tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127038422012-01-09T20:29:59.781-08:00We dance like the naked chicken. Dance, chicken. Dance.Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.comBlogger1651100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-82780375751806153102010-07-18T02:39:00.000-07:002010-07-18T03:16:34.527-07:00

(In 2006, I was completing my Bachelor's Degree and required one more science course.  I chose Environmental Landscapes, because it was the only class that qualified that quarter.  Because I've been observing instinctive animal behavior up close for the past few days, with regards to my cats ambivalent meetings with my newborn grandson -- simultaneously dying of curiosity, while wanting nothing

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-4205015375935171142010-07-12T00:55:00.000-07:002010-07-18T10:26:55.817-07:00

World, meet Sylas. He was born on July 9, 2010. He was 8 lbs. 8 ozs., 21" long.  He also had a wicked little lung infection that necessitated a stay in the NICU, where he seems to be doing well. Unfortunately, it meant my daughter was forced to leave without him once she was discharged yesterday. All the time since has been trekking back and forth between home and the NICU, so that we can see

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-34194640504249035252010-06-28T10:58:00.000-07:002010-06-28T11:06:46.607-07:00

Conroe Brooks, Staci Lawrence and the FlashMob America group did a flashmob at Universal Citywalk this weekend in honor of the opening of the musical "In The Heights" at the Pantages. The creator and composer (and original star) Lin-Manuel Miranda was there to watch it. Apparently, he knew something was up, but wasn't expecting what he got. Take a look at his face as he watches them dance.

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-59587267175464769022010-06-19T02:14:00.000-07:002010-06-19T08:43:58.146-07:00

It was the oddest thing... I awoke this morning -- Friday morning -- in my own bed, in my own room. Yet, I was completely disoriented.  I spent at least half to three-quarters of a minute trying to figure out where I was, what day it was, what time it was, and if I needed to be anywhere. Even after I got my bearings, I wasn't able to completely shuck the feeling of not knowing exactly where I am

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1031380829894931242010-06-11T21:35:00.000-07:002010-06-11T21:35:04.873-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated this blog. I've been busy -- with school, with job hunting, with the impending birth of my first grandchild, with general, free-floating anxiety and depression.  I've probably been watching too much news, too.  And reading too many newspapers. Between school and baby talk and dealing with the dark, I haven't been able to do much free writing. I had to pick a

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-60012862622891006142009-12-25T10:42:00.000-08:002009-12-25T10:47:43.019-08:00

Merry Christmas  from  NAKED VOODOO CHICKEN DANCE

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-87357113884613763412009-11-26T10:25:00.001-08:002009-11-26T10:37:14.248-08:00

It's been a rough year for most folks.  Sometimes, when it's been a rough year, it's difficult to find stuff to be thankful for.  No one knows that better than I, who is coming out of a fairly rough two year cycle, emotionally, and now, financially. But here's what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful that my family is healthy and happy.  I'm thankful that I'm going to be a grandmother next summer.

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-44412952509324135152009-11-02T16:51:00.000-08:002009-11-02T16:55:11.071-08:00

November, for those who don't already know, is National Novel Writing Month. I wasn't supposed to be doing this this year. I was supposed to be concentrating on school and finishing projects and writing papers. For the next three years, my life, outside of anything I might do to earn a living or keep my household going, is to be devoted to only one thing -- school. No unscheduled fun. No

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-9346136629411464882009-10-22T02:38:00.000-07:002009-10-22T02:41:53.369-07:00

Okay, so I'm in the car today, singing to the iPod, as usual, and Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" comes on, and I'm singing at the top of my lungs, adagio con brio, again, as usual, and thinking how this song is so close to my heart and it's, like, the story of my life, and how many times have I lived this very scenario, and then... Suddenly, it hits me... "Grrrrrlllll... you have

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-20092532514430196052009-10-17T18:33:00.000-07:002009-10-18T00:59:14.342-07:00

The e-mail I sent her began, "Why didn't you warn me?"  And then proceeded with, "Oh. Yeah.  You did." And she did. And I listened at the time. Truly, I did.  But I didn't quite believe her.  Well, that's not accurate.  I believed her.  I just didn't understand her.  Apparently, when she wrote in big capital letters in the Twitter message directing me to her instructional e-mail on this

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-89344802019983893562009-10-17T14:35:00.000-07:002009-10-17T14:35:41.355-07:00

It's been a while, I realize.  Been concentrating on school, my life and the Chron, mostly.  But the Naked Chicken needs love, I know. Have a post ready.  Just making some final tweeks, and getting art permissions and then... we're there. Hang tight.  I've missed you, my doves. XO ~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-14186321993637360932009-03-18T06:55:00.000-07:002009-03-18T07:03:15.020-07:00

Happy 80th birthday, Dad.I hope that you're some place where you can celebrate it as you did when you were 9.XOAmanda

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-38400106828250659812009-03-07T23:10:00.000-08:002009-03-07T23:12:22.334-08:00

Just a misunderstanding in how I wanted to renew my domain name. Hopefully, it will be taken care of by Monday or Tuesday. Don't have much to say there at the moment, so it's good to have an excuse to take a break.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-23242143157505254112009-02-23T14:34:00.000-08:002009-02-23T14:51:07.247-08:00

It's National Banana Bread Day? And no one even thought to mention it? Boy, you guys could have saved yourselves a ton of mopin' and gripin'. At least for a day.Surely, that's a good omen. ("It is. And don't call me Shirley.")In honor of today, then, two little outdoor excursions. One, to Bodhi Tree Bookstore, the other the Panera.Vive le pain de banane! (De préférence avec des noix de

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-64408166911993397432009-02-23T06:16:00.000-08:002009-02-23T06:29:40.563-08:00

Could anything be more painful than reading the love poems and love words of the girlfriend of the man you love on his Facebook wall? And knowing he's responding in kind on hers? And... for the love of God... can't they send private messages for that? Does it have to be done in open comments on walls in Facebook and My Space?This is why I cannot go to his page anymore, even just to see how he's

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-42465220708186391242009-02-21T10:44:00.001-08:002009-03-03T20:35:59.964-08:00

It occurs to me... though somewhat belatedly, I'll grant you... that love shouldn't hurt. I'm not saying it should be a walk in the park every minute of every day, especially if two people are living together or seeing each other every day. People get on each other's nerves, a bad day at the office travels home in a person's empty lunch sack, bills and in-laws and kids make patience thin and

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-24016142185955113212009-01-15T10:38:00.000-08:002009-01-15T10:47:14.891-08:00

For a message from me in Maui. Aloha.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-43581068310594746142009-01-11T13:36:00.000-08:002009-01-12T02:34:52.899-08:00

I was supposed to be posting all my grand plans for 2009, but it appears... I have none.Well, that's not exactly true. I do, but I'm having a hard time shedding this really heavy cloak of mental chaos enough to articulate it. I've started this post about six or seven times, and seem never be able to finish. Everything I write seems either trite, or inauthentic or just plain daffy.I think the

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-9865045418886992272008-12-30T02:55:00.000-08:002008-12-30T03:35:03.841-08:00

Last year, in the hopes of avoiding the annoying Resolution phenom, I made a List of Things to Do in 2008. Before I move on and make my '09 list, I thought I'd review and see what I can cross off the list from this past year.New job: No joke. Really need to get me a new one of these. I need to start teaching for a living, or working for a publishing company, or actually supporting myself as a

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-19375451729955345232008-12-23T17:31:00.000-08:002008-12-23T23:11:41.857-08:00

The remains found in the marshy area a mile or so from Casey Anthony's parents' home have been positively identified through DNA as being those of Anthony's missing three-year-old, Caylee Anthony. I wish I could at least feign shock and surprise, but it is the outcome we all suspected was coming.Casey, who was charged with first-degree murder back in October and has been in jail ever since, has

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-35476294148448997102008-12-21T19:52:00.000-08:002008-12-21T19:55:23.312-08:00

Neil Gaiman's novella, Coraline, is coming to the screen in February. It is a strange amalgam of traditional stop-action model 3D, and digital 3D, and it looks really fun. Since I first was exposed to the story through the audiobook (read by Gaiman), it'll take a little getting used to to hear Coraline talking with an American accent. Still... here's the trailer.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-70911068212394847012008-12-04T20:14:00.000-08:002008-12-04T20:41:15.462-08:00

I decided today that it was time to let go of the summery colors decorating my little one-room apartment, and move this sucker toward winter. Don't laugh. No sooner had we here in SoCal decided to put our fans away and take down the window sun reflectors, ninety-five degree weather would return and we'd be sweltering. (But global warning is a myth, and Sarah Palin would like you to know that.)

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-8222420212777216402008-11-29T14:03:00.000-08:002008-11-29T14:11:37.777-08:00

I'm having intermittent problems with my cable internet reception, and no one at the cable company can figure out what the problem is.Let's see if we can take a look and diagnose the trouble ourselves, shall we?Oh. Dear. Yes. Well. That might be the problem, I suppose.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-84048694572188602812008-11-27T11:42:00.000-08:002008-11-27T11:48:02.733-08:00

Rick Astley? Really?I can't bear it. I missed the parade, but I'd like to stop now and give thanks for YouTube for preserving this moment forever."I like Rickrolling!!!" No. Stop. You're killin' me.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-82029260654405634642008-11-22T23:16:00.000-08:002008-11-23T08:48:08.850-08:00

In an attempt to break the oppressive malaise (or is it ennui?) that has kept me from writing creatively for the past several months, I have taken to cleaning and reorganizing my apartment. I am taking stuff to storage, rearranging where things are put, attempting to create clean, open spaces in a tiny single apartment, and making things work more efficiently and with less drama.This has

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-5860941952414804472008-11-18T12:44:00.001-08:002008-11-18T12:54:33.031-08:00

This book is information that EVERYONE needs to have in order to save their own life.This is simple, it's easy, and it's the right way to live, whether you have cancer or not. Dr. Servan-Schreiber has lived for fourteen years after his diagnosis of brain cancer. There's no reason not to live this way every day.The human brain and the human heart are the two biggest weapons in our fight against

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-31872567269914105562008-11-03T18:34:00.000-08:002008-11-03T20:51:59.965-08:00

Mitch Albom had a piece published on freep.com on my fiftieth birthday (Sunday, Nov. 2) about one Marilyn Mock, a 50-year-old Texas rock yard owner who committed what could be termed the Granddaddy of all Random Acts of Kindness in history. While attending a foreclosure auction with her son, who was buying a house, she met a young woman named Tracey Orr, who was most definitely not there to buy

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-30288745305234114382008-10-28T10:23:00.001-07:002008-10-28T10:31:08.359-07:00

Hope Edelman, who used to teach creative non-fiction at my alma mater, Antioch, gave an interview on our local CBS Channel 2 news about Jennifer Hudson's loss of her family this past weekend, particularly her mother. Edelman is the author of Motherless Daughters: The Legacy of Loss, a collection of stories, including her own, of women who hve lost their mothers.I had hoped to study with Edelman

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-60518253691920326902008-10-17T09:53:00.001-07:002008-10-17T09:53:56.098-07:00

~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-72696958134659765302008-10-11T20:52:00.000-07:002008-10-11T20:53:16.918-07:00

Yep, I'm going to be gone for a few days, starting Sunday. I'm going to the spa to indulge in treatments and long, loooooongggg soaks in the lithium-laden water of natural desert hot springs. I'm planning on reading, sleeping, eating amazing food and maybe taking an early morning walk in the desert.I am taking my computer, but the odds are good I won't be blogging. I've decided to relax and

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-52033554229893014102008-10-09T00:58:00.001-07:002008-10-09T01:07:29.035-07:00

Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart just won the first annual Naked Voodoo Chicken Dance Award (hereby nicknamed... uh.... the "Voodie"... yeah.... that's it) for being an absolute, undeniable mensch.Embedded video from CNN VideoToday, Sheriff Dart declared a moritorium on evictions in Cook County unless and until financial institutions start proving they've fulfilled their responsibilities regarding

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-29306435809741128572008-10-07T16:29:00.000-07:002008-10-07T16:31:38.916-07:00

It's easy nowadays to look up from our busy lives and discover that we have totally lost our way, and are now completely rudderless and without our bearings to find our way home. But don't take my word for it.Just ask these little guys.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-62408116084963351012008-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:002008-10-06T11:51:48.364-07:00

Freya has a major tummy issue. She's been throwing up since late Saturday morning. Just when I think it's over, it starts again. She's sequestered herself in the top-most spot in my closet.She is going to see a new vet today.UPDATE: From unhappy to mildly indignant, but otherwise okay. This is what comes from escaping into the night and eating something dead and rotten one finds hanging out

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-41897233055745484332008-10-02T09:44:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:48:49.936-07:00

I am not going to apologize for this. It is hopelessly, tragically, critical, severely adorable, and I do NOT care who knows it.Rupert the FawnThere. There's your morning dose of precious. Now be gone with you and spread the cute.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-19569701967702181982008-09-28T01:38:00.000-07:002008-09-28T02:23:20.136-07:00

Dear Paul,I can call you Paul, right? I mean, it only seems fair, since I've been in love with you for the past 40 years. The first time I saw you was on television, in a movie called What A Way To Go, with Shirley MacLaine. I originally wanted to see the movie because my previous love, Gene Kelly, was in it. But then I saw you, and I had to break Gene's heart and dump him for you. I was ten

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-27203712134464490382008-09-22T11:08:00.000-07:002008-09-22T11:11:35.461-07:00

Seriously. Why are we wasting time and endangering human operatives? This guy's good.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-54749068794746737762008-09-16T10:57:00.000-07:002008-09-19T02:47:40.718-07:00

Meet Christopher Marino, age 13. He's the one on the left in the picture. Christopher and his father, Walter, (pictured with him) had a teensy-tinesy little adventure not long ago. They were swimming off of Florida's Atlantic coast when they got caught in a powerful rip current and were swept apart. Nearly three miles apart. For 12 hours, Walter and Christopher treaded water, growing further

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-41424389395137955992008-09-16T04:15:00.001-07:002008-09-19T02:47:59.070-07:00

I can't imagine why police and the FBI think this crackpot killed her child and disposed of the body. What with her sterling character and her upstanding, forthright demeanor.Ummm... Casey? If you can find some free time in your busy schedule of being perpetually arrested and arraigned on child neglect charges, petty theft, check forgery and identity fraud, do you think you might take a moment

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-16200133754323095202008-09-15T10:38:00.001-07:002008-09-15T10:52:30.778-07:00

There's just one thing to say about Tina Fey's portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live this past weekend.Scary.Okay, really funny would be a couple of other words. But Fey's resemblance to Palin (which people have been discussing for days now in anticipation of just this sketch) is truly eerie. It also give me ideas.Anybody ever see the movie "DAVE"?Just sayin'....~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-86223854943411263752008-09-04T05:42:00.000-07:002008-09-04T06:31:48.310-07:00

It's not unusual to see huge feature credits in the middle of a trailer for a movie that has an "all-star" cast. But the trailer for Gus Van Sant's "Milk," the biographical account of the political ascendancy of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk, the first openly gay candidate to be elected to public office, includes an absolutely ENORMOUS single-card credit for writer Dustin Lance Black

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1501409236234169802008-09-03T10:04:00.000-07:002008-09-03T17:29:00.349-07:00

Here's a credibility fashion tip. If you're from south of the Mason-Dixon line and you're on a show called "MonsterQuest," talking about the night you went out squirrel hunting with a relative named Earl, and you and he came across Big Foot, you probably don't want to wear a trucker hat and a pair of overalls during the on-camera interview.Just sayin'.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-72854538630587788982008-08-23T22:57:00.000-07:002008-08-23T22:16:19.837-07:00

Confession: I'm a bad, bad Broadway mommy.I have a child who loves to sing and act, and is quite good at it. She has been exposed to a number of Broadway musicals, operas and plays that most kids her age have never seen or even heard of. And yet, the one musical that totally revolutionized theater in the 1970's -- the one that put Marvin Hamlisch on the map, and made Michael Bennett a household

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-18378983618098471992008-08-02T22:23:00.000-07:002008-08-02T22:48:41.764-07:00

It's a bit fraudulent for me to put this in the Art and Photography category. These are some photos I took with the new DSLR I bought two days ago, as a belated Bastille Day present for myself. (Hey! Back off! If I say it was a Bastille Day present, it was a Bastille Day present, damn you all!)Because I've been lacking in consensual human subjects, I've been forced to play with playground

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-52339813355849364762008-06-19T15:24:00.000-07:002008-06-19T22:43:18.039-07:00

Update: Article (from whence I got the photo) in Variety.Joseph DeMarco, Executive Vice President of Business Affairs for Fox Searchlight Pictures, and one of my first bosses when I started at Fox 13 years ago, passed away this morning at 3am during emergency abdominal surgery. He arrested during the administration of anesthesia. Or so they tell me.He was three days past his 48th birthday.He

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-36651071718035543632008-05-22T17:23:00.001-07:002008-05-22T17:27:01.114-07:00

I've never cared much for Michael Bay's movies, but I'm not much for explosions and such. And I do own TRANSFORMERS, so I guess I don't hate his stuff. It's just not my cup o' tea most of the time.But I love me some Verizon, and I love me some clever commercial, and the two have been combined in a television/internet spot for Verizon FiOS that can only be described as "awesome!"("Awesome pussycat

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-13551779122973934722008-05-15T06:32:00.000-07:002008-05-15T08:34:59.163-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it. I had Anya Kop picked as ANTM Cycle 10 winner from the fourth week of the show. Quirky accent (sort of Eastern European meets native Hawaiian meets imitation of Cycle 8's Natasha Galinka), "broken" nose, gamin, elfin, ethereal and characteristically sized two, the tow-headed Kop seemed to embody everything ANTM has always held dear -- edginess, beauty, the ever-touted body

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-19449157596596605012008-05-05T09:03:00.000-07:002008-06-19T16:56:12.964-07:00

A horse is not fully grown until at least five years of age. The bones are not knit. The tendons and cartilage are not set. Hence, the tendency to refer to racehorses as "colts and fillies," terms for immature horses.When you watch, bet on or in any way support American horseracing and their inclination to run horses from one to three years of age -- including the Triple Crown -- you are

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-89154744969367940072008-05-04T07:43:00.000-07:002008-05-04T08:17:00.054-07:00

As most of you already know (because you saw the now-gone ticker at the top of the site), I left my job of 13 years on Friday, to pursue a life of freelance work as a writer/teacher (hopefully)/copy editor/literary bon vivant. (Okay, that last one might be pushing it a bit.)As a tribute to this major life transition, my friend Gerry forwarded me this link* on a talk by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-76598910810494929152008-04-27T20:00:00.001-07:002008-04-27T22:17:46.099-07:00

Just sitting here at Granada Laundry (where the wireless is free, but the quad-load washers cost the equivalent of the military budget of a small Latin American nation), and am bombarded by three flatscreen televison, each blasting something different -- basketball on the one over my head, a Spanish-language comedy in the Northeast corner, and a Spanish-language talk/reality show in the Southwest

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-45996287683218711652008-04-24T13:13:00.001-07:002008-04-24T13:39:35.024-07:00

(In other places, other forms, I have long griped about having to navigate long lines at all the food stations, the salad bar, and then the cashier, just to get lunch. Today was a day, like any other day. But because I'm cranky, I decided to confront my frustration through satire.)LOS ANGELES, CA -- Twentieth Century Fox Studios was devastated when it was hit with yet another sudden torrential

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-76692044571997440012008-04-24T11:19:00.000-07:002008-04-24T11:22:05.795-07:00

I am, you know. I've got a one-inch fuse right now, so if you'd like to pick a fight, I'm your girl. Someone here at the office said I had "senioritis." "You so want to ditch today and go get that 'prom tan'." And truer words were never spoken. 8 days. Eight days. EIGHT DAYS. And yet, miles to go before I sleep. (In.)~A~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-15019839669347882512008-04-08T15:14:00.000-07:002008-04-10T13:40:40.121-07:00

They sent me the diploma. Now, they'll never be able to take it back. Apologies to the recently departed Mr. Heston when I say,"From my cold, dead fingers...."(Suckers.)~C~(cross posted at MySpace)

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-91067873704065486922008-03-25T19:36:00.000-07:002008-03-25T22:25:51.620-07:00

I saw MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY on Saturday night, and thought it was very charming.As many of you know, I never -- I MEAN, EVER -- read movie reviews of films I haven't seen yet (ever since Roger Ebert decided to show his contempt for a movie by revealing it's biggest plot twist without a "spoiler" warning, the rat bastard!).I figured I'd be safe reading a review on MISS PETTIGREW, because

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-11658727958694211142008-03-21T23:08:00.001-07:002008-03-21T23:25:11.915-07:00

I've been driving by the House on Carpenter occasionally to see what the new owner had in store. For a long time, dumpsters in the front didn't indicate whether we were looking at a demo/new build, or just a flip.Today, I had lunch with Jim B. and his daughter, Maddie (and also Amelia Bedelia, but that's another story -- or two -- or twelve), and as I drove home, I thought I'd swing by and check

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-67922324858103883512008-03-17T14:53:00.000-07:002008-03-17T15:58:26.445-07:00

So, perhaps St. Patrick's Day is not the day that one typically associates with gratitude and thankfulness. I would wager that's because one has never sat beside friends one has met at a Santa Monica pub -- your first, their thirty-second (the number 32 symbolically representing, of course, all the counties on the Emerald Isle, which I gather can only be wrestled to unity from British clutches

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-91954771712600739432008-03-13T15:35:00.001-07:002008-03-14T04:25:01.579-07:00

This scary character at the left is Treffly Coyne. She's got a mugshot on file somewhere, though we've never seen it. Oh, sure. She looks pleasant enough. But beware. Treffly Coyne is a wanton, dangerous criminal. No, seriously. Getta load o' this!!! Oh, believe me. This woman is a fiend... A FIENNDDDD, I tell you!On December 8, 2007, Treffly Coyne, mother of three in the Chicago suburb of Tinley

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-34573178282065966022008-03-10T11:23:00.000-07:002008-03-10T11:49:40.692-07:00

It's kind of mind-boggling that people's lives become so inextricably interwoven with yours that, after they are no longer here, you spend months and months stumbling across the little dribs and drabs -- stuff that never occurred to you after the initial loss, that keeps coming up over and over. The responsiblities that fall immedately post-mortem -- the sorting, the cleaning, the disposal of

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-35472786822307222332008-03-07T14:55:00.000-08:002008-03-07T15:17:46.760-08:00

I'm just wondering when Common Sense passed away. No. Seriously. Because I hadn't even heard It had a cough.Today in Orlando, Florida, a mother was arrested after a do-it-yourself car wash surveillance video showed her spraying her two-and-a-half year old daughter with a power sprayer. I contemplated whether to put a link to the video in this post, but decided against it. I'm linking to the story

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-30411975300669392852008-02-27T12:52:00.000-08:002008-02-27T13:32:55.957-08:00

Here's a picture of my new boyfriend. I came home last night after a day of particularly intense upheaval, personally and professionally, only to find that Tivo had, of its own accord, recorded an episode of Mega Disasters entitled Super Swarms, about locusts and their impact on humanity. "This is stupid," I thought, as I highlighted the entry. "Who in their right mind would want to watch a

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-7576931909722127552008-02-25T15:28:00.000-08:002008-02-26T15:19:35.733-08:00

Back in December of last year, when Mary-Mia from Do They Have Salsa In China was feeling a little punk and decided to try and keep her identical twin 3-year-olds occupied with a video so she could rest, she inadvertently started a bit of row as to whether the girls would watch "Mee-Moss" (Mickey Mouse, Rose's first choice) or "Six Babies" (the DVD of Jon & Kate Plus 8, Marie's preference). As

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-3511307507771232192008-02-20T17:37:00.000-08:002008-02-20T17:41:50.380-08:00

FINALLY!Scientific evidence to PROVE what we already knew.Pregnancy leads to brain damage. I'd tell you all exactly what that means, but... I forgot. ~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-42353157662767832492008-02-14T00:38:00.001-08:002008-02-14T00:39:58.056-08:00

~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-78575004196820931462008-01-23T20:46:00.000-08:002008-01-23T22:10:58.253-08:00

I tend to shy away from resolutions, because things we "resolve" to resolve are so rarely ever fully resolved (bad habits broken must forever be avoided, weight lost must constantly be kept off, etc.). That's where my "List of Things to Do" comes in. Yes, I have one. And I'm not talking about the one that tells me which errands to procrastinate over on any given Saturday. I'm talking about the

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-64299070481034017152008-01-09T11:51:00.000-08:002008-01-09T12:20:23.898-08:00

It is with a mixture of gratitude, nostalgia and pride that I pin the "Meanest Mom on the Planet" tiara onto the glorious head of one Jane Hambleton, 48, of Fort Dodge, Iowa. It's been a long and fabulous run as "Meanest Mom", my darling subjects, but all good things must come to an end, and Mrs. Hambleton has proven herself to be more than amply capable of assuming the throne.According to this

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-91821165415871687352008-01-01T16:02:00.000-08:002008-01-01T16:03:18.999-08:00

Went to the most fun New Years party I've ever been to -- very small, but with a bunch of New York actors. We ate Chinese food, we drank almond champagne (a new fave), we watched some Luciano Pavarotti in his last concert from Central Park, we watched the ball drop in Times Square... hug, hug... kiss, kiss... nosh, nosh... nosh some more. So much fun....Left the party totally wired at 3 am, got

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-24505835285930971182007-12-18T21:37:00.001-08:002007-12-18T21:41:36.282-08:00

Photographic evidence for you all that I did, in fact, actually graduate on Sunday. And I managed to walk across the stage in heels without tripping, which was good.Also, note to self. The next time I graduate, I'm going to cut a nice little bang into my hair. I look like such a doofus in the morterboard, but Jillian, to my immediate left looks kind of darling with that little bang. So

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-18216781104395020372007-12-15T06:02:00.001-08:002007-12-18T21:27:02.677-08:00

Yesterday, I had my final reading for my MFA. I read an excerpt from the first chapter of a novel I'm working on. It went well.Savannah was there, along with a couple of good friends. I taught my class on Wednesday, and that also went well -- though I fell about ten minutes short of material. Thank God I had a talkative, question-askin' bunch of folks. I'm hoping my evaluations are merciful.

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-8452047184934661742007-12-06T16:39:00.000-08:002007-12-06T17:05:46.429-08:00

As you can see by the counter at the top of the blog, my MFA graduation is a mere ten days away. My final residency begins tomorrow. My manuscript is done (see photo at left), my paperwork is (mostly) done. I have my outline for my final lecture nearly done, though I need to sort out the wording for the writing assignment (which will, mercifully, eat up about 20 of the 50 minutes I'm supposed to

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-14122808405789314422007-11-06T02:01:00.000-08:002007-11-06T02:02:57.714-08:00

The newly minted MySpace lit journal, Nouveau Blank, has published one of my short stories, entitled Til We Come Round Right, for it's November issue. This could be the beginning of a trend -- where I actually make the effort to submit my work, and, occasionally, people actually take the time and trouble to publish it. Hmmmm... Enjoy.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-68527402673893853232007-10-18T17:12:00.001-07:002007-10-18T17:12:48.779-07:00

As promised in yesterday's post, I tried to personalize my donation website provided by Team-in-Training, but it is pretty limited. It is still the place to go to donate, and it's set up well for that. But it doesn't allow me to whine to the desire I choose.So I've created a new blog -- TriCathLete -- in which I will sob and cry my way through share the process of competing in the Toyota Desert

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-34824908312086375362007-10-17T18:36:00.000-07:002007-10-17T18:39:19.108-07:00

(Cross-posted at The Catharine Chronicles and MySpace)No turning back now. I've started training for the Desert Triathlon Sprint event on April 20, 2008 in La Quinta, California. I am officially a member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Westside Team-in-Training, or, as my sister and her endurance sports friends call them, "The Purple People." TIT is the athletic event fundraising arm of

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-85875009337659349922007-09-18T10:50:00.000-07:002007-09-18T14:44:32.126-07:00

"But when I was no longer a child, I put away childish things..." (1 Corinthians 13:11) One of the good parts of being a grown-up is getting to be your own parent. Feel not taken care of? Feeling not cherished? Feeling unprotected and undefended? Feeling unappreciated and abandoned? You get to do that for yourself. You get to be the parent. To you. My sister has spent nearly every waking hour

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-34210120862543180392007-07-08T10:40:00.000-07:002008-06-19T16:56:12.966-07:00

My father has been ill for quite some time. As many of you know, I moved in to his house to care for him for several months, until my sister took over those duties in February. He was suffering from chronic obstructive pulminary disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease).He finally let go early this morning. He went peacefully, with no pain. Penny was periodically spooning

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-64411090891324779172007-05-21T19:38:00.000-07:002007-05-21T19:43:10.283-07:00

"Okay, Mom... We went fishing today and... and... long story short... we now have... a goose."First off, what d'ya mean "we," white man? Second... oh, hell, there is no second... What d'ya mean "we," white man?They've named it Aflac. They're taking it to the Wildlife Center tomorrow, after it opens. (And that's an order, soldier!)A goose, indeed... Goodnight, Mabel.... ~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-40298395599357308682007-05-18T17:11:00.001-07:002007-05-18T17:11:34.694-07:00

An arts program in Los Angeles needs our support! Self Help Graphics and Arts, a program that supports Latinos artists in printmaking. The East L.A. arts center has felt the bite of reduced federal and private-sector grant money (since we have this great big war we have to pay for), and is on the verge of having to close its doors. Self Help is seeking alternate sources of grant money, but, as

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-53498283345931632162007-05-14T12:42:00.000-07:002007-05-14T12:45:48.541-07:00

If I like it, it gets cancelled. That's one of Murphy's most indelible laws. It's official. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is cancelled. I survived the West Wing's cancellation. After John Spencer died, and the show was going into its eighth season, Jed Bartlett was leaving the Oval Office, and Toby was on his way to the hoosegow for contempt of Congress, it seemed that the show had naturally

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-29101966429812028302007-05-10T15:17:00.000-07:002007-05-10T15:21:54.871-07:00

As I get closer and closer to finishing my MFA, I have had a couple of people ask me why I bothered, since its not like you can't write without one. This is ever so true. People all over the world write beautifully without MFAs in Creative Writing. So why, indeed? Why should a writer spend over $30K to get a degree that won't necessarily make them a better writer*?I wrote an essay over at Helium

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-75610354935991565612007-05-04T11:54:00.000-07:002007-05-04T14:03:04.211-07:00

But enough about me and what I write. Let's talk about you, and what YOU write. Or what you might write, if you be courageous enough to pick up the soon-to-be-thrown-down gauntlet.Every year on November 1st, tens of thousands of intrepid writers and writer-wannabes gather over at National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) to undertake the Herculean task of writing a 50,000-word novel in a mere

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-19432467645062528242007-04-25T13:31:00.000-07:002007-04-25T16:23:59.787-07:00

I've been writing and posting some essays and a couple of fiction pieces on Helium.com. The above link takes you to my bio page, where all my pieces are listed. I'd love it if you guys would read them -- the greater the number of hits, the higher in the ratings I rise (and the greater the opportunity for me to get paid).If you want to join Helium, I'd be beholden if you could e-mail and let me

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-74965767947089235252007-03-15T16:40:00.000-07:002007-03-15T18:54:13.808-07:00

My friend, Shannon, sent me this "name game" e-mail, and, since she suggested I share it with a "few friends," I figured I'd just post it on the Naked Chicken and be done with it. Here are the names of all my personalities for your amusement (my comments in blue):1.YOUR PORN STAR NAME: (first pet and current street name):Duffy Lasaine (no... seriously)2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-35644218172403685712007-03-14T13:16:00.000-07:002007-03-14T14:34:18.148-07:00

Admittedly, this early transition to DST has left me completely in a muddle. I usually have a hard time "springing forward" anyway, but this year, I've been late to work every day this week, and daylight saving time is to blame. I'm not sleepy when the clock says I should be, I'm not hungry when I'm supposed to be, my entire inner clock has been thrown out of whack.In short, I have had it. Why on

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-17977836666952745452007-02-23T13:06:00.000-08:002007-02-23T13:51:28.965-08:00

It's too much. I can't stand idly by while such a travesty is allowed to continue. If I do, I'll be an accessory after the fact. It is only be speaking up, by voicing our dissent, by loudly railing against wickedness and wrong where we see it that we can truly combat the forces of evil. It is for this reason that I say, emphatically and with no reservation....Raisins have absolutely no business

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-53890736888213612112007-02-08T17:10:00.001-08:002007-03-14T14:34:18.149-07:00

The Digs.What it lacks in space, it makes up for in being reeeeally tiny.But it is forcing me to be meticulous and judicious about culling and keeping.And it's 100% cigarette smoke free!Wah-hooooo....~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-88564483145595547122006-12-31T00:28:00.000-08:002007-03-14T14:35:37.957-07:00

The Python Channel.(broadcast in high definition and 3D) Contact your local cable provider for details. ~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-82882228660613460262006-12-21T12:36:00.000-08:002007-03-14T14:34:30.972-07:00

I just spent ten glorious days as a writer. Not a legal secretary who manages to squeeze in writing when she has the time and energy, but a writer. Considered so by other writers. I did a reading of one of my short stories, workshopped some essays, and got some really amazing feedback.I got the mentor I wanted (Rob Roberge), and my co-mentees are some of my very favorite people in the program. I

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1164680809130745502006-11-27T18:23:00.000-08:002008-03-13T14:23:35.267-07:00

Listen, bucko. I've got three words for you.... CHANGE OF ADDRESS!!! Okay? Got it? I realize that being a lousy letter-writer comes with the mitochondrial DNA, but enough is enough, kiddo. We may not have been raised together, but I'm still your big sister, and I can kick your ass! (And I believe that there's a section in the Bill of Rights that gives me express permission to just that. I'll have

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1163449587714755852006-11-13T12:24:00.000-08:002007-03-14T14:35:37.958-07:00

"I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior."- Hippolyte Taine - Jerry1997 - 2006

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1163122578691138802006-11-09T17:31:00.000-08:002006-11-09T17:36:54.976-08:00

I call "Dibs"! ~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1161803656575188552006-10-25T12:12:00.000-07:002007-03-14T14:36:15.488-07:00

... a very important message.Mary-Mia and Rod from Do They Have Salsa in China* are finally, definitely, really parents. They are pictured in the post by Mary-Mia's dad (happy grandpa) holding their 1-year-old twins, Rose and Marie (they're identical, so please don't ask who's who), and have already spent a near-sleepless night. I think they're already earning their chops.Congratulations to M3

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1161636180078725372006-10-23T13:24:00.000-07:002006-10-23T19:33:45.476-07:00

Ever since Dove put photos of real, untouched, unairbrushed women's bodies on their posters a few years ago, I've watched with cautious optimism to see just exactly where their so-called "Campaign for Real Beauty" was going. I have watched other media try and tackle the monsters of our twisted American perception of beauty, and have sighed with disappointment as the attempts fizzled in the face

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1160425391289509422006-10-09T13:14:00.000-07:002007-03-14T14:36:53.901-07:00

... that we'd see the day when it was actually better for us to eat a Big Mac, fries and a Coke than a salad?Two words, man...SUPERSIZE ME!!!~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1158639781912134902006-09-18T21:12:00.000-07:002006-09-18T21:24:33.726-07:00

My friends, Valerie and Matthew, spent 18 months landscaping their backyard into a gorgeous little oasis in the midst of a San Fernando Valley suburb. You can watch it all for yourself (compressed into an amazingly deceptive 26 minutes) on this Wednesday's episode of Landscaper's Challenge on HGTV.com.Watch it.No, no.You don't understand.I'm not asking.I'm telling.Watch it.Or else.I know your

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1157662094095078522006-09-07T13:39:00.000-07:002007-03-14T14:37:09.622-07:00

Okay, so Rod and Mary-Mia have an adorable set of twin girls waiting for them in China. And, yes, we all agree they're pickin' adorable.BUT! Not to be upstaged or outdone, their house is not the only one that has a new baby (or two) to brag about. We have a new baby in our house, too. And she's every bit as cute as the twins, PLUS... and this is a biggie... she has a tail! Can Mary-Mia's

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1156844574763925492006-08-29T02:38:00.000-07:002006-08-29T02:46:21.283-07:00

After a year and a half of waiting, stressing and doing unspeakable things with Mentos and Diet Coke, Mary-Mia and Rod over at Do They Have Salsa in China have finally received their adoption referral.The Naked Voodoo Chicken is dancing up a storm to celebrate not one, but two gorgeous baby girls, Rose and Marie (middle names are kind of in a state of flux as yet). Here's to a speedy travel date

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1156356333150422742006-08-23T10:36:00.000-07:002006-08-23T11:35:10.013-07:00

My friends know me. They love me for who I am. And my friends who know and love me know better than to expect me to sugar-coat my opinions, even for them. So my friends do not come to me if they want to be in denial. They come to me if they want the straight scoop. Because that's what I'm going to give them. I'm going to tell them things they might not want to hear, but that will do them a

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1155692099607959242006-08-15T18:30:00.000-07:002006-08-15T18:35:37.643-07:00

Today's post is in Pink.... and nothing could be more appropriate. Best Available's Deirdre and I have conspired to bring the unbearable cuteness of toenails to the blogosphere.Please, join us at the Buffet of Cuteness.You won't be sorry. Well, you might be. But we won't... and that's the most important thing, isn't it.~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1155601381911710182006-08-14T17:22:00.001-07:002006-08-14T18:04:10.180-07:00

The end of July and beginning of August are always difficult for me, but I always forget why until long after I've melted down. July 20th is the anniversary of my beloved godmother's death from lung cancer. July 23rd is her birthday. August 9th is the anniversary of my own mother's death, from a cerebral hemorrage in 1991.Sometime around mid-July… like, say, the 17th or so, I begin to get a

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1153333790809552782006-07-24T11:27:00.000-07:002006-07-24T11:37:24.113-07:00

Ever heard of Catherine Sanderson? No? Me, neither. That's her picture on the right. Recognize her now? Yeah, neither do I. I sincerely doubt that Ms. Sanderson's own mother could make a positive ID from this photo, but for now, we'll let that go. According to this CNN.com article, Ms. Sanderson was recently given the sack from her administrative clerical job at the Paris office of conservative

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1153344749778387592006-07-19T14:29:00.000-07:002006-07-19T14:38:39.113-07:00

My former musical theatre director's husband sent me this today... (thanks, Matt).Never let it be said that the Japanese can't dance a mean Horah.(For the record, I think they're actually quite good, especially since it appears that this is only a rehearsal.)And... by the way.... What DON'T we love about YouTube.com, I ask you?~C~

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703842.post-1152749132791955502006-07-12T17:00:00.000-07:002006-07-12T17:12:27.866-07:00

Is it just me, or is this of some concern? I mean, what if beings from another galaxy -- with higher intelligence than ours, but with heads shaped like a stack of flapjacks -- should happen across our lost spatula? What if they completely misunderstand that the spatula on this planet is a universally peaceful implement, signifying love, brotherhood and chicken quesadillas? What if they

Catharinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04091573659382127496noreply@blogger.com1