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.

June ramblings

Ahhh here we are in the first real month of Summer! Time for Friday night volleyball games, Pride Festivals, outdoor dining, yard work and more yard work, walking around the park two extra times just because and spending hours at the pool even though you know the sun is gonna getcha.

We are just in time for some of the madness to end and just in time for some to begin. Hillary Clinton will give a fond farewell to her Presidential campaign pursuit - maybe even tonight - and allow Obama to duke it out with Pops McCain. I hope that she has a shot at VP and it sounds like she would be interested in the position but I have my doubts that Obama wants a strong woman riding shotgun. Wait.....holding the shotgun might be a better way of putting it. She likes to take charge and that may just scare him too much. She was my candidate and now I play the waiting game like everyone else who will vote the Democratic ticket.

More madness just starting......did you hear the story about Lindsey Lohan and her new gal pal? Uh yeah!? Apparently she is a little gag-gag over her 20 something DJ BFF. I even heard a story where she wants to marry her pal now that it is legal in San Francisco. Wow.....that's just what we need for the cause isn't it folks? She's gay today but somewhere else tomorrow! No thanks Lindsey!

Pride festivals are heating up all over the nation and it will once again be our turn here in Cincinnati. I was looking at the events and it appears that we will be disappointed again. Poor funding or the lack of creativity in gathering more funds makes this Pride event rather sad. Still it is the only one we have and my friends and I will make the best of it and watch the 15 minute parade and then walk around and count the drag queens. Such is life in the big conservative city......

So what kind of madness do you have to look forward to this Summer?

For Katie

http://www.500kin365.org/main.htm

The rest of the story.......

I was a bit road weary after our California adventures over the last 2 weeks so I have not been as quick to jump back on here. Lyn has started the story about our return flight home and since I know she is completely aggravated with the whole sordid tale......she is leaving it up to me to fill in the blanks.

Ok.....we arrived at SFO in plenty of time to catch our flight. However, once standing in line my eyes meandered to the Northwest Departures board where I found that our flight (scheduled to leave in 2 hours) was already marked "Delayed". Not so good news for us because we had a connecting flight to catch in Minneapolis. Yes.....Minneapolis, Minnesota. I will pause to say that the only thing good to come from the state of Minnesota is blizzard snow storms and Mary Richards (for you youngsters that would be location characterized in the Mary Tyler Moore Show). So yeah......Minnesota. I have no reason on this earth to ever go there but for some reason I was meant to spend the night there Wednesday evening.

So I digress. Our flight was delayed by 67 minutes once we boarded the plane. At that point we had a chance to still make our connecting flight at 7 pm CST. Then......we sat on the plane for another 40 minutes and that pretty well secured the fact that we were not making our connection. By the time we pulled into the Minneapolis airport (just to find that there were no Northwest runway guys available to assist us to the gate) it was 7:15 CST.

Since there were so many people who were waylayed by the delays, Northwest had new itineraries, food vouchers, shuttle vouchers and hotel vouchers waiting for us as we got off the plane. Sounds good right? Remember.....we were in freakin Minnesota at 8pm in the evening. We might as well had been dropped off on an island.

We decided to get our flight arrangements in order before we left the airport so we could waste as little as time as possible the next day. This is when we spent an hour with Northwest ticketing agent - Jose. I am not sure it was his very first day with NWA but he was definitely a rookie in dealing with our issue. It was at this point where I knew that with "NWA Jose" assisting us we would likely not see our luggage when we arrived back home in Dayton. After an hour, we finally got our itinerary for our boarding passes on American Airlines the next day. This is when we found out we would be flying from Minneapolis to Chicago and then to Dayton. But you know........whatever.....I was good because we were on a competent airline out of the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". It didn't matter to me that I would have to be awakened at 4 am to make a 4:45 shuttle from the Days Inn. Yeah.....Days Inn. With no additional clothes with us except what we had on our backs, it was a no brainer that I was going to sleep in my clothes anyway. My only fear is we would encounter snow the next morning that could delay our 6am flight out of there. You may laugh at that but we are talking about freakin Minnesota here people! It snows 300 days a year up there.

Next morning, our friends took an earlier shuttle to the airport since they weren't sleeping much in our luxury accommodations. Lyn and I caught the 4:45 "Special" and was promptly delivered to the airport at 5am on the nose. After a brief moment of panic by me while waiting in the security checkpoint - I thought I didn't have my wallet with me - we breezed through the checkpoint and managed to get a VERY ON-TIME flight with American Airlines and out of the barren snowland of Minnesota.

Our next flight was just as prompt and once we landed in Dayton, we only had one last obstacle to overcome - the arrival of our luggage. God knows it could be anywhere but after this extended journey home we REALLY wanted it with us. No luck. The only four bags sitting on the luggage carousel were someone elses and not ours. We checked with American and they didn't have them. We told them that "NWA Jose" said he was routing them to AA (the other AA is what all four of us need now after this trip) so we were sure they would have them. Wow....we were naive and tired at this point. We checked with Northwest who checked one of our bag tags and said that our bags were going through Detroit and should be there today. They will be sent to us. Aha.....ok. Little did we know that the only bag still in route from Detroit was Lyn's. Our other three bags were in Dayton since 6am that day and neither airline had them in their immediate possession.

Three of our bags arrived last night. Lyn's is being hand delivered by some poor soul who doesn't know what the hell he is in for when he knocks on Lyn's door this evening. Needlesstosay that no matter how badly I need to reach "here to there" in the future, it will not be on NWA. We never received an explanation on why the flight was delayed and after working with "NWA Jose" I have no faith in the competence of their employees.

Either way........all of us are home safely and we all enjoyed our trip immensely. I received all the wine I shipped from Napa today so I will be as happy as a drunken clam shortly.

Tuesday vacation ramblings

Yesterday we had adventures in "mud bathing" at the local Sonoma spa and today it was all about wine. It is quite the business that these wineries have in regards to tastings. The seven wineries we visited managed to sucker us in to buying close to twenty bottles today. And this was just Sonoma and not Napa!

We found that we like can recommend several Sonoma wineries to you today - Kendall Jackson (always a winner methinks), Simi, Stryker, Ferrari-Carano, Silver Oak (very good), Ledson and St. Francis. There was one winery - Seghesio - that promised to be a good one but fell short of our expectations so we can't recommend that one. However, I am going to use my "shoe analogy" again and say that just because you and I like the same pair of shoes it doesn't mean they are going to fit us both comfortably. Therefore......Seghesio may turn out to be your all-time favorite but for us.......it was blah.

I can recommend a nifty little drive-in restaurant on Rt 128 in St. Helena called "Taylor's Automatic Refresher". We will likely go there again tomorrow as we plan to spend another day wine tasting in Napa. This restaurant has been shown on the Food Network so it is a winner. I enjoyed the Western Bacon Blue Ring burger. A delightful combination of an onion ring, crumpled blue cheese, pickles, red onions and barbecue sauce. Mighty tasty indeed!

My friends and I are weary travelers this evening. We are resting up in preparation of another day of wine tasting and a lovely dinner in downtown Napa tomorrow evening. We have also found out that the temperature tomorrow will be 98 and 102 on Thursday. Yes......102 degrees in Napa on Thursday!

I was very happy to see that Hillary won the primary in West Virgina today. I am still of the mindset that Obama will help the Democratic party MORE if he asks Hillary to be his running mate. Can you imagine how many more seats in the House and the Senate we can fill with Democrats if we have both Hillary and Obama supporters going to the polls? If we have folks deciding to not vote because Hillary is not part of this plan.....the lack of votes will not help the cause. I can't even imagine who Obama will choose if it is not Hillary. I am hearing more stories about McCain choosing Huckabee as his VP and that just scares the bejeezus out of me.

So this ends my ramblings for the day. Time to rest for more restful vacation meanderings tomorrow!

TA TA!

It's about time!

After months of waiting and watching seemingly endless news talk shows broadcasting about the Democratic campaign, I got to vote today! That's right......the Democratic freedom train finally made it to Indiana!

I have cast my vote for the person who has the most amount of experience and not so much charisma. I voted for Hillary. I voted for her because - love her or hate her - she has more experience than her counterpart. She isn't preaching "pie-in-the-sky" ideals and she isn't turning every speech into a "hope-filled vision" for America. She has a practical plan folks and she has it well documented. We know where she stands. Some might say.....yeah...but she is already part of that awful Washington system. There isn't one Senator running who hasn't had to endure (or take part in)that awful Washington system of politics. I mean.......haven't we all had to endure eight years of it with our hands cuffed behind our backs? Our Democratic representatives in Congress have had to sit by mercilessly and watch this Republican dictatorship go on without being able to stop it!

We have a chance to stop it now! I want someone in office who has the "balls" to fight when we need to fight and be the gracious diplomat when working with our allies and partners around the world. We don't need any more enemies nor do we need any more dead soldiers. It is time to come home and protect the homeland, fix our crippled economy, shore up social security and save American jobs from going overseas.

My candidate has a plan. I will be watching and hoping that Hillary can pull off a win not only in Indiana, but in North Carolina as well. I believe in our country (humming America the Beautiful) and all that it stands for today.

I gotta believe in miracles.........it's just who I am.

4 Days...

... and counting to the long-awaited vacation. It's always an interesting test to travel with friends and loved ones.

At least for me.

I'm a meandering soul. Rita, as we know, is *strategic* in her shopping, driving, sightseeing, etc.

Our California sojourn should prove interesting. Coastline and wineries to meander along and through. SF and Monterey to strategically see as much as possible.

There are maps. There are iteneraries. There are even folders.

And of course, there will be wine.

Pigs do fly.......

in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati has a pork-filled history as part of its heritage. In the early 1900's it was known as "Porkopolis" because of its pork processing plants. No one produced more pork products than Cincinnati. As part of that tradition, the flying pig has become synonymous with our fair little city.

The pig has been honored in statues - all over the city in 2000/2001 - as seen below.

It also has been eaten in some very fine barbeque restaurants all over town. While "mom-n-pop" and franchise barbeque restaurants are all over the city, the most notable is the Montgomery Inn. Mmmmmm........the ribs are good there! I suggest a slab of ribs followed up by some Graeters Black Raspberry Chip Ice Cream for dessert.

And lastly.....the pig is honored in the "Flying Pig Marathon". The marathon is happening this weekend. It is your typical 26 mile run for the riblets. Ok....that is stretching it a bit. They aren't reeeally running for ribs here. If they were, I would be running! The race is a Boston Qualifier so I guess if you can run this they figure you can run with the big boys and girls in Baaaa-ston.

So the next time you ever have the opportunity to stop in Cincinnati or if you are just passing through, you will see a flying pig here and there. It's just a part of the local history and the best entree in the local restaurants.

Check please!

This phrase could not be more apropos for me than it is today. While thousands of Americans received a "little sumthin sumthin" in their savings/checking account (while I await my own stimulus check), I am more than ready to say "check please" at my workplace and run screaming away on vacation.

I am mentally done. I have finished my tasks and I have no demands that are left undone. My brain is tired of dealing with educated adults who act like uneducated children. The workplace now reminds me of the Willie Wonka Veruca character....."I want it nowwwww Daddy". My brain is tired of the demands of the "Verucas" of this world. It only wants one thing at this point - Napa Valley and all it has to offer.

I have found that two weeks of vacation really recharges me. I know that one week can be nice, but that really is too close to leaving and coming back to really make a significant difference. Two weeks are quite lovely I must say. (as I hear my work phone ringing in the distance) Ugh!

I have not taken more than two weeks off at any time although I can imagine it must be extraordinarily spectacular. I have known people to take a month off in one shot and go to distance lands like Australia and the like. I don't know if I would want to use up all of my vacation in one sitting. No....I would have to have a day here or there (a week) to use later in the year.

So what are your plans for vacation this year? Something phenomenal? Something domestic? Something where you are waited on 24x7 perhaps? (wow....that sounds good even as I type it!)

What does it take for you to scream CHECK PLEASE!!!!!

Sunday morning ramblings

I have begun my day early today thanks to a little fluffy dog named Bailey. That's ok....I had lots of things to accomplish this morning. I am including a few of the highlights or low-lights of the week.

• Now I like oysters but even this story had me feeling a bit overwhelmed and gagging. Just don't know how people do it. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/04/12/1427070-oy-eating-champ-downs-35-dozen-oysters
• Those of you who have been reading this blog may know that a group of friends and myself have allowed ghost hunting to become an interesting hobby. I am not quiting my day job as of yet because it is not a job that will immediately pay you millions (don't think TAPS is making millions yet either). However, it is a very interesting hobby indeed. I have renamed my second blog to incorporate our new team name - Paranormal Investigators of Cincinnati. Check it out!
• Here we are so close to the Pennsylvania Primary and I am still not happy with the way things are going for our Democrats. The campaign fight is getting more bitter and it usually does as the nominees battle it out. However, why is it that the media hypes the bitter fighting as unfair by each candidate? It's not unfair and quite frankly I would think that to clear the air of all issues you would need to hear more of this type of direct critiques otherwise you may appear weak. I still have doubts that Obama can beat McCain and I am not afraid to admit that openly and IN PRINT!
• Has any other state in the nation - other than Ohio - banned smoking in all public places? If so....how is that working out for you? I must admit that going into a bar to listen to a local lesbian band is quite nice without being choked with smoke. Last night we went into a bar which had the No Smoking (with the listed fines attached to it) all over the place but the local rural lesbians were just puffing away. Just love it when the public votes something into law that can't be enforced completely by state officials. Cough cough!

Ok.....enough jabbering.....time for coffee!