Stale Smoke and Tantrums...Oh My

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Just curious....

Confessions of a Horny Cat

I walk into my house after work and this is what I am greeted with...

At first blush, it looks like I am a slob who has cold feet. To the untrained eye it is nothing more than a lazy cat waiting for a belly rub. Ahhhhh, but to those who know my Spike-y-poo, you know that this is nothing more than horny, crazy cat, debauchery...caught in the act!

I swear I was waiting for Spike to open his mouth and say " Hey lady...ya wanna pass me a cigarette?" I began laughing so hard I almost fell over. I dropped all bags and and ran to the bathroom to avoid any unfortunate accidents.

History and reason for the loss of all control:
Ever since he was a little kitten, Spike has had a very naughty obsession with my fuzzy slippers. When he was a tiny tiny baby I would find him humping my slipper in the middle of the night and making the smallest of meows. He would just look up at me with these really shameful eyes. "I know mommy...but I just can't help it." It got so bad that I began to put my slippers in the closets upstairs so that he could not get at them.

Fast forward to present day:
Well, apparently his addiction has escalated and he has since learned to open the closet door. When I saw him on the floor, all stretched out and content from what was obviously a wild ménage á quatre...all I could picture was how he must have looked burrowing into the closet, then carrying each slipper down the stairs and placing them strategically on the floor. These slippers are almost as big as he is. It must have been hilarious to watch.

Later that night I brought the slippers upstairs and put them next to the bed to see what would happen. Caught in the act again. There he was, tiny teeth and all, dragging one slipper at a time out of the room. When I got up the next morning for a shower, this is what I found.

I think he needs help. (And I need new slippers)

Jealous Much?

Um Yup!

My Sister bought Dan and new Fender Bass. A real one. Not like a quitar hero bass. A REAL LIVE FENDER Bass. I am so jealous.

I told him that I am going to pull out my old electric guitar and amp and start practicing. I fully expect to be jamming the next time I see him.

(For those of you who did not know...I had an electric guitar at the tender age of 8. I started taking lessons at age 6 on acoustic and moved up to the electric guitar when I was rockin' out in my basement. To this day my parents thought it was the funniest thing to see me, a little munchkin, jamming to Stairway to heaven on my pink beadspread. Those were the days. And to think I gave up the guitar for the clarinet and sax. Shameful.)

Snowboarding Part Duex

So yeah, well , anyway, we all know that I have been trying my hand at snowboarding this season... Riiiiiiiiiiighhhhhhhhhhhtt. Ummm, let's just say I now understand why you may not see a bunch of 30 somethings rushing to the mountain to try this out. Not so easy when you actually know how your ass is going to feel for the next 5 days after you board.

This is Leanne, Jay, and I from the end of last season. The first time Leanne and I went together (2nd time total for both of us) I can't wait to post this years pics since we are so much cuter!)


Okay, I, as with everything, might be over dramatic here. It really isn't that bad and I am not that terrible, but it wouldn't be me if it was easy and I did not have some super stupid incident that came along with my adventures. I preface. No I did not run into a snowplow. Okay. Moving on.

I was able to use my ID from Bryant to score a really great deal on a season pass to Wachusett Mountain. It is a small mountain about 1 1/2 hours from my house and a group of us having been going boarding after work on weeknights until about 11pm. It always sounds like such a great idea.."work the frustrations of the day out on the mountain"... until we go and then end up not getting home until 2 in the morning on a "school night." This is usually due to the fact that we have to have a beer once we finish. Hello. Then we are all hungry and remember that nothing is open at that hour and we drive around for 2 hours looking for the Denny's that is open. Eat a killer breakfast and then drive again, only getting slowed down when one of the other drivers gets pulled over for having a lead foot in a 25 mile and hour zone. I digress....Yet, we do this over and over again expecting a different outcome. Isn't that the definition of insanity?

The concept of going after work with other people who are learning (i.e. Leanne) is great, until you factor in all of the psychotic teenagers who also frequent the mountain after school. Fun addition? Not so much. Then add the fact that people have been skiing on this snow all day, under the sun, it melts and then freezes over as the sun goes down. Makes for prime conditions? Not so much. Oh, and we can not forget the lift operators who are in their little cubbys listening to their ipods and paying no attention to the the 31 year beginner snowboarders who are waving to have the lift slow down. Do they slow it down? Not so much. Instead the goofy guy waves back at us as we go flying off the lift, tangled into one another and trying to move out of the way. To make matters worse, I get stuck and can't move and have to continually duck to get out of the way of the lift chair and skiers as they exit the lift. Why? Because said operator has his ipod on and can't hear the 8 people outside his little cabin yelling at him to stop the lift. Fun times? Not so much. Oh how I hate being a beginner.

Alas, once you get strapped in and make off down the mountain, all of those little things just fade away and we have fun again. ... Until the lifts finally close and we are the last people on the mountain and thethe ski patrtol ski on your heels all the way down tapping their poles together behind you and insist that you hurry up because they want to close...even though it is very obvious to them that speed is not an option for you and justing staying vertical is a test in and of itself. And yet we go back...again and again and again. Gotta Love it.

Lili Marlene's

A photo post of my birthday at Lili Marlene's. If you're a local, I highly recommend for a late night dive. Super dark, hard to find, and they have the most wonderful burgers on the planet. Their bar is pretty hot too. I had the special martini of the night...some French fancy name with Elderberry essence...yadda yaddda yadda...."Freaking Amazing" is what it is called :) ....See drink below....Aga and Leanne had one too!








My actualy Birthday was on Sunday and my mom and dad came to my house with a full Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner in tow! I am S-P-O-I-L-E-D. I was gifted with DVDs that I had been asking for, Wii controllers, a discman (for my behind the times library that only has Audio books on CD that can't be downloaded. I can't live without Audio books so I went old school) and Rock Band 2. Oh yeah baby. Watch out, I am a rock n' machine.

It was a great birthday weekend and if I could have, I would have tried to extend it out for another week. But I didn't want to push my luck.

A Birthday Splurge

So everyone in my family constantly reminds me of how I very rarely, if ever, spend money on myself. I am super thrifty at the stores. That actually might be an understatement. I NEVER buy anything unless it is on sale. And let me tell you, if it is something I need, I will hunt until I find it for a decent price. Even with my freakin' boiler.

For Christmas, my sister and BIL bought me a Wii because they knew I would NEVER spend money on that. I called it a frivolous purchase. They just think I am silly. So, with that said, you would think that they would have all been proud of me when I came rushing home from my week in New Hampshire and told everyone that I bought a condo! Well....vacation owership really...but I am calling it a stinking condo. Not a timeshare.. do not be confused. I actaully bought a physicial unit...and two weeks to go with it. For anyone familiar with RCI, then you get it. I can use my unit every year, but if I decided I don't feel like being in New Hampshire in December, I can use the week toward going where ever I want. Within reason.

Maybe a little crazy, but I am really excited that I will be able to travel more and go see everyone. The biggest benefit of RCI (which is why I went for it) was because I can use them for discounts on regular travel and hotel stays. YAY. Seeing as how this is the biggest impediment to my traveling! Needless to say, no one was overly excited about my spending on ME. Hmpf. Where did I go so wrong. Anyway, who cares! I am really excited about it and can't wait to start using it. Yay Happy Birthday to me.
P.S. Do we see a pattern here? I seem to make spur of the moment real estate investments on my Birthday. I'll let you all know if next year I have a beach house :)

Okay...Maybe I am a Little

Holy no posting since February 2nd batman!

That is just awful. I mean really awful. Okay, so coming up this weekend it may be post overload but there is much to report. My Birthday week was great and there were some exciting purchases and some great gifts.. You may soon see my B-I-L and I on stage with a serious jam session underway. Never Know......hee hee hee

I have tons of pics from my Birthdayat Lili Marlene's to post, have some house updates that I must talk about because where else can I just spew out useless information ...unless I am talking to my cats, but I think that just makes we weird and creepy. Anyway.

Let's see, I have another possible ski trip coming up, and I have several discussion topics on my snowboarding antics that must be addressed. MUST. Are you tire yet from that one long run one paragragh. I think I just tuckered myself out:)

I am NOT a blog slacker.

I have been on the slopes for the past week and have had no time...no time at all...to post on my blog. Why? Cause I was skiing...and I was snowboarding...lalalalalalala..(that is to the tune of something...who knows what though.) Catchy wouldn't you say?

Oh yeah, good week, very good week. Up to the condo in New Hampshire for skiing (snowboarding, yikes), eating appetizers and drinking wine...alot of wine. That's how we do! Ya Know!

We went a week early this year. The first time in probably 7, no maybe 8, or even 9 nine years that we were not at the condo for my birthday. Sigh. But sacrifices must be made. I had a new employee starting today so we scheduled a week early so that she would have a boss on her first day of work. Gosh I am so darn considerate.

Anywhoooooo. It was a great week. I tried my hand (or should I say foot) at snowboarding for the first few days. But on Wednesday we got a glorious 15 inches of snow. So I decided to switch back to skiing for that day so I could be sure that I would make it to Thursday. We skiied through snow the entire day. There were only 43 people on the mountain that day. Amazing. I did 1/2 and 1/2 on Thursday and then back to skiing for the remainder of the trip. Although I was finally getting the hang of snowboarding by the end, I must admit...I do LOVE skiing. Perhaps it is because it seems easier to me and I have more skill, less fear, more control. Don't know. But I do Love it. I think, possibly, maybe, perhaps, ...if I keep at snowboarding... I might really enjoy that too. Just have to wait a while to go again until the butt bone heals. Little hard to sit comfortably at the moment.

And although it was a fantastic week of riding (ungroomed powder and ooodles of fresh snow and sunshine) I think the best part of the trip this year was the newest edition to the "village." In the past we have strolled down the main streets of the village window shopping and oogling, but always headed back to the condo to eat. We only really ventured out to dinner for my birthday. This is mainly because the condo had a full kitchen so why waste money, we love to cook so it really is no big deal, and there were never many restaurants worth the effort. In fact, the restaurant directly across the street from the condo "Coyote Rose" has been vacant for three years. Ahhhh but as we walked out into the snow our first night we were met with a surprise...Coyote Rose gone..."Wine Thyme" was here. Jackpot! It was a wine and tapas bar that also sold retail. Owned by the greatest couple Rick and Cathy and their son Jason. Loved them! I wish I could pick up their shop and move it to RI. For those who will understand...it could be my new Tomato Vine. It had that feel (totally different type of restaurant...but that welcoming, friendly, cozy feel). Knowing that most of their clientele is probably tourists, they really have no reason to be chummy...but they were genuinely friendly people. We couldn't stop going in after skiing. We even had a faux birthday one night for me so we had an excuse to sample a wine flight. Lord...we need help. Seriously though, it was soooooooooooo nice. I was sad to leave them. I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that they make it in this stinky poo economy. I am already longing to go back!

Ahhh..only 365 more days until the next ski trip. Sigh. Ummmm...yeah....thats a bummer.