn't governed a state but he has real world experience in a state government system - 8 years that oversees one of the largest cities in our nation. Plus the fact that he is currently in Congress. A two year governor?? Ok....I am going to say this......even Dubya had more experience than that!


4) Personally....she is an avid hunter and a snowmobiler. Avid hunter appeals to those in the NRA but I haven't heard any Democrat say that they are taking our guns away. As far as snowmobiling, she can probably drive and shoot at the same time. Sorry folks.....that is the best I can salvage from that one.


My two cents on this pick. Overall......I really like it! What a fabulous way to ensure that a Democrat walks into the White House in January!

Germania

Oh what fun we have every year in August at Germania. We have a few Octoberfests around the Cincinnati area but this one clearly is the best. Crowds are small, the food is authentic and the beer is cold!

Some of the highlights:

They have a festive beer hall........



A lively and fiercly competitive Tug O' War competition is held featuring local fire/police departments, German organizations and of course the Ancient Order of Hiberians (the Irish). The picture below are the teams parading through the festival grounds.




Of course.....there are shots of Jager and Schnapps! The Jello Wench thoroughly enjoyed herself today!







And last but not least, it is worth mentioning the Wagon of Cheer! This is always popular for those who are feeling lucky! If there isn't something in this wagon that you care to drink......you don't even need to be at this festival!






All in all it is a good way to end the Summer on a positive note.......now where is my stein?

Drink Up, the Summer Wind Down Has Begun

It's downright steamy this weekend.

Today we'll be joining Jello Shot Wench and assorted others for what's become a tradition -- lesbian invasion of the local Germania Society Oktoberfest. It's the first 'official' of umpteen Oktoberfests here in the Zinzinnati area. And yes, it's held in August. It's followed two weeks from now by the Main Strasse Oktberfest in Northern Kentucky, then a week or so later by the really big and much-too-crowded big one downtown.

Germania is a hoot for a couple of reasons. It's GREAT people watching -- old men in lederhosen, family guys pushing strollers and juggling giant steins, and whiny kids begging for food not involving sausage or sauerkraut.

And then there are the activities -- personal favorites include buying raffle tix for the wagon-of-cheer (booze), betting on the rat-in-the-hole game, and the high camp tug-o-war between the local German societies and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. (Go Irish!) Seriously, the opening ceremony for the tug-o-war includes a parade, flags, the works -- it rivals the Olympics. But with more beer.

Rita will post pics in a later post, if the camera can be properly focused. Until then, what sorts of local festivals are must-attend events in your city?

Veeps

Here we are the night before Obama makes his big VP announcement tomorrow. Who will it be? Biden, Bayh or some guy I have never heard of from Virgina? I am pulling for Joe Biden myself. I have always liked the guy's tenacity and posture during Senate debates and the Democratic debates. He's been around the block or two and clearly has some things he liked to say about presidential hopeful John McCain. He would bring a balance to the Democratic Nominee scale.

As for "McPain", I keep hearing that his buddy ol' Joe Lieberman may be his front runner. Joe doesn't do much for me. In fact, if this is the best McPain can do in choosing a running mate someone may as well turn out the lights in the dance hall because dance is over. I mean.....we keep hearing he needs to choose someone who will shake things up but I don't think this is the guy. This isn't a run for the AARP head offices - it's a run for the Presidency.

Either way........we will all know how these campaigns stack up in the next 10 days. Once we know, the polls will run rampant, debates will begin and every newscaster on television with a inch of breath left in him after the Olympics will have an opinion.

Summer is really over folks. They have us where they want us - sitting right in front of our TV's with nothing else to do........

Katie Reider tribute

Last night a benefit was held in Cincinnati by WomenOutFront at the Below Zero Lounge to raise money and support for Katie Reider's family. As you know Katie lost her battle fighting a rare tumor last month at the young age of 30. Local area tri-state musicians were on hand to pay tribute to Katie by playing her music and celebrating her life through her songs.


Wicked Daisy














Perfectly Equal

Frozen Feet

The raffle and silent auction contained a wide variety of donated items for folks to bid on.

Oh yeah.....and there were Jello Shots.......sold by the Jello Shot wench.

Katie's father, Rob Reider, and her partner Karen Reider were also on hand last night to listen to the bands pay tribute. All of the proceeds gathered last night will go to Karen and her children to help pay some of the bills that were accumulated during Katie's fight. All in all it was a very nice evening remembering someone so talented and special.

See the video attached on this blog to hear Katie remembered by her family at her memorial service held last month.

Resigning with flair

I guess anyone who has resigned from a job has mentally positioned themselves the night before on how it will happen and what type of emotion they will let leak out. If you are leaving a position for your best interests, you don't want to appear too happy yet you don't want to look like you are attending your best friend's funeral. I mean.....you don't want to burn any bridges so skipping out of your boss' office might be a bit carefree. After all.......you didn't win the lottery......you still have to work for a living. Leave the skipping for the big Powerball win.

Tomorrow, I will turn in my resignation to a company where I have worked for over 18 years. It kinda feels like a marriage after all this time. In this case, this is a separation that needs to happen for me. I have lost confidence in the executives leading "the cause" and I have waited around much to long for my next promotion. I am not a slacker by any means and I am packing up my toys (aka. experience) and moving on to another playground - one that is a bit smaller and less crowded.

After 18 years.....you get to know a lot of people and you have a groove that you settle into. There are people who I will miss and there will be people who I would much rather forget. In the same regard I am sure there are some who will feel the same about me. Either way, I am making a move at a time in my life where it feels absolutely right. It's now or never - Eat or be eaten. Those who know me well know that I always enjoy a good meal.

So tonight it is about formulating my thoughts and measuring my words so I that can leave this company respectfully. I am closing this chapter in the book of my life. No hard feelings.......it's just not working for me anymore.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply lay down the pen and walk away...........

Olympic Games

If we can get past the fact that the Olympic games are being held in one of the smoggiest most repressed nations of the world just for a minute........let's play word association.

When you hear the word Olympics...........what is the first thing you that comes to your mind? Besides......."Oh God...not two weeks of pre-empted television programming!"

When I hear "Olympics" the image that comes to my mind immediately is Mary Lou Retton taking the Gold medal in the Women's All-Around in LA in 1984. No snickering in the back row! I was 18 that summer and the images of Mary Lou hitting the Vault and landing it - stick right in my mind. I think that was the first Olympics where the United States actually had a fighting chance in gymnastics and Mary Lou did America proud that Summer. (see video on the right side of this blog in case you forgot)

Maybe its generational for some folks. Maybe you remember Wilma or Nadia or Katerina or Mark Spitz or Kerri Strug. Maybe you remember the Olympics because you actually got to see them in person! I have to admit I would like to do that myself one day. It will probably cost me dearly but to see one event would be fun.

So good or bad.........when you hear "Olympics" what comes to mind for you?

Mamma Mia!

Ok....Lyn and I went to see Mamma Mia! last night. If you care to read her take on the show....feel free. I found it to be a great movie!

Yeah ok.....I will freely admit that I do know some of the Abba songs word for word. I don't know why. I was turned on to Abba at the age of 17 and no one stopped me. So yes.....with the exception of three of the songs in the movie, I sang along.....quietly. I didn't stand up and dance in the theater aisle as Lyn would have you believe. I was quite entertained yet maintained my composure and didn't embarrass anyone.

Wendy....you were right....Meryl Streep gave a fabulous performance. After the movie I really took a moment and thought about when Meryl Streep gave a bad performance. (I wasn't a fan of her performance in Bridges - I thought her role as an Italian woman was a stretch) She looked like she had a ton of fun with this character. Everyone stepped out of the box to do their singing roles - even Pierce Brosnan - but that's what an actors do right?

I had been told if you were a fan of the Broadway show you would definitely like the movie. Well.....I had not seen the Broadway show but I was a fan of Abba music so I didn't think twice about seeing the movie.

If you want to see something that is as light and airy as a good chocolate mousse.......this is the movie for you. It is simply fun and lighthearted and is a good distraction from what the rest of the world has to offer at the moment.

The View

Just a quick post this morning about "The View". I am lucky enough to be working from home today so I am able to catch the show at its regularly scheduled broadcast time.

I love this show but after listening to yet another cat fight between the ladies about the presidential campaign, I have to ask..............can someone please send Elizabeth Hasselbeck back to Survivor island?

I am glad to see that it is not only Rosie who draws her ire on this program. She had Whoopi so worked up I thought she would simply flip the table and come out slugging.

Ohhhhh.....these disillusioned Republicans are simply causing me indigestion......

It's Friday!!!

This has been quite the week! So many things going on in my life and in Lyn's life that it has got me running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off. I am so ready just to grab a cocktail and sit back and relax.

The week started off by a big family weekend with visiting relatives. They only come home once a year and when they do everybody drops everything and starts making plans centered around them. So all week I have had random invitations to come to dinner, eat out, etc etc. You know how it is........someone close to you is on vacation for a week and the subtle (or not so subtle) expectation is that you will be as free-wheeling as they are for seven days. Nice in theory but the rest of us who have other responsibilities just can't keep up.

In the last month or so I have been entertaining new job opportunities and dealing with those negotiations have kept me distracted a bit. So it is natural that my family wants to know all about it every single day I see them. I just got to the point where I told my Mom - gently - don't call me I will call you. Ok.....that was paraphrased a bit but I just couldn't take one more morning call asking me if I had heard anything yet. Eeeeeek! I compare it to the child sitting in the backseat of the car saying "Are we there yet?" repeatedly. Who needs more anxiety on top of the command appearances at family dinners for the relatives that come home once a year?

One highlight of the week was that I had my brand spankin' new iPhone! Ahhh yes.....it arrived last Friday afternoon. Do I think it is all that and a bag of chips? OH YESSSS! I have downloaded some fabulous new applications from iTunes that keep me even more connected to the world that I ever have been before. Lyn has gotten her hands on the device as well and agrees that this really is one amazing little gadget. The best part about this is........this type of phone technology will only get better because of the iPhone's capabilities. Everyone wants to be bigger and better. Competition breeds better stuff my friends!

Lyn's little dog Bailey had a little overnight stay at the vet this week. All I can say is thank God there are emergency vet clinics where your beloved pet can get quick attention to their medical emergencies! They can happen to all of us and the upside to these emergency clinics is that you don't have to wait in line like you do at the human hospitals! Lyn was already concerned enough but if she had to sit in a waiting room for 5 hours it would have been reeeeaaally ugly. It looks like Bailey will be just fine and simply needs to have her diet adjusted. I have been warned that all treats - other than the crude, bland, lifeless dog biscuits - will be off limits to Bailey. This will take a bit of self-control on my part now because the dog has a certain level of expectation of me. Kinda like the relatives who come to visit once a year..........

Lastly...I received an email from a friend yesterday that outlined the Book of Revelations and how Obama may be the anti-Christ. Needlesstosay, she is a McPain supporter and would rather vote for McPain than cast a vote for Obama. Enough said on that one.

So this weekend it is about regaining life as we know it. Hopefully we will be able to get caught up on some movies. I hear The Dark Knight is great! I am hearing mixed reviews on Mamma Mia. I would be interested in hearing from someone who saw either one of these movies to get your reviews!

Turkey Poachers.

In my own workplace!

I figured this was good post for WTR -- Rita's been bitching that I haven't posted here lately. And this seemed appropriately humorous, even though when relating the tale to her earlier, she BLAMED THE VICTIM.

My workplace is cafeteria deficient. So there are several strategically placed 'culinary stations'. Some are more formal than others -- only one has a sink, for example. And one also houses the copier/printer machine, so it's not really terribly culinary. Or sanitary, I suspect.

I choose to store my foodstuffs in the fridge closest to me -- no sink in the area, but quite a nice parking lot view and a large table. The team which technically 'owns' this space is kind enough to let myself and one other marketing type share it, though this wasn't always the case.

Three years or so back, there was an admin on this team who took it upon herself to post 'fridge rules and responsibilities' on the door. With bold type and red underlines, it assigned responsibility for weekly cleaning, etc. She also, about the time she created the schedule, got wise to the fact that evil marketing person me was sneaking a bit of shelf space now and then. So she promptly posted another note indicating that she was polling her 'team' to see if 'they' were willing to let me use 'their' fridge. Heh.

At that time, the most I ever stored in the fridge was a bottle of water or a backup diet soda. So I sort of chose to ignore the cleaning schedule. These days, when lunch out of the office requires budgeting for both the meal and gas to get there from our restaurant-deficient 'hood, and when I try to adhere to a somewhat healthy/carb free weekday menu, I use the fridge quite a bit.

'Course, the fact that snarky admin is gone, taking her sign with her, and amazingly, the fridge is clean and welcoming, may also have something to do with it. And it's been a fairly peaceable relationship. Until today.

My turkey was poached. And I caught the poachers. Red-handed. About to pop open the little pack and build a sandwich. With my turkey. In front of me.

Now it's been a rough week so far. And I'd skipped breakfast because of a meeting, and was just getting to lunch about 1, after yet another meeting. I wanted that turkey. I had pickles as a side.

So I wasn't quite as subtle as I might have been. "Hey, that's my turkey," I announced, my eager little eyes spying it in John's hand.

"There's no name on it. Is it really your's?"

Now I like John. But he's pretty slight, and if challenged, and hungry, I'm pretty sure I could take him. But I opted instead for charm.

"But it's MINE. It goes with the pickles," I insist, turning to the fridge to show him where they all had been aligned, in a neat little row on the far left. "And the cheese.... hey, did you take the cheese stick too?!"

Apparently the tone of my voice was cause for alarm. John meekly held out the turkey. "I didn't see a cheese stick. Honest."

Thank god the pickles were safe.

So I'm relating this to Rita during the drive home. She suggested, quite seriously, that 1) I should put my name on my lunch, and 2) keep in it a proper container, not a pile in the corner.

Urrrgh. I gotta go label some cheese sticks....

Katie Reider 1978 - 2008

Many of you have read my posts over the last couple of years about Katie Reider. Recently I posted about her rare Myofibroblastic Inflammation tumor and her two year fight to beat the odds.

Katie's fight ended this morning shortly before 7am.

To say that this is a blow to those who admired and loved her is an understatement. Katie possessed a unique quality of being able to reach out and connect to her audience in such a way that you just couldn't get enough. She "oozed" something that drew you in hook, line and sinker.

She had so much life and vitality and so much to look forward to with her family and her career. She was just getting started and her popularity was growing. Katie was too young to leave this earth, but she blessed us all with her grace and presence and I consider myself lucky to have heard her perform.

Rest in peace Katie. We are all better people for having known you.

Katie Reider news story

Old men

I couldn't resist copying this from facebook and adding it to my blog. It really requires no further explanation on what America doesn't need.

iPhone Friday

Well....today was iPhone Friday! I arrived promptly at the store at 6:10 this morning. There were 21 people and a Chocolate Lab in front of me. (sigh) So I took a seat on the closest bench to my place in line and waited.

At 7 am, there were about 15 people behind me when the store manager came out and proclaimed - "Folks....I only have 20 phones today." (gulp) "Twenty phones?" we gasped, "Only twenty?" "That's right.....only twenty." he said. I started my count again of the crowd in front of me to make sure I was not wrong. I wasn't wrong. I was 22 - 23 counting the dog.

I shouted out to the folks in front of me - some of which spent the night in front of the damn store - "How many of you are actually buying a phone today?". Hands began to raise and some of those folks with them did not raise their hands. They were there for the thrill of this I suppose. I counted again - 5, 10, 14 and I was 15! I had a chance! Maybe I wouldn't have to order one and wait ten more days! My heart started beating rapidly and my mouth got dry.

"Ok".......said a gentlemen in front of me. "How many of you want the 8 GB phone and how many of you want the 16 GB phone?" The hands and the shout outs began again. There were ten people in front of me who wanted one of the ten 16 GB phones. (sigh) I would have to order one because I wanted a 16 GB phone and was not content in settling for something less.

Undaunted, I waited my turn in line from 8am to 9am and then went in and placed my order for a Black 16 GB iPhone. I even bought myself a nifty iPhone holder for my belt for when this new little toy arrives in 10 days.

Yes I know. Who stands in front of a store two hours before it opens? Well....I do, but at least I didn't camp out. Although.....if I had I would be blogging tonight from my iPhone and not from my PC. Who knew the store would only be given 20 phones? I was expecting them to get 50! From what I hear, the store I was standing in front of was one of the shorter lines. In Kentucky, the nearest store had 75 people standing out front and some of them started their "campout" at 5pm the previous day!!

Again.....ya gotta know me. I love electronic gadgets. It is an adrenaline rush for me to hold one of these iPhones in my hand. I break out into a sweat and my heart beats rapidly. This is the most exciting little gadget that I have seen in a long while. It can do some amazing things and it is truly fun to use.

So while I am a bit disappointed that it is not in my hot little hands right at this moment, I know that I only have to wait a little while longer to enjoy it. For those of you who were able to get one today, don't leave it lying around anywhere.....I have nine more days to go!

McStiff

You know I really don't want to pick on the man's mannerisms or his wife's cosmetic disasters but has anyone else noticed that John McCain cannot turn his head to the left or to the right? His whole body has to move in the direction of the where he wants to direct his speech.

You would think by now that he would want to project a more youthful (not possible) appearance considering he is running against someone who looks old enough to be his son. Combine his appearance with his "old world" philosophies and he really has a great losing combination.

Last one out turn out the lights on the old guy so he can go back to sleep...........

iPhone week

In the last few weeks I have noticed a huge spike in visitors to my blog. Primarily it was from folks looking for more information about the next iPhone release. Now that it is set to release on Friday, my site hits have dropped off.

What is it about technology these days that have people in a complete tailspin? I often wonder if society was this manic when televisions first arrived in stores. I mean....there were those who could afford one and those who could not but did people actually plant themselves outside their local department store just to wait for the store to open so they could be the first to buy one? Did it make newspaper headlines - 200 storm Sears to buy television

Of course, I don't know what those times were like since it happened well before I was born. I take TV for granted these days. I mean....B & W sets are my earliest recollection. In fact, my Pong game utilized a little set that we kept in the kitchen. Now Pong.....and Atari games are called "Classics" and are quite the fad to those of us who remember them fondly.

On Friday, I will be going into work a little later so that I can purchase my first iPhone. I can't say at this point if it will be my last iPhone because the gadget is sooo fun to use. I spent about 20 minutes in the store on Saturday trying out the previous version. I was tickled and completely in love with the thing. I am sure it was the same feeling felt by many others decades ago with the television.

Have any of you considered getting an iPhone? If so, why and if not, why not?

What's your carbon footprint?

I was curious so I checked out this website - http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx to see how badly I was contributing to the demise of our species.

I was amazed. My foot could eliminate a small city!!!!

Gas price death climb

In one of my very first postings in August 2005, the gas prices in the Cincinnati area were $2.55 per gallon and at that time I thought I had something to complain about. However, I also thought that we would be well over $5.00 per gallon by now so I guess I should be thankful that the prices have not jumped quite as quickly.

I had to fill up my two gallon gas can this week for my lawnmower. I don't know why but I winced more at the cost of filling up my 2 gallon can than I do to add 21 gallons to my Ford Sport Trac. Granted, it is costing me approximately $80 to fill up the truck but I think I am getting accustomed to the idea that it is going to cost me more to fill up my auto.

The latest story on the news this morning is that the airlines will likely begin pulling out of the smaller airports and concentrate their business in the larger U.S cities. This will lead to the closure of many of the smaller airports that some of us have been using for bargain flights. At some point, we will be left with fewer flight options which will lead us to other travel options outside of airplanes. Or we simply stop traveling......

My thought is, if gas prices continue their spiral upward, air travel will be something only for the elite - millionaires who could care less what it costs to fill up their Mercedes and Porsche. Strange as it sounds, there are people out there who make so much money they just have their "drivers" fill up the tank and give no thought about the cost. In fact, they probably don't ever see their credit card statements.

It all means scary times for you and me - the average consumer. I am not ready to give up my truck for a horse but it may mean alternative travel arrangements in the future to get where I want to go.

I very well may be one of those "spoiled Americans". I am not willing to stop traveling and stay home.

What is "Hot"?

After reviewing the Afterellen.com 2008 list of 100 "Hot" women as chosen by lesbian and bi-sexuals everywhere, I have decided to ask the question - What is "Hot"?

Now granted, "Hot" can include brains and looks but it was quite apparent to me that lesbians and bi-sexuals are just as guilty of taking looks into consideration first just as well as any hotblooded straight male. The top 100 list has a variety of women all over the cuteness scale - not one of them would be considered deficient in the looks department.

So who came in #1 on their list? Tina Fey. I gotta tell ya......she doesn't do anything for me. Granted, she is funny and witty and she can act but I wouldn't place her as #1 on a "Hot list". I was overjoyed to see that several of The L Word ladies made the top 10 - Sarah Shahi (Carmen) being one of them. Even after she has left the show....she only dropped two places in the chart.

Now I know you some of you may say....but Rita....you can see a beautiful woman across the room and be attracted to her, but then completely lose the attraction once you have a conversation with her and her 10 year old vocabulary. This is true. I would agree with that completely. However, looks are the first attraction apparently because Janet Reno didn't make this list.

Take a look at the top 100 list. Is there someone missing from that list that you thought should have been added? Excluding your current gf/partner, who do you find to be "Hot"?

Amtrak

Has anyone seen the commercials lately for CSX and how much gas it takes to actually run a train? It's something phenomenal like 1 gallon for every 90 miles. It is incredibly cheap travel. Too bad we gave trains the shaft after WW2 and opted for trucks and planes for our basic mode of travel and transport.

I have always liked train travel and have yearned to go on another train trip somewhere......anywhere. I have found it to be incredibly contemplative just sitting there looking out at the world completely lost in my own thoughts. The prices are fabulous too. For about the same amount as a plane ticket from Boston to San Francisco, you can have a room complete with a toilet, shower and meals free. Now I know what some of you are saying....."Rita I want to get where I am going as fast as I can". But what if you made time to not rush.........

Lyn is less than enthusiastic about train travel. Primarily I think it is because she will be "stuck" for hours on end with no running room. I am trying to convince her that this really isn't a bad way to go when you just want to relax and let everything go. I mean that is what vacations are about right?

The last time I was on a train it was 1989 and I went to Orlando with my Aunt Irene. Now my Aunt Irene is such a great traveler. She is game for anything. I guess that was also part of the thrill of my first train trip. The trip was my idea and of course she was all for it because it sounded fun. We sat in coach the whole time (I would definitely get a room today) and I spent hours looking out the window and imagining what was happening in all the little towns that we passed along the east coast. We had snacks and cocktails in the entertainment car. The food was good (by 23 yr old standards) and it was an all-around adventure.

I dream about taking a trip out to Seattle by Amtrak and maybe catching the Eurorail in Europe one day. I have visited the Amtrak website many many times checking prices....looking at timetables......plotting an imaginary adventure. With gas prices the way they are today.....I can better afford a train trip than flying or driving!

Maybe I am getting old and the idea of leaving the driving up to someone else sounds more than appealing.....but it is the cheapest travel around with nice amentities if you want them. With gas prices well on the rise, I am hoping that one day Lyn will decide that she might want to give this a shot.

Just once..........

Internet grumblings

In the last 10 days I have been suffering without internet access at home. At this point I still do not have my connection up and running but thank God I have friends who allow me to "hunt and peck" on their PC's.

It is in this period of "doing without" that I am reminded each and every time how poor customer service is with the local cable companies. For as much money as we provide them, you think that they could afford someone who works on Saturdays so that problems such as mine could be addressed quickly. You see....I need my access because sometimes my job requires me to provide assistance to other co-workers worldwide. I relayed that bit of information to the CSR (customer service rep) so she could reeeeeaallly feel my pain but she was obviously a veteran of her profession and handled my comments with an unmoving ice cold reserve that is only learned in the CSR bootcamps from hell. The end result - 10 days of waiting just to have to take a day off work to wait for the cable tech to arrive at my house between the hours of 8am to Noon or Noon to 5pm. This of course was my only choice in the matter. I guess she felt like she was giving me something.

The other really annoying thought about this whole thing is that this CSR was probably one of my own company's call center agents working for my cable company. Yeah....I don't think name dropping would not have helped in this case. It probably would have been handled with some other strategic maneuver beatened into the CSR in her early stages of bootcamp.

Thankfully I have not had to do without cable TV for the last 10 days. No problems in that department! I would have been a babbling idiot by the time the tech arrived at my doorstep.

Where is customer service these days?? Where is the human decency in providing outstanding service - going beyond the call of duty to provide quick problem resolution? (sigh) I know it is about "making a buck" but it gets kinda silly sometimes.

I just want my internet back! WAAAAHHHH

Pre-Pride Grumble

Heh. I'm in control of Working the Room this week. Rita has no internet, and apparently can't post from her Palm.

How cool is that? Control. A marvelous thing. Especially since my posts here have been, uhm, random.

But I thought I'd supplement Rita's June ramblings with my own pre-Pride ramble. Or grumble.
The oh-so-fab Cincinnati Pride fest shares this coming Sunday with Father's Day. For non-only children, this may not be an issue. For an only child with a devout Baptist father... it's a dilemma worth a grumble. Add in the cost of gas, and the fact that the festivities take place smack dab in the middle of a 75 mile stretch to the old homestead...

Sure, I could ask the Baptist deacon to skip church and join us for the parade. Or I could skip the parade -- my guess is it'll be particularly politician-laden this year. And what are my chances that Delta will be giving away Sky Miles and t-shirts given the state of the airline industry?

But that parade is really the only chance to see the 43% of the local glbt population who successfully hide the rest of the year. So I kind of hate to miss it. But I hate to miss Father's Day and too well-done steak with Dad even more.

None of this would be the dilemma it is were I not carefully alotting how this week's gas budget is to be spent. If that little twist weren't suddenly so front and center in my brain, something I'm blaming CNN for, btw, I'd go to Dayton Saturday night, we'd have an early FD dinner, I'd come home that night. Then on Sunday we'd go to Pride -- back across the river, 20+ miles each way from either my house or Rita's... again, not a big deal six months ago. Not even a big deal two months ago.

But damn Ali Velshy and his oil barrel on CNN every morning. I'm hyper-aware of my gas tank and my wallet, and the relationship between the status of each.

But now I'm obsessing about how to combine trips. I even obsess about Rita's gas guzzling SUV and what it's doing to a budget I'm not even in charge of.

Urgh. My practical side (read that CHEAP side) is wreaking havoc on my already endangered social life.

The funny thing about all of this -- my cheapskate tendencies are a genetic gift from my dad.