I need a new look....

I liked the look of my blog for a long time and then I had to go mess with it!!! 

I need a new template, layout, color scheme whatever!!! 

The one I have now is OK but I can't get my giant pictures on there and pretty

soon I'm going to be back in the swing and will need some space to 

share the awesome stuff I'm spitting out. 

So ... any suggestions? and let me know your thoughts on Blogger or the other one.. jeeze

i'm so old I can't think... Wordpress that's it.. urgggghhhhh!!!!!

someone get me an effin' glass of straight alcohol before I go completely off the rails.

Calm calm calm... 

This post is like the incoherent ramblings of dare I say, Charlie Sheen... 

I'm the female him!!! 

Not really I'm a lot younger  (3 years) and way more believable. 

So back to the blog.. suggestions are welcome... I just need a change. 

Really your input is desired, I want to know if you have found any of the templates they 

offer to be useful, if you like the sidebar on the left or the right, should I go with a 

serious comments provider? do you ever Stumble, FB or share on twitter? If not

why do I care if I add those widgets.  Comments please... there's a prize for what I find to 

be the wittiest yet most inspiring comment... don't be shy!!! 

That is all.... good night. 

Ode to Brian Miller..

You ROCK!!!!! 

if you don't know who I'm talking about you're just lame. 

not really.

Brian is a very talented poet and writer and an all round good egg as we 

Brits say (or we used to say back in the day).

Brian and the other poets/writers of One Stop Poetry are a big deal in the Big Apple! 

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to you all. 

I have to say that when I have been blogging and felt like I'm just sending empty 

words out there and no one is reading...  Brian will comment and let me 

know that he's still out there reading blogs and supporting his friends in the 

blogosphere. I don't always, in fact hardly ever, comment on his blog because 

when I get there he already has a million comments telling him how wonderful his

efforts are... but I should ... because I appreciate him so much!!! 

Brian... truly you are a talented writer and I wish you the very best. 

Now you can sign off your posts.. BM..... Award winning poet! 

If you haven't already checked out this lovely man, head over to 

Waystationone and see what all the hububb is about. 

Thank you BM. 

Oh and I know he'll be first here to comment when this post goes up.. just wait and see.

I love this...

It's not too often that I share songs on here.. but today I would like for you to take a listen to this... I heard it while I was listening to Pandora Radio yesterday. For those of you outside the US.. it's a website that plays all the music you love, you choose your type of "channel" and it picks the songs. I made a Corinne Bailey Rae channel and the played this one... from India Arie.. and I love it. I think I'll have to search out some more of her music and add it to the old iPod.



Don't watch the cheeseball video, just listen to it and walk away from the screen!!!
Hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday... big hugs!!!

Macro Monday... and a list!!!

I hope there's no moratorium on the Monday Macro... why? because I'm cheatin' and a wheeler dealin' that's why. This picture (although Bradford Pears are blooming now) is actually ONE YEAR OLD!!!!!
Forgive me... I just love it and can't be bothered to go out and get another just like it solely in order to be in line with the rules.. although I'm not totally sure if there are rules. Just enjoy and if you've seen it before.. then enjoy it again... double the pleasure.. oooh.

Go link up with Lisa for more Macro Monday.

Forget it... I was going to write a list but then I was not left alone to think and now I 

can't remember what the list was going to be about. 

I planned on making it all funny and called it ten things that get on my damn nerves..

then husband looked over my shoulder and got all defensive about being numbers 

1 to 7.......and that's when the fight started. 

So.. until another day.. I'm off blog hopping and hope to have some new bloggy friends

by the time I go to bed tonight. I need new followers and they need my comments. 

It's the new circle of life. 

p.s. if I have to change my blog because of nosey ass spouse I will let y'all know!!! 

Just kidding.. don't get all pissy!!! I know he's reading this.

The Randomonium Continues.

This pollen has gotta go... can't get a decent carwash in town b/c the lines are 

out the wazzoo. The auto carwashes are broken from overuse and the kids charge too 

much for the Jeep... Daddy's car... cheap.. my hunkin' pile o' hunkiness... too much!!! 

What is up with my body... not going into details... honestly I'm not ready for the 

rocking chair just yet but things are straining and paining all over the place. Is this what

the rest of my life is going to be like? Oh forties you are so cruel, had I known the

level of your torture I would never have hailed your arrival like I did!! Now... where'd 

I leave those thirties, I truly need them right now. 

Ash treated us to a puppet show tonight which was excellent if I do say so myself.
First she had to go over the rules "it's a puppet show, there has to be rules!!"
Only thing was there were more rules than puppet show.
Raise your hands if you have a question, no interrupting and this one was for Daddy...
"no looking over where I am Bucko!! "

His gorgeousness has a speaking car, now I do drive it on occasion and it has
never been a problem.... however... I realized tonight that I don't know how
to work damn thing.  Apparently it syncs to bluetooth (wtf does that even mean)
 he was on his cell phonein the house talking to his mother when I got into
his car and all of a sudden I could hear them talking!! Bwwaahahahaaaa
Maybe this is the way in which to spy on his conversations.
But it was boring so I sped off into the sunset and synced my own phone to the bluetooth.
From that moment on I was in conversation with the damn car saying things like
"help" and "cancel" and "call all my friends and invite them to a party"... apparently it doesn't
understand it when you say
"how do I make an effin' call??"

I went to the hairdressers this week and had a new stylist cut my hair...
mainly because I needed a late appointment and my salon closes before I could
make it. I was alarmed to hear the chick tell me that she could figure out
how the Tsunami affected Japan but didn't know what this radiation deal was????
I couldn't be bothered to explain.. I just chewed my gum and said "neeehh me neither!".
Hair turned out good, I guess she doesn't need to have a grasp of global current
events and the workings (or rather failings) of nuclear reactors in an earthquake
in order to make me into one hot mama!!!

Sydney's room is YELLOW!!!!!

BAM!!!!!!!!

That's it for today's Randomonium... hope you're having a random filled week!!
kiss kiss!! or muchos besos!!

Corner View... Four Legged Friends.

This weeks Corner View is four legged, which of course fits me perfectly because I love to 

post pictures of my wickle baby shitties. 

Mac and Daisy are my constant companions, except of course when I have to go to work, which

seriously, is interfering with my doggy time!! and my leisure, social and shopping time.

Not to mention blogging time! 

Mac is the one completely embedded in the couch and Daisy is of course supervising his lazy

man time. She is definitely the alpha dog and can be quite the nagging bitch when she wants to be!!! 

They are siblings from different litters, we got Mac first and loved the little fella so 

much we went back to the breeder and bought Daisy. Nice breeders, none of this 

puppy mill crap, please check out the breeder if buying a puppy, better yet adopt one from 

your local animal shelter (this has been a PSA brought to you by Sarah McGloughlin).

Daisy likes to talk to get her message across and will come to me all excited to tell me 

she needs something, I then have to go thru a list of all things it could be and she will 

either lead me to the kitchen for a treat or to the back door to go out. 

Sometimes she'll lead me to my bed so I can pick her up to lay on it, she can't jump up 

there because she's a little on the tubby side but mainly because she's a Princess.

Mac on the other hand will scratch at doors, either to go out or get a treat or food. 

He knows where the goodies are located and can kinda open the cabinet door a smidge 

then let it bang so we know he's in the kitchen and wants to be fed dammit. 

Other than that he's fairly laid back and can easily get his skinny athletic self up

onto any bed or piece of furniture that may look like it's totally comfy. 

So that's it from me... I love my dogs more than life itself and often remind the rest of the

family where they stand in the pecking order. 

Wine, Shih Tzus and the rest of the world!!!!! 

For more Corner Views please check out the bloggers on my side bar, , over

there to your right.. go on.. do it.. they are really nice creative peeps and the 

object is to learn something new from all over the world. Cool.

my furry little friends , originally uploaded by McGillicutty1.

I have exceeded all expectations!

The expectations were pretty low so it's not surprising is it??? 

Apparently this is my 551st post... yes... well I think it is, according to the Edit Posts screen.

Does that include posts that I never published? Who cares? I'm claiming all 551 of them. 

And, forgive me Father, it's been two years since I last confessed began this little Blog!!!! 

So whatd'ya think of that, hmmmm???

There have been some highlights and lowlights (lows are prominent lately but we'll get thru it)

I particularly liked some of the early stuff mainly focused around the family. 

The girls were just seven and four when I started and oh so different at that time, they have 

done so much in the last two years and grown so, it's hard to even comprehend where the 

time has gone. Children are a great yard stick for our own growing, without them I think 

we'd forget to observe the passing of the time. They don't have to be your own kids, you can 

sometimes bump into a friend you haven't seen in a while, or visit with family members and 

quickly see that Wowzer.. has it been that long since you last got together because the

kids have grown three feet taller!! 

Also apparent now with the global sharing of family pics on FB! I last saw one of my 

best friends about six years ago, her son at that time was little with blonde hair and big

blue eyes. We recently connected on FB and he's about ten feet tall and very

grown looking. She said his voice is suddenly deeper than his father's too!! 

Lately I've had a hard time getting my create on... both in writing and photography (mainly

because I still haven't gotten that darn camera fixed). See... it's gone from my beloved Nikon

to that Darn camera in such a short time. But looking back over this blog it's kinda 

inspiring me to get my shit together and get back in the saddle. I think that now spring has

sprung it's helping too. 

One of my favorite posts was this one. Well worth a second look! 

I haven't done anything like it since then so maybe this will be the year I do it 

again... stay tuned. 

And then this was quirky... where did my quirk go??? 

Must put that on my to do list, find quirk and become reacquainted with it.

So my friends... if you're still hanging around after all this time I thank you so very

much! I love this blog, it's like a box for my thoughts and memories. If I ever 

really do get tired of it I think I'll print it all for posterity before I delete it. 

That may have to come when the girls are older and independent from

me and don't want it brought up by their college buddies! HA! 

Self portrait with the little Kodak.

My feet looked a good bit younger then... 

Macro Monday.

I have been a real slacker in the creative, online community. 

Just a quick one this morning that I'd like to share, kind of easing myself back in. 

We took a trip to the garden center yesterday and breathed some life back into our

patio. Oh how nice to see color out there again. Syd picked this lily and wanted to 

plant it and take care of it... good luck Syd, I'm never good with exotic looking things like this

but hopefully you don't have my brown thumb!!! 

Join in with the other Macro Mondayers at Lisa Chaos. .... Happy Spring!!! 

Glorious Spring how I adore thee...

It hasn't really been all that fun around here these past couple of days. There has been a lot of real life getting in the way of the fantasy life that I aspire to, you know the one where I wake up showered and made up, breakfast is waiting on the deck under a gorgeous gazebo and I then head off horse riding or playing golf before lunch with the ladies. Hmmmm... something's gotta give. 

The reality has been more like this, oversleep on Monday morning and have to rush around like a freak on crack to get everyone ready and out of the house.. thing was there was no school and we were headed to an appointment for Ashley to get this mysterious thingy cut out of her mouth and sent to some lab rat at FSU to determine just what it is.  We made it by the skin of our teeth, I stayed there with Ash while husband and number one child went to get hair cuts. Ash was a complete trouper and didn't fuss one bit, she didn't even need any of the medicines he prescribed for pain. That girl is tough. Husband and number one child came back with haircuts from hell, harsh but true.

We had a nice lunch and then we had to go see another dentist so that I could get a root canal. Yes, isn't that nice, a family day out getting all kinds of fun things done, not a mani/pedi in sight. Well, it didn't turn out quite like it should, you see being the relier on technology that I am I assumed if I took the address to the place with me I could put it in the Garmin and we'd get there first shot. Wrong. If you are familiar at all with Tallahassee, Fl you will know that there a bazillion doctors and dentists offices all over the city... it's the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. The stupid GPS couldn't find it and I only had a vague idea of where this place was, I did have their phone number but the bitches ladies in the office would not answer the damn phone!!! Even after the time of my appointment so I know they were there. Husband lost his mind and we headed home, that's the shortened version. I can't divulge all the details they are too ugly even for me to recount. Needless to say I still have my root and there is no canal... I'm saving it for another day. It's not like I'm in pain, how do I even know I need one? Stupid dentists, they're all nuts. 

Tuesday, uneventful... just some worsening pain in my stomach that nagged at me all ... day... long. 

Wednesday, wake up with same pain now it's worse and I decided to go see a doc, yes, me.. go to the doc. You can imagine I had to be hurting because I hate doc's more than dentists. Had some tests (of course!!) and they took blood, all of which showed them I was sick but they didn't know what it was. This is why I hate going to the doc, I knew I was sick.... I wanted a cure... write me a prescription for something don't just test me and tell me I'm sick but that you don't know how to cure it. "Mrs. M. lets see how you are in the morning, come on back and we'll get you in for a CT scan, goodbye".  Yeeaaahhhnnnooo I don't think so. So off I go home clutching my aching parts and head for the Milk of Magnesium. If in doubt, clean it out. That's my motto. And guess what, a gruesome few hours later and a lot of rest and I'm pretty much good to go. I feel better anyway, if there's something more going on we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but no one is CTing me unless I'm at deaths door. 

And then this morning... little Ashley who has been doing so well with her reflux problem, decides that this is the day to resume vomiting for four hours straight. So although I am feeling better myself, I'm now the holder of the bucket and the nurse to the six year old. She is soooo good though, she knows the routine, she takes the medicine without a word and she just gets on with it. I cannot tell you how much I love that child and it pains me to see her like this, even though I know she'll be fine by this evening (fingers crossed)  I can't help but have a heavy heart when she goes through this symptomatic phase. I lay there with her watching Handy Manny and hoping this will be the last time. It's downright depressing. 

And all the while we're coming out of a horrible, long, dark winter into this glorious spring. The sun is shining, trees are blooming and everything is coming back to life. I want to be out there, enjoying this beautiful town and feeling the lovely sun on my skin. Instead, I will just open the windows and let the air into this house and hold my little girls hand until she feels better and gives me that goofy smile again. Here's to getting back to normal tomorrow!!!! 

so many great blogs to read....

and no time to read them! Pffttthhhuummppphhhh.

We have literally been balls to the freakin' wall with stuff going on around here. 

I can't even think straight! I won't bore you with it all because it's nothing that 

interesting just everyday family stuff like appointments, laundry, cooking, 

painting and rearranging. Urgh. The list is never ending... and in the middle of it

all a damn time change to throw me completely off. 

I don't know about y'all reading this drivel but i seem to have a harder time with the

daylight savings now I'm an old fart than I ever did in my younger years. 

I get so I don't know which way is up and I just want to sleep all day! 

Maybe my brain is finally surrendering to all those late nights and early mornings

in the nineties when it was cool to work hard, play hard and burn the 

candle from every angle. 

Ash has been completing her Junie B. Jones "My Personal Beeswax" journal 

and asking me how to spell stuff... for the love of God I couldn't remember how

to spell lettuce... and she was looking at me like I'm crazy! I am crazy! 

Who in the heck can't spell lettuce (obviously Ash but she's in first grade!).

I'm pretty sure it's an indication that I may be in dire need of a break; or

an indication that I should eat more lettuce and lose those pesky 

pounds that are weighing down my intellectual parts as well as my bodily parts.

That's it... I've gotten so fat I can't think straight. 

Time for a haircut and tan.

In other news, I did take a four hour break yesterday which didn't help in the 

adjustment one bit to be honest. We went to a friends farm and did some fishing and 

walking and a little sitting in the sun. It felt glorious even though I was always

completely aware of the work that was not getting done at home. 

Total peace and quiet, the kids went off with the Dads at one point and I 

plonked down in an aderondac chair by the lake and just closed my eyes. 

There were some bass jumping, a couple of little bullfrogs burping and the 

birds happily singing. Bliss. I need this type of time to myself for about a week 

or so and maybe the batteries will recharge and I could brush up on my 

spelling again. 

This was my view... SOOP... straight out of phone !!! 

I haven't been very creative lately either and it's getting on my 

last nerve. It's like because I haven't stretched any creative muscles I've forgotten 

how to use them... like you don't use it you lose it!!! Shit.

Apparently that's what happened to my singing voice too. 

That's all from me, gotta get some well earned sleep, that is if I can get 

his gorgeousness to turn off the damn Wild Hog show he's watching. 

Apparently Georgia is a hot bed for these horrible man eating beasts and they 

are not afraid to come into your yard and eat you, your young and your shih tzus.

Arrggghhhhhhhhh. 

Sleep well my pretties. 

Spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Look at me... assuming that there may be readers in the Southern Hemisphere.

Assuming I have a world wide audience! 

Just thinking about my friends and family in South Africa and Australia 

who are headed into fall, not spring like the rest of us.

Ash has been working hard on the chalk board in the kitchen and I wanted 

to share it with the world ... sigh. 

I love the way she breaks out the stages of the flower growing. 

Well that's it for tonight. I feel good about Spring being just around the 

corner although we have experienced some horrendous weather today. 

Hope you too will be feeling the joys soon!  

What's it to be? curly or straight?

For the longest time when growing up I wanted to have long flowing locks, for most the eighties I had short {new romantic} hair cuts. Then as I finished up school and made my way into the rat race I grew my hair long and would spend hours making it as big as I could possibly make it. Huge would be an excellent adjective for that mass of curly locks adorning my head!!!! Colossal even. Gargantuan.

I will confess to having a perm a time or two just to give it that extra oomph that I'm sure I didn't need. I never used conditioner and teased the living crap out of it, then sprayed what life was left in it until it stuck out three feet from my head like a mortified hay bail. I was gorgeous! just ask me.

My poor hair, it was exhausted and ravaged and dying for a break. I came to my senses somewhere in the mid to late nineties and would have it cut every six to eight weeks, conditioned and treated on a very regular basis to give me somewhat of a healthy looking crowning glory. It has been here and there between the two ever since. For some reason after the birth of my first little angel my hair decided to curl the heck up all by itself and I'm not talking waves here, I'm talking CORK. SCREW. FREAKIN. CURLS!!!! nightmare. I have managed to tame it the past few years with just a flat iron after shampoo/conditioning daily.

And then boom, Mama hits the ripe old age of 35 and some odd... and it started again. The cork screw nappy ass hair; what the eff is up with this shit??? Even the flat iron won't help and it's starting to look nothing less than frazzled... yes... Frazzle Rock.. that's me. So this past week I have investigated the wonderful world of Keratin. Where have I been? How do I not know about this product? Is it that the stylist has been hiding it form me because she's aware of the hilarity may hair is providing to the community at large? She didn't want to spoil the fun !  So having checked out all ... yes all... the reviews on Amazon I purchased me some of this miracle goop. I simply can't justify the expense of the full treatment at the salon which can be anywhere from $150 to $300... yes people $300!!! and may last about 6 months. However, being the savvy, penny pinching do it myselfer that I am I have discovered the anti-curl, the Kryptonite for my Supercurls, the bing to my bong. (I just made that last one up!).

I tried John Frieda Straightening Creme, Ion Straightener and I have the Keratin Shampoo and Conditioner from Coppola as well as their shiny spray stuff... (don't remember what that's called). Now of course I'm not using all these at one time, they have varying degrees of greatness and it depends alot on how much time I have to primp.... but my friends... well worth the itty bitty investment. Pennies well spent and I'm tickled pink with the results, smooth, shiny, healthy looking hair. And I guess the best part is that it's not permanent so if I want to curl it up some I can... oh yes I can...with alarming ease I can be Shirley Temple inside of three minutes flat.

So ... comments please... are you curly, not curly, wavy or stick straight??? and how to you attain your look? and what do you do to change it up? I'm blaming my ridiculous intake of vitamins for this change, or possibly the fact that being old as dirt my hair is trying to curl up in order not to drag on the ground when I stoop........thanks for stopping by!!

Jelly Man... some randomonium methinks...

If you have kids and a Wii the Just Dance and Just Dance 2 are a MUST! 

If you have a Wii and don't have kids Just Dance and Just Dance 2 are still a must! 

If you have the need for a giggle JD and JD2 are a must. 

If you have ever tried to photograph a Jelly Fish you'll know that it's really tricky, 

if you have ever tried to photograph a jelly fish with a kinda everyday craptastic camera

(no offense Kodak, you generally serve me well) you'll know that you would 

be happy with this shot. Imagine if my beloved Nikon was fully functional! 

phhffttt considering it's something I love so much you'd think I would have had it fixed by now! 

Ever the procrastinator even when it pains me so. 

Look at these guys... I look at them and think.. yep I can relate buddy. 

They are lovely and shiny and well groomed, have the latest shades in scales and their

yellow accessories are to die for, yet they look so, well, sour faced!!!! 

Pissed off even.

I have been obesessing lately about my aging fading looks. I'm getting to 

be so old and it's apparent to me every time I catch my reflection... I have lines that 

trickle down from the corners of my mouth making me look exactly like 

these fish. I can pretty up the rest of me for all I'm worth but I still look 

like a miserable bitch... and I'm really not! well mostly not! 

Syd was in quiz bowl this weekend and for those not in the know outside the US this

is 8 rounds of general knowledge questions that the kids answer as a team.

Teams from schools across the area take part and they answer ten toss up questions, the 

team to buzz in and answer correctly then gets first dibs at answering the 2 bonus questions.

It lasted most of the day and unfortunately my little brainiac's team didn't do 

so well. However.... I am SO PROUD of her!!!!  and her team mates. 

They are all so sweet, they tried hard, there were no ego's or disagreements.

These five kids just got out there and had fun and did their best, I am impressed! 

OK don't want to keep ya here all day... ups and downs of the randomonium are

now over!!! Come back and see me next time y'all!!! mwwuaahhhh

In which they crash an Indian Wedding....

So, there we are enjoying a family getaway in North Atlanta in a very nice

Hilton that they call the Castle on the Hill. The girls always like it when we 

go to a hotel, they're well traveled and could match Martha Stewart in the secrets to 

packing for a successful trip. I actually like going away with them now! as opposed to 

the days when no one could get any sleep because of screaming babies or 

forgetting some essential item like diapers or that Blankie. 

So we settled into the room, did our stuff, you know, trip to the Aquarium which

was good but my OMG they need to know when to start turning peeps away. 

They have a great tunnel like at Sea World where you can experience whale sharks, 

giant manta's and potato groupers swimming all around you and over your heads; 

however unlike Sea World they pack five gazillion ticket holders in there at once. 

Eeeewww.. Armpits abound as they all point upwards at the amazing aquatic 

delicacies swimming by, I couldn't help thinking it had to be the most 

unhealthy place in Atlanta, I tried to breath through my nose so as to trap any molecules of

pitness but the smell then deterred me so I had to kinda hold my hand over my mouth 

while trying to shield my kids from the armpits of Atlanta!!! 

After the Aquarium we were lets say... freakin' exhausted... must have been the bad air 

in there, or the noise; noise exhausts me. 

We chose to head back to the hotel and take a little nap, girls allowing. 

They allowed... but they timed it too... only an hour and then we were up and running

again, this time to find somewhere exciting for dinner and entertainment. Well when

looking for dinner and entertainment you can't go wrong with the Medieval Times! 

It... was... awesome!!!! 

So two hours and a couple o hundred silver coins later we were well fed, happy 

and ready for a good night of sleep in the castle on the hill. 

When we got back it was chilly and we parked closest to the door on the side figuring 

we could easily run in there and not get too cold. It wasn't the main entrance but hey

should be easy enough to find the lobby right? 

Wrong...... not when there's a huge, traditional Indian wedding reception in full swing! 

Yep, we walked slap into the middle of a beautiful wedding with all the 

finery, the ladies were gorgeous in their sari's and the guys were 

dressed equally splendidly in their suits. We walked in on the buffet just outside the

main ballroom wearing out paper crowns and carrying various crap we had

picked up that day... well excuse me for getting a fit of the giggles! 

It seemed like it was the longest walk ever to find the entrance to the main lobby

and the guests seemed just as surprised as we were to be there. 

Eventually one of the food servers helped us out of there... and as we 

got to the elevator Syd announces "can I get an AWKWARD!!"

That was it for me... I think I laughed until I peed my pants all the way up to the 

tenth floor!! I love my kids!! 

We probably should have stuck around a little longer because the food looked and 

smelled delish! I love Indian food and the onion bhaji's looked FANTASTIC!!! 

I wonder if anyone would have noticed me filling up a great big napkin with goodies and 

smuggling it up in the elevator???