10 Ways of Hotnett

So the Seed and I are just sitting around, after having watched "The Faculty" and "40 Days and 40 Nights" with the gang....My thoughts have been on Josh Hartnett all night long, and the Seed knows this. He says, "You should do a blog post about Josh. 10 Ways of Hotnett. Sounds like a GREAT idea.

I love the way he rips off the blade of the paper cutter, with one foot on the table. Sooooooooooo Manly. I love the way he walks. I love the way he slouch walks. I love the way he can be goofy. I love his smile. I love his smoldering, brooding, comegetme eyes. I love his tallness. A confident, yet shy (appearing), tall, candystick. I love his badassness + cuteness. I love his sexiness. I love his mole at the bottom of his neck. I love when he says, "if anyone see us, just grab me and pretend like we're makin' out. I love him in 'Virgin Suicides" even with his crazy wig. And I love love love love love love love his fucking dead sexy voice.

The Seed says he's got this boyish charm/badassmanlyness. I agree (although I think its hysterical that he's helping me out, here).

I think that was way more then ten.

Sucks To Be a Leo

Not much to say these days...except estrogen therapy sucks.

So, I dive into some Led Zepplin and some Black Crowes.

Girl From a Pawnshop comes to mind...

I Love the Olympics

And Michael Phelps.  This shot was taken after the Men's 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay..they kicked ass, and it was the first time the freakishly tall husband and I literally jumped off of the couch rooting for the US, screaming "GOGOGOOGOGOGGOOGOGOGOGOOOO!!"  This win coming after the French talking smack..he really is just amazing to watch.  

This post comes after foreversleuthingfortastyplacestoeatpolly and I texting back and forth about how much we love watching these games.  Or any of the Olympic games for that matter. She and I could and would sit there all day long in front of the telly, watching the little Chinese girls in gymnastics, or of course, my boyfriend- Michael Phelps.  He's just sooo cute!!  He reminds me of a goofy high school boyfriend.  I dunno.  Its just me.  I could watch him ALL DAY LONG!!   His body is nice too.  

So I'm Tickled Blue..

Thanks to the Freakishly Tall Husband and a lot of XML, here is the new look to Blue Ryder.  I love it, and I hope that you enjoy it too!  A big, fatty reason that started this whole face lift process was the ability to upload larger pictures to my blog, instead of the tiny "large" pictures that Blogger sets you up with.  I now have the capability to link to a larger picture size....for better viewing all around.  

If you're in the search for a new Blogger template, go here.  It's not really as easy as it looks, but with a little perseverance and a persistent and stubborn freakishly tall husband, you might get everything to upload properly.  Just make sure you save your previous version before you go and do anything stupid.

Have a really great 4th of July, and apparently, The Seed has something for us.  Go check him out.

I Figured Out a Few Things Today..

I figured out that white balance is a bitch to control.

I learned that bodybuilding takes some serious discipline..that which I don't have.

I figured out that you always get nervous before and after a shoot, because you just

don't wanna miss that shot.  The shot that the client is hoping for.  Her vision may

not be the same as yours.

I've learned that you CAN have three kids and still look like THIS hot mama.

I also realized (after driving aggressively home in my 6-speed Audi All-Road- after having

watched WANTED), that I can never EVER be a member of a Secret Society of Assassins because:

I can barely swallow pills without choking or gagging.

Awesome.

Cause I Dig Pandas...

Watch this Panda SNEEZE!!



Brought a few tears to my eyes. How gay am I?

One Stiff Drink During the Day

"Fell intooooo....

a sea of grass.....

and disappeared among the shady blades..."

Jane's Addiction

I won't judge anyone who wants to take a few, big, fat, shots of

any sort of mind-numbing alcohol during the day anymore.

I won't do it.

In fact, I'm gonna join them.

My Slightly Ignorant and Humble Political Tome

My freakishly tall husband can attest to the fact that I was taken by Obama the first time I heard him speak on Oprah about a year ago. At the time, he had simply been promoting his book, "The Audacity of Hope". I had no clue who this man was, or what he was about, or why I would even care to read about his life. But, for some reason I never changed the channel. I just couldn't stop watching him. He seemed so elegant, and honest at the same time, and well...truthful. I felt like I could relate to him and engage him in a conversation- like I felt like I wouldn't be scared to start talking to him. He held my attention during his interview, and instantly I was drawn. Then Oprah started to speak to him about being a Presidential Hopeful. WOW. Where did this guy come from? Why do I really like this guy? This came out of nowhere. Hmmmmmm, perhaps I should read his book- I mean, Oprah has never gone wrong in that category.

I never did read the book. And slowly, in the last year, Obama emerged and his campaign gained momentum. Whenever he spoke on the tube, the dude just had my attention. I would say, "look honey, there's that guy I was telling you about. Isn't he soo well spoken"? I never did speak out about him to anyone else really, or tell anyone about how much I enjoyed watching him speak- because- speaking engagements aside, I knew (and know) NOTHING about politics. Zero. Zilch. How was I supposed to justify my interest in him politically if I knew nothing about politics? I didn't want to jump on the Obama Train simply because he had captured my attention in regards to the "appearance package". And what an impressive "appearance package" indeed. Handsome, tall, NO southern accent (what? a president without a southern accent? how refreshing...), well spoken, and in one word: striking. Well, that's a DUMBASS reason to back a presidential candidate. And sure, I'm slightly embarressed by that..and so, I've spent the last two weeks breaking apart his website to learn all I could about his campaign. And I like what I see.

Sadly, its a little too late. With the gang jumping up and down, screaming, "VOTEVOTEVOTE", it annoys me to no end that I CAN'T!!! Yes, you heard me, I can't. Idiot that I am. Well, I can't for the Primary Elections anyway. I hadn't voted since the Reagan administration (please don't judge me), nor had I cared to vote since. And I'm NOT embarressed by that at all. I never liked any of the candidates that I saw or read about- Republican or Democrat. I didn't trust anyone who was running for that office and all I could see was a web of lies. So I never voted since that first time- fresh out of high school...completely Republican and Catholic and conservative (that is frightening to think about). I think I even remember myself going to the polls in my rugby shirt and Tretorns, with maybe even a ribbon in my hair. I was pretty sweet and fresh faced. My- how I've changed.

Anyway, my voter registration status fell off the face of the earth. After several new addresses and one new name change- I'm not registered. I even called the Howard County Board of Elections to verify. Yup. Not registered. DAMNIT. So now, the lesson has been learned, and I will never let this happen again. I had a chance to cast a vote in the Primary, and I'm late by three weeks. And I'm sooooo frustrated that I have no right to vote because of sheer stupidity on my part.

If you're registered to vote, do it. I've never WANTED to vote before, and now I do- more than ever just because I can't, and because I actually do believe in Obama, and I do believe that he'll make a difference, and I do think that he would institute the policies and changes that that we're all ready to see.

So, during the Primary Elections next week, vote for Obama to put him on the ballot for the General Elections- so I can then vote for him like I so want to right now. I promise I won't let you, or myself, down.

In the meantime, I'm gonna go pick up that book that I meant to read one year ago.

Post script: 9:32pm

So, it appears that those of us who are slightly embarressed that we know nothing about politics, yet have an undeniable urge and connection to a candidate, and want to vote for them- are not so far off our rockers. I got my issue of Newsweek in the mail today after work.....

From Newsweek: the Monday, February 18th issue:

"The Science, and Emotions, of Voting", by Sharon Begley

Best summarized by the last paragraph:

"Explaining why voters make the decisions they do is hampered by people's poor powers of introspection. Exit polls ask people whom they voted for and why. But the explanations tend to be post hoc, and wrong, because people have such little insight into their own motivations, reasoning and emotions, says Carter Eskew. "People default to things like 'He shares my values', or 'I think he's authentic,' or 'I like his position on abortion," he says. "But those are rational reasons. The real ones, the emotional ones, are harder to articulate." But they are the ones that count, and the campaign that best harnesses the power of the heart is just about certain to see its candidate at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue one year from now."

Huh. How bout that.

Wanna Buy a PS3?

Wanna Buy a PS3?, originally uploaded by Blue Ryder.

The Boys Are Down....

The Boys Are Down...., originally uploaded by Blue Ryder.

The Freakishly Tall Husband has been hit. I've been dodging vomit for two days now! Awesome. Blue and I are the only survivors. Everyone take cover...it may be headed to your neck of the woods.

A Peek Into My Pod

A Peek Into My Pod, originally uploaded by Blue Ryder.

See the headphone? That's me working with the Man in the Basement.

Christmas Cubicle Land

Christmas Cubicle Land, originally uploaded by Blue Ryder.

I'm on the left! If you have the capabilities to email me a picture of your workspace, do it! We'd all love to see where you work! Send to yoblueryder@gmail.com!

This is where I do research work for Malaria in Africa. What do you do?

Elf Yourself

Elf Yourself was rated FOUR Bees in US Magazine's Buzz-o-meter! I can TOTALLY see why.

What a bunch-o-suckers!! OK, OK. The dogs are cute.

A Soundtrack...

So, the Man in the Basement and I have been furiously and lovingly working on something (we've been working on it randomly since 2005). We're not sure yet if it's for you, or for our own amusement. I'm thinking its purely for our own amusement, cause some of you may not have any interest in this:



Well, I can tell you that the Man in the Basement probably doesn't have any interest in it either, and he's probably gagging at the thought of me following one of his well appointed songs with Xanadu. But I can't help it. WHY WHY WHY?? Eh. Maybe it's the nostalgic barrettes in her hair at the end. I had a ton of those. Not to mention the leg warmers.

And come on dude. Who didn't LOVE to go rollerskating??

Gentlemen!

The party's over!!!! Jessica Alba is pregnant!!

Home Improvement

As the holidays draw near, any self-respecting home owner would pee their pants when they suddenly realize that their house is a mess, and then frantically rattle off grand ideas to get their home in order. My husband and I are not exempt from that first sentence. Some people buy a massive tree. Some people buy new dinnerware and place settings for a gorgeous, "well-thought-out" Christmas dinner. Some people buy new furniture and decorate the house with candles and tinsel to bring on the festiveness. We like to fool around in the kitchen. NOO, not like that- you're dirty.

With the Sherpa and the baby coming to stay, the usual onslaught of crackheads almost always convene at our house for eats, drinks, poker, baby googling, and just plain riff raff. Some people call rushing for a fraternity or a sorority "hell week", well- I like to call the week between Christmas and New Year's "hell week". Everyone and their mother's brother wants to catch a glimpse of the Sherpa, and they come traipsing through the house, and eat all of our food, and jam themselves in here like they've never seen a dark, wiry, freakishly strong, and short Sherpa ever before. This year will be madness, only because the Sherpa has given birth to a baby. And the baby has lived to be 5 months old. Surely, something to see.

Anyway, last year my husband and I decided that new kitchen counters would be nice to replace the cheap plastic counters that ruined the look of our kitchen. We got that done the weekend right before Christmas, and once the dust settled, WOW- what a difference. Well, this year..we suddenly decided today that we needed nicer cabinets to go with the new, nicer, butcher block counter tops. So, we bought a shit load of bead board, trim, and some paint, and we rolled up our sleeves just this morning to get it done. Why hadn't we thought about this all summer long? Who knows. Maybe I spent one too many days at the pool with Ryder. First things first, you know? And who doesn't like to work under pressure??

So far, its coming along just dandy. Let's just say it's our own "Design on a Dime". When we're done with this, we will have upgraded our kitchen, thereby increasing the value of the house, all for $500 bucks. If any of you have ever been in the market for cabinet refacing, or just replacing your kitchen cabinetry in general, you would know that it costs ALOT. I mean, in the thousands. If you include the butcher block counter tops, all spent in our kitchen will have been $1300 bucks. Not bad. You do need some elbow grease, an incredibly handy husband (whom, oddly, turns me on with a pencil stuck behind his ear), and serious time management skills to get the job done. But when it's all up, you will be really proud of your weekend accomplishment.

"Before" picture:

"After" pictures will be forthcoming. In the meantime, enjoy this one:

Things to be Thankful For....

I am thankful that my dad is still here!! I am thankful that my mom just got eyelid surgery, and that it has now given me the strength and courage to do it one day myself. I am thankful that Ryder doesn't seem to have a serious illness, but merely a long long long long long long long long long long long long long allergy/asthma/cold/flu/cough/bacterial/viral/ear infection/sinus infection thing going on- i mean, at least he doesn't have cancer or autism. I am thankful that my husband's family is trying to be strong through really shitty times. I am thankful that my husband is freakishly tall- I mean, I won't lie, that comes in handy. I am thankful for Ryder. I am thankful for Loehmann's. I am thankful that my husband can cook, and likes to cook. I am thankful that we both have jobs. I am thankful that we have a house, two cars, a roof over our heads, and food to eat. I am thankful that MA is thankful that there are things such as butter and salt. I am thankful for Blue, cause he takes pride in terrorizing MA and AK- and it just makes me laugh. I'm thankful that there is such a thing called laughing. I am thankful for my psychic abilities. I am thankful that my friends are healthy, and their families are healthy. I am thankful for the Sound of Music. I am thankful for the sound of music. I am thankful for Johnny Depp. I am thankful for RadioHead and Britney Spears. I am thankful for suits and ties, cause men can look HOT in them, no matter how dumb they are. I am thankful for my iPhone and my Nikon D50. I am thankful for my fireplace (although not today, it's 65 degrees outside- balmy for Thanksgiving). I am thankful that I can read- hey- don't ever take that one for granted, that would just suck if you couldn't read this). I am thankful for the beach, the mountains, the trees, the grass, and the sky. I am thankful for that crazy little thing called love. I am thankful for Ryder's godparents. I am thankful for the ability to dream. I am thankful for freedom. I am thankful for faith, for without faith, there would be no believing. Without believing, there would be no hope. And without hope, there would be no tomorrow. And without tomorrow, there would be no today. And without today, well- hell! What is there???

I am thankful for all of these things. And we're thankful for YOU.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I am also very, very, especially, thankful that my son still can see out of both eyes.

And You're Probably Wondering Why I DARE...

To put these two artists on the same blog post.

In Rainbows

In Rainbows

In Rainbows

In Rainbows

Blackout

Blackout

Blackout

Blackout

Music for me!

Comin our way.....

Fans of Radiohead are probably puking all over the place because I'd even put these two together.

But I love them both.

I really really do.

Ok, I love RadioHead more.

But whatever!

New MUSIC!

Home

We went to St. Michael's this weekend.

We rented a nice, quaint, house right on the bay, with a pool, a grill, and our own personal dock to go "crabbing" off of. Close by- it was only an hour and 20 minutes or so from our house. It was the perfect long weekend getaway for everyone to pack up the kids (and what a production that is) and drive a short distance to a place that seems worlds away. Just driving through town, and you're like, "woahhhh, I just slammed into a wall!"- but in a nice sort of way. Time just kinda stops when you're with the closest friends that you know. One of them I've known for 20+ years, and some others I've known for at least 15. We were right when we said that our kids would know each other.

It was such a great weekend. Many naps on the hammock, with the Seed pulling out some string and tying it to a tree so that he could rock himself to sleep on it. Many attempts at crabbing with chicken necks- and not drumsticks (as Head on a Stick would suggest)...we caught three, one died- and the other two just got away somehow. Lots of picture taking, lots of food on the grill, lots of laughter, Off bug spray, lots of giggling and whining children, lots of baby monitors, lots of beer and smoke, and lots of happiness. Made me get to thinking of some past blog posts about moving here or there, how Maryland sucks, and how living in Tibet would somehow make your children more worldly.

Many times I've had thoughts of moving away again...perhaps to Arizona, or Colorado. But, I think that if I moved to those places, I wouldn't appreciate those places anymore. For instance; California used to be the shit. I was all things Cali and all things and totally 1000% against living at home. Why is that? I think because I knew what I had to do with my life, and I was running away from it. Hawaii, also- once I lived there, it was amazing- but I didn't appreciate it until I moved home. In my humble opinion, its travel that sets you (and your children) up for appreciation of the different states and different countries, but not necessarily moving and living there. In my humble opinion, if I moved to Amsterdam, I sooo wouldn't appreciate it. But traveling there for one or two weeks, and coming back- just tells me that there is so much more to see- elsewhere and beyond. Just traveling to St. Michael's (all one and a half hours) made me appreciate the bay. Wouldn't necessarily live there, but we've all gone in on going back in the spring- and then again in the fall- just a bi-yearly, easy peasy getaway.

It's the "getaways" that take you one more step to being content. Of course, you don't want it to end, but a greater sense of appreciation for life and the pursuit of happiness comes from it. I guess this is my plea for my friends that are far away...we didn't make a mistake by living in Maryland. We actually chose it. Sure, I've grown up here, and sure, I'm pretty familiar with everything that seems right around the corner, but its what I'm making of it...and I promise you, if you move home, it might be the same for you. I'm simply sayin, "the grass is always greener".

Moving home certainly isn't everything, and it isn't for everybody. I'm just shooting out my mouth and trying to tackle the things that have been said about Maryland. Sure, its boring (because you've lived here all of your lives), sure- there's nothing to do (but you would say the same about Morocco if you grew up in Morocco). Sure, you can't go on a surfing safari in Maryland- but did I really do that when I lived in Hawaii? Noooooooooo. Just sat on my ass and said, "damn, I'm cool. I live in Hawaii."

What am I trying to say here...hmmm lets see if I can summarize. Britney is on the verge of something horrible....and we're getting old. If you're going to move somewhere, DO it already. Time is not even thinking about stopping. All we can do is make the moments happen more often. Move to Japan, move to anywhere else but "here"...but truly, "here" is really not that bad. It's really, really not. I'm just so filled with friendship and love right now that I just wish that everyone could feel what I feel. And I know that that's a VERY LEO thing to say, but whatever. I'm just blogging.

Bottom line is, we missed those that weren't there. Perhaps if they were living at home.....

LAND!

Did one of my friends put me on a mailing list that sent me a premiere invitation to see available lots to build on- near a lake in Virginia??

Eagle Pointe Shores

Lots start at $74,880. Who's with us? Scott has already drafted the blue prints for our little 3000 square foot dream home. He and I have always talked about building/designing our dream home later on..you know- when we can afford it. But the first step is always getting that premium land.

So, thank you- to whoever put us on the mailing list. We may never buy there, but it's a good starting point for us to even know how to/where to look. A nice, little, lake house would be AWESOME. Close enough to home, but far enough from home...we already envision those extra wide (12-14 inches wide) distressed hardwood floor planks with wrought iron nails....

I know Beefcake (my new nickname for M- she likes beef, and cake), and Whitey Church (AK's porn name) want land. And this one happens to be near West Virginia on the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe it was Beefcake and that German who put us on the list. After all, they were going to buy 50 acres and a mule in Clarksburg. They didn't want to give us an acre. Perhaps this is their gentle way of telling us to get our own land. But it wouldn't be any fun unless we were all close together.....

Come on! Let's all go down together on October 5-7 for the exclusive VIP tour....