why...

why can't our presidential candidates buy votes as blatantly as those in Ecuador? apparently, the conservative billionaire candidate, Alvaro Noboa, passed out money, wheelchairs, medicine, and computers to potential constituents over the past three months before Sunday's runoff vote, against leftist candidate, Rafael Correa (who will probably be declared winner in the next couple days). of course, Noboa is just a shyster politician who really should be a television evangelist...

(from sunday's SF Gate): Before voting earlier Sunday in the coastal city of Guayaquil, Noboa read a passage from the Bible in the midst of a mob of supporters pushing to touch him. He then fell to his knees, asking God for his support and saying all he wanted was "to serve, to serve, to serve" the poor.

"Like Christ, all I want is to serve ... so that the poor can have housing, health care, education, jobs," he said.

oh puh-leeze.

good luck to Correa though. this man, who has a PhD in economics from the university of illinois, will have a tough road ahead; Ecuador has had eight presidents in the past decade. man...they must eat 'em for breakfast.

sick...

i came down with a cold a couple days ago. it was kinda weird...all i remember was sitting at the computer and getting a sore throat. of course, i took an antihistamine and drank a couple cups of peppermint/cold care tea before going to bed.

yesterday morning, i woke up extremely parched from the antihistamine...but with a huge appetite. i hydrated myself and ate steadily for an hour or two. oh yeah, also popped some lozenges.

sore throat gone

last night...as i sat at the computer, i could a pimple forming on my left cheekbone. within a couple hours, it transformed into a huge boil. so strange to sit there and actually feel the heat trickle up into the boil.

the heat has gone away some but i'm just waiting for it to burst and have maggots spring out of it. don't worry though, i'm not gonna look for a pic online...so you can keep all that turkey/mashed potatoes/macncheese/gravy/cranberry/stuffing/pumpkin pie down ;)

update?

been a busy bee lately...or just too damn lazy to post ;)

here's a quick rundown of my last week:

monday night, i did end up going to Tommy's Thai for some takeout (Pad Thai, Phad Prik King, and Tom Yum Gai)...Argonaut for a bottle of champagne...and gave Lois that ring that I posted the picture of. although we really wanted to go out that night, it was still a very nice 13th anniversary...even if the food was a bit too salty.

tuesday night, we did go to the Argentine restaurant. in fact, we even sat at the table in the middle of this picture! this meal was much more wonderful than the previous night's takeout. of course, it was also 5x the price ;) we started with two appetizers: mushrooms stuffed w/ spinach and boursin cheese and grilled provolone w/ oregano, garlic, and tomatoes - heavenly! they were followed by a salad, a 14 oz. rib eye w/ sweet potato fries and roasted veggies, and an excellent flan accompanied w/ an out of this world dulce de leche (think of really intense caramel). we downed a fine bottle of Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina and topped our meal off w/ some coffee. to celebrate our anniversary over two days was definitely an exercise of indulgence heh.

on wednesday, i went to lunch w/ this blogger. he and i have been friends for more than twenty years (since 8th grade). we share similar political views and a penchant for pizza and mexican food. it's funny...although he and i weren't best friends in high school, we have stayed in touch better than the rest of our circle (of friends), who seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. anyway, we went to NY Pizzeria and Dairy Queen and spent three hours catching up. if he's not too busy editing/writing and i'm not traveling, we attempt to get together at least twice a year.

thursday...lois and i went downtown to see this man. he was in town to accept the John Cassavettes filmmaker award from the Denver Film Society. it was at Temple Buell...well attended...and a lot of fun. there was a retrospective of his film career, both as actor and director/writer, spanning the last twenty years. watching each snippet of his films made me want to add to our netflixx queue or pop in Shawshank; he's such a talented (and level-headed) filmmaker. robert denerstein, the film critic for the rocky mountain news, interviewed him for at least 45 minutes before he was presented with the award. the night wasn't over though. after the gala at Temple Buell, there was a jam-packed reception at the Cruise Room in the Oxford Hotel....w/ a crapload of beer, wine, and bombay sapphire gin! unfortunately, we only stayed for a couple martinis before bolting to eat somewhere; the promised food for the reception didn't come out until 40 minutes AFTER we left...we just didn't want to stay until midnight among 400 pushy lushes w/ just a handful of tables to place your drinks and food.


friday. like suckers, we joined the throngs of people who wanted the ride the new SE corridor light rail. lois and i thought it would be a good time to see our friend at PF Changs. after all, we could leave the car at the Colorado/I-25 stop (where lois works) and head to Park Meadows.

big freakin' mistake

we had no idea that the Park Meadows stop has NO direct access to the mall!!! you stop RIGHT across from Nordstrom's...but have to take a pedestrian bridge in the opposite direction and catch the 402 LTD (which only comes every 30 min.) to the mall.

wtf?!?

i guess it's all good if you have a paid ticket or transfer but we didn't have any small bills/change since we thought our free train ride would get us TO the mall w/o any hassle!

ugh

don't believe the reports about everything being SO rosy. in yesterday's paper, some official who lives in Washington D.C., gushed about how he LOVED the system and wanted to move here.

why?

the subway system in D.C. is WAY better than our skimpy 32 mile system that's too expensive and too DAMN slow. i've been on subway systems in chicago, dc, mexico city, and madrid and can honestly say that our dinky light rail can't even compare. i'm sure that the new routes will ease the traffic load during rush hours, but it's not as GREAT as everyone thinks. damn, with the fools that were riding on friday, you'd think that the majority of them had never taken public transportation in their entire lives...

you can guess that we didn't go to PF Chang's for dinner then, eh? nope. instead, we hopped on a northbound train and headed for downtown, where sixteen year-old kids shout about how they're gonna get drunk and then ravage Virgin Records.

shu-uut up! i so wanted to stick my foot up that loudmouth's ass...

we ended up having dinner at the newly remodeled Little India on 15th and Champa. the food was great as usual but the decor resembles a hip sushi bar (dark wood, italian lighting) and the atmosphere is now cold since all the carpeting was removed. it kinda reminded me of a Chipotle restaurant. oh well. at least the vindaloo was super hot and the kabli naan, chewy and sweet.

a simple observation: little india has perpetually won a best of denver award (Westword, 5280 Magazine, etc.) since it opened its doors in 1998, compiling at least 15-20 awards. well, tell me why they chose to decorate the men's bathroom w/ three of them then.

really...there's one above the urinal and two next to the commode. is it cultural? or have they just run out of room? talk about bee-zarre...

saturday we chose not to go out. the house was a mess and we needed some down time. i went to the cemetery w/ my sisters to visit dad and my eldest sister's late husband, donald. afterwards, we hung out at mom's...putting on window coverings and chowing down on chinese sausage, boiled chicken, and mom's wonderful stir fry bean sprouts.

sunday was relatively quiet too. i spent the afternoon w/ mom, watching football games. later, lois and i had dinner and went to the store. woohoo...

and that, my friends, was my week. 'nite

you're gonna...

need an ocean, of calamine lotion.

arrrggghhhh. i've reacted allergically to something i ate on friday...

late friday night, a rash started forming across my stomach.

by sunday, the same rash covered the inside of my thighs.

and today, it reached my arms.

i am goin' ka-razy! i hope the cocktail of champagne and antihistamine will put me to sleep...

while that's happening, tell me from what song is the first line of the posting and the group that originally performed it.

btw, i think this is the culprit...stupid chinese radish!

i had no idea...

she showed up in bit roles...as a best friend in 'Bewitched'...as Jeff Daniels' wife in 'RV'. and recently, i had seen her on late night talk shows.

BUT

i had no idea that she was a major Broadway actress and won a Tony in 1999 as Charlie Brown's little sis:



i am quickly becoming a fan of this little pixie and her phenomenal voice.

may as well...

since Cindi said she would check:

1. Explain what ended your last relationship.
i don't THINK so

2. When was the last time you shaved?
thursday

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
reading the paper

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
watching YouTube

5. Are you any good at math?
yeah...i took calc in high school, but i'm better w/ algebra, geometry, & trig. stats was fun in college even though my prof looked like Beelzebub

6. How was your prom night?
hah...May '88...Britt Bryant, whom I had known since 2nd grade...good times ;)

7. Do you have any famous ancestors?
not that i know of...

8. Have you had to take a loan out for school?
just one...paid it off more than ten years ago

9. Do you know the words to the song on your Myspace profile?
this week's song...no...but i change my song (usually) every friday

10. Last thing received in the mail?
two things that i won on eBay...credit card bill...something from the CSO

11. How many different beverages have you had today?
water and champagne

12. Do you ever leave messages on people's answering machine?
depends on how urgent the call is...i'd rather email anyway

13. Whom did you lose your concert virginity to?
omg...MOTLEY CRUE...november (?) 1985...Theatre of Pain Tour...Autograph opened!

14. Do you draw your name in the sand when you go to the beach?
no...i'm usually looking for shells or wiggling my toes in the water :)

15. What was the most painful dental procedure you have had?
gum surgery for a tooth that broke beneath the gumline. the shot in the upper palate will just about kill you

16. What is out your back door?
a Char-Broil Grill that got off easy this summer...

17. Any plans for Friday night?
mebbe a free ride on the light rail to the PF Changs to see a friend who works there

18. Do you like what the ocean does to your hair?
wha??? who cares.

19. Have you ever received one of those big tins of 3 different popcorns?
a couple times. the caramel corn doesn't stand a chance

20. Have you ever been to a planetarium?
a few times

21. Do you re-use towels after you shower?
Absolutely...

22. Some things you are excited about?
mebbe a trip. i think i'm gonna use some miles and go back to Puerto Rico in april

23. What is your favorite flavor of JELLO?
cherry...lime...orange...in that order

24. Describe your keychain.
it's a red fob from Virginia Village Texaco...which no longer exists

25. Where do you keep your change?
In my fanny pack...or in film canisters, if they're quarters. did you know that a film canister holds $6.25? good to keep in the glove compartment for parking

26. What kind of winter coat do you own?
i've got a few...but the one i wear most is black fleece on the inside and tan/brown out

27. What was the weather like on your graduation day?
High school...it was a windy night at All City Stadium (June 8, 1988)
College...the weather was cold - i graduated in December

28. Do you sleep with the door to your room open or closed?
usually closed

is no one...

open on mondays? sheesh. for our anniversary dinner today, i was considering this restaurant...but noooo, they're closed on mondays.

so on a whim, i even considered this one (since i won a $50 gift certificate from the radio station last month) and save the nicer one for tomorrow...but they too are closed on mondays. wtf? i thought the 'closed on monday' phenomena only occurred amongst old school chinese restaurants.

sigh...can't eat nowhere in this town on mondays ;)

guess i'll get some thai takeout and a bottle of w(h)ine.

bet...

someone wants to cut off his tongue right now.

i'm no philatelist, but some fool in Broward County (FL) submitted an absentee ballot with this stamp on it...a 24-cent Inverted Jenny. the image on the stamp, a World War I biplane, was accidentally printed upside down on four sheets of (100) stamps. when the mistake was brought to light, three of the sheets were destroyed...but one (sheet) ended up going into distribution. it's one of the most coveted stamps among collectors...a pristine specimen is worth around $200,000! just last year, a block of four Jenny stamps was purchased for a cool $2.97 MILLION!

apparently, the county commissioner, who collected in his youth, came across the stamp while he reviewed ballots. not only was the ballot useless, since it had no name, but whomever was the owner of the stamp, can't claim it for at least 22 months - the amount of time the county keeps the ballot boxes sealed.

i wonder what's going to become of it now that the word is out. although the stamp is now canceled, it's still worth $20-100,000. i'm sure there are enough shady people who will try to procure this little collectible by any means. if there's any consolation for the fool (if he's even coherent) is that he can be identified as the stamp's owner via DNA sample...in 2008 :P

not...

this ring...
nor this one...










...but this one.

yes, people, we are celebrating our thirteenth on the thirteenth. and it's only appropriate that i buy lois a citrine ring for our anniversary. it'll be the second time this year i've bought her jewelry, which is rare because i usually go a couple years in between. in april, for her birthday, i found a very fine yellow topaz in mexico city. i hope she likes the ring. that's what i like about this blog...she doesn't read it ;) so i don't have to suppress surprises because they won't be divulged anyway!

btw, who knows what kind of animal is depicted in the second picture? if you tell me(correctly) in the comments, i will bestow upon you the title of "Fledgling Primatologist of the Week!" BIG whoop, eh?

so...

that's what it was like for potential voters yesterday. all i can say is, "Glad I voted early!" sure, it took an hour last week, but my experience was quite painless compared to those who braved three hour waits yesterday. good thing the weather was pleasant. i wonder if the turnout would have been as great if it was cold and snowy...

you know, after suffering in 2004 early voting, you'd think that i would've learned my lesson and done an absentee ballot this year. humph. well, i am vowing to NEVER go to the polling places ever again! from now on, it's gonna be a couple stamps and that chunky piece o' paper...

i wonder who's going to get all the flak for the voting centers fiasco anyway. i read that we went from a usual 300 polling precincts to 55 voting centers. who the HELL believed that shrinking the number of places to vote by more than 80% would make for a more efficient experience?!? excuse me, but i don't see thirty voting terminals at every location. after all, if my old polling precinct had six to eight antiquated voting machines, don't you think you would need MORE touch screens than a measly twelve?!?

i know this really shouldn't affect me since i didn't have to endure anything yesterday...i just like to see heads roll ;) dammit, there's gonna be some hell to pay!!! just don't tell ol' pinhead there...looks like he's freaked out enough...must be a 'publican.

get yer ass...

down here. Tower Records is going out of business and everything at the Cherry Creek location is at least 30% off. we went last night and the selection is still pretty good. i picked up a magazine for 60% off, a couple DVDs, two cards, and some replacement double CD jewel cases. i'm hoping that some of the things that i still want will be dregs in a couple weeks and sporting a more than 50% off price tag. i may just have to keep a list with me and check in w/ Tower every week or so. mebbe i'll see you there...

too perky?

i received news this morning about one of my friends (we'll call her BS), who passed away from complications of cancer on sunday. unfortunately, i won't be able to make the funeral, which will be in Cheyenne on tuesday. however, i did send this arrangement to the church where the service will be held. i'm just wondering if it's too perky...

should i have sent this one instead? maybe i'm making a big deal out of it but i'm one who usually worries about appropriateness/etiquette.

BS, i hope you're at peace now. you were such a trooper to endure the chemo for your lungs and liver. i'm glad that we were able to have lunch a couple times this year. you will be greatly missed but never forgotten...