What Can I Say? I Just Don't Give a Darn!

My manager and the V.P. of our division are big Michigan football fans. This has created a schism in our department, as most others here are die-hard Ohio State fans, and everyone (on both sides) has decided that this is a way to get the V.P.’s attention one way or another and kiss some serious corporate butt (one pastime in which I refuse to participate). On one side of the room we have a gentleman with season tickets to Ohio State football who bleeds not only crimson, but grey. On the other side, we have my manager, who has a framed photo of the Michigan stadium in his office accompanied by a stuffed doll of Ohio State’s coach (complete with crimson tie) dangling from a noose. (What’s the coach’s name, anyway? Nevermind, I don’t care.)

Often (too often), I’m asked on which side of the fence I reside.

I absolutely hate football.

Well, let me qualify that. If it’s huddle in the stands at a high-school football game with a cup of hot cocoa while talking to your friends and watching everything but the game football, that can be fun. Also, on one or two fall Sundays each year I enjoy turn on the game with the volume low but not look at the T.V. at all because the sound somehow befits an Autumn Sunday football. And though I do it less these days, I’ve also participated in I turn on the SuperBowl so I can see the commercials, then I mute the rest including the insipid halftime show football.

But in general, I hate football.

So, what can I say to these people who want to know if I’m a Buckeye or a Wolverine?

1. I’d have to try really hard to care less about your football team.

2. Oh, that silly little rivalry!

3. You don’t read much, do you?

Or how about . . .

4. Do you think your precious little team would let you play on it? Why not? If you’re half as good at playing football as you are at rambling on about it, you’d be an asset. Maybe you should get up off your couch and actually toss a ball around once in a while.

5. How can I support organized college or professional sports when public libraries and schools all over this country are failing? You think one of these geniuses on the football team is smart enough to be President someday?

6. How can you watch that stuff? I bet you watch the draft, too. I can’t imagine anything more boring . . . and irritating – since I bet that for each professional recruit drafted you could find a public school teacher . . . or two . . . who will be laid off this season.

Or maybe . . .

7. What’s a Buckeye?

Having said all that, I must admit, every time Ohio State loses (no matter to whom), I have to smile just a little, because I know that . . . somewhere . . . a certain someone is literally writhing in agony.

Happy Birthday, Toby!

Toby just turned one year old!

That's certainly not a pizza

My latest crochet project currently resides in this California Pizza Kitchen bag. A couple nights ago, George decided that, due to the crinkly nature of the paper wrapped around the unused yarn, along with the extra crinkly nature of the plastic grocery bag tucked into the bottom, the CPK bag would be a nice place to take a nap.






He left the bag for some time, then returned to take yet another nap. Problem was, the sides of the bag had fallen in a bit. He struggled for a while (making me wish I was filming him), then the bag tipped ever so slowly over onto him. Steve and I laughed and laughed, which of course made George even more upset. If there is anything more important to a cat than napping, it's his dignity.

Ahh . . . memories . . .

The Evolution Of Dance

You just can't argue with this logic

Your Job Dissatisfaction Level is 67%

Your job is a total bummer, and probably the worst job you've ever had. Your co-workers stink. Your boss is a jerk. And your company is probably in trouble. Think about finding a new job quickly, even if it's just a not-so-great transition job. You've got to get out of there as quickly as you can!

Should You Quit Your Job?

Images of the Season

We wanted rain.

And we have it.

Almost a week of it.

So here are some images to remind us of the beauty of the season -

when it's not wet, cold, and muddy.

From Easter weekend . . .

From Mother's Day at a butterfly exhibit at Stan Hywet . . .

Tagged

Tagged by P!

In my fridge:
1. No more red peppers and pablanos and tasty green onions.
2. No more fat, fresh, crimini mushrooms.
3. No more thick beautiful steaks.
4. No more delicious Devitis sausage.

We set up our grill over the weekend, and now all the food's gone!

In my closet:
Which one?

In my purse:
1. A mini bottle of Scope left over from a saliva test I took at the doctor's as a step to finding out if I'm all set to have a baby.
2. A $25 American Express gift certificate still waiting to be spent. It's been there since Christmas.
3. A letter and coupon from my hairdresser annoncing her move to a ritzier, more expensive salon, where all the employees have hideous fake tans and overdone, dried out, processed hair. One has freckles, and mixed with her orange tan, they make her look diseased. I know this because my eyebrow girl works there. This will probably be in my purse until next Christmas.

in my Jeep:
1. Three library books which, I'm afraid, are probably overdue. One is Ellen Gilchrist's The Writing Life, which has been very enjoyable so far. I took it with me to my oil change on Saturday.
2. A lined notebook with notes from The Writing Life, which I filled when trying to get all the gems of knowledge down during my oil change. I didn't quite make it.
3. Newspaper spread in the very back from when I brought over the fertilizer spreader from my parents' house. I'll need it there for when I take it back, I'm sure. Reuse, recycle, and all that.
4. A note reminding me to take my lunch with me to work. I think it might have been from the day I forgot to take my lunch to work.
5. Maybe a fry or two under the seat. A vehicle doesn't really belong to you until there is a fry or two under the seat.


My TIVO:
What TIVO?

I tag:
Everybody!

Babysitting an Armadillo

This is CJ the baby screaming hairy armadillo. He and his sister have spent a couple nights under the careful watch of my brother, K, who has had the fun privilege of babysitting the little critters as part of his job at the local zoo.

After the babies' mother rejected them, they fell under the care of the zoo staff who take turns taking them home in their incubator, feeding them formula, and cleaning them when they make poopy.

These little ones, along with all the other creatures at the zoo, are lucky they have K, whose love of animals knows no bounds. He is a veterinary technician, and his gentle spirit and his sixth sense with animals make him perfect for the job.

It has always been clear that K has a gift. Anytime we wanted a pet and went to pick one out (and we had many, so this was often!), whether it was a hamster, a parakeet, a kitten, or a puppy, we would let K's sixth sense guide our decision. He has a magical talent for picking out the most special animal in the bunch - the one with the most personality, the most loving one . . . the best one for our family. He chose Jake, the parakeet that absolutely loved to boogie down to the soundtrack to The Little Mermaid. He chose to adopt Futz, who was abandoned with his siblings, and whose personality fills a room almost as much as Tommy's, a Lhasa Apso who K also picked out from a litter. Whenever we let K choose, the pet becomes the perfect addition to our family.

K's heart is bigger than anyone's I know. All our animals adore him. I've never seen an animal that didn't like him, in fact. Just another of the many reasons to love my brother!

Movie Fun

A must-see.

Seriously.

That's all I'm going to say.

Hope Everyone had a Great Easter!