P. Sunshine

P. Sunshine
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Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Oktoberfest

Swiping an idea from Marie , I will now list my plans for October, whether you care to read them or not!

This month I will:
Read Fistful of Sky
be a guest at 2 weddings
learn how to do that link thing here
have fun at bookclub
go on a color tour
ride my bike (while I still can)
organize the baby's room
start saving $$ for the holiday season
make more home-cooked meals!
Visit Robinette's Apple Orchard for a pumpkin cinnamon doughnut, cider and a hayride -Yeeehaw!
Help Todd make a robot costume for the boy
So, what are YOU going to do this October?


Sunday, September 26, 2004

seriously, now

Some of the blogs that I have read recently have mentioned topics that coincide with the thoughts that keep me awake at night.
I am concerned (ala Steve) about the "dumbing down" of America.
My parents were both teachers, so I grew up in a household where education was a prevalent force. My mom was one of those teachers that most students dreaded getting but later were thankful to have since she made her kids THINK. She later was given a promotion, and became the coordinator of the gifted and talented program at her school district. Not too shabby!

It terrifies me that such horrific things are happening all over the world right now, Russia, Iraq, even Florida, and the news stations and papers and magazines are reporting on....Britney's wedding???

A young girl I know( who shall remain nameless) who is very intelligent indeed, could tell you the name of any character on the Disney channel, what they wore, what their favorite music, color, restaurant, etc., is, but cannot name the major oceans. Her friends all seem to know the latest slang like "shizzle" and "bling bling" but look at me like a crazy woman if I greet them in a foreign language. They are learning their lingo from the big stars, which is scary, since many of the quotes that I have seen from Miss Britney and Xtina contain poor grammar.

Why is our country so obsessed with the rich and famous and their lives? Some say it is an escape from a depressed reality, but really, being Americans, do we have it that bad?
Yes, our economy is in a slump and it is hard to scrape together the cash to pay our bills-seeing as not just blue collar workers but top execs alike are losing their jobs-but what does it mean? We still have running water, even in the trailer parks. We can still wash our clothes indoors, in a washing machine. We can still afford to choose which type of Ramen Noodle to buy. Even at our worst, Americans don't have it that bad. We should count our blessings every day. Yes, even me. I admit, I am guilty of complaining that my wage is not enough, but if I was suddenly transferred to Uganda or even Mexico, I would be considered privileged in their economy.

I thought that 9/11 would bring America back to focusing on what really matters- Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness, Family, friends - it seemed to go that way, but only for a few months, and then we all "got over it" and the media shifted back to where it had left off - which celebrity is dating which, who is cheating on whom and how much did their fabulous getaway vacation cost? I think those things are interesting to an extent, but I'd like to see the news get back to stories that are newsworthy. Let's try to educate America. We may have more "bling" than other countries, but the rest of the world is ahead of us in culture, attitude and work ethics. We seem to be the spoiled younger sibling country, and it's time for us to mature - our twenties are over. America needs to quit going to the bar and get to work.
(PS - I am a Liberal.)

The facade of my favorite jewelry store in Eastown, McKendree studios. Posted by Hello

Inside the legend itself...if you saw the Movie "American Pie", this is what Dog Years was modeled after. Posted by Hello

Saturday, September 25, 2004


Couldn't you just swim in those? Posted by Hello

These drinks are also pleasing to the eye (the red one is my non-booze beverage) Posted by Hello

Friday, September 24, 2004

That Darned Cat!

I've had a few requests to write "The Bra Story" or "A Tale of Two Bras" here, but alas, I am way too tired, seeing as I was woken up at 3 AM by the sound of two cats procreating!
My mom-trained ears heard the alarming tune of a baby in distress, so I jerked into consciousness, thinking Riley had been sleep-walking and fell off the back porch, or some psychotic 3AM delusion of that sort, but no - it was 2 lame-o cats, DOING IT at 3 AM!!!!
I wanted to run to the front door and scream at the top of my lungs "Get that thing Neutered!" to anyone within the range of my irritated-woken-up-too-early-in-the-morning voice. But of course, my 3AM body was cemented to the bed, and rationale soon took over "Remember, Patti, you are the new neighbor, you don't want people to know how psycho you are when you are disturbed from your slumber...yet".
So, I apologize, oh growing fetus of mine, but I need to get some caffeine in our bloodstream. Hopefully it won't effect you too much in the long run. Just kick me some more in the bladder if you're offended!

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Hot Diggity dog!

This weekend is the annual Eastown Streetfair, one of my favorite events to happen in our humble city. Unfortunately, it will be a bittersweet adventure this year, since this is the first time we will attend as non-residents. Every year I delighted to the sounds and sights of Streetfair, from my front seat perch in our yard. If it was a cold year, I could leave my kitchen window open, make dinner, and listen to the live bands. But, alas, this year, we will be tourists. I don't know if I can even get up the courage to walk by our old house. I know I will have to fight the urge to just barge in the front door (I wonder if I left a key somewhere under a rock?hmmm).
The most exciting part of Streetfair for me this year, however, will not be the killer local bands, the bohemian necklaces for sale or the alternative literature booths, oh, no, as soon as I get out of that minivan, I am heading right for YESTERDOG!
I have been dreaming, yearning for Yesterdog all month. I even tried to use a subsititute. I went to Cook's drive-in and ordered a company dog, which has the same toppings as a Yesterdog - chilisauce, mustard, ketchup and shredded pickles (yes - I skipped the onions - see last post) - ahhhh the shredded pickles, I can taste them now - But this Company dog was no Yesterdog, senator. For one, it had chunky - CHUNKY! Chili Sauce. Yesterdog's Chili Sauce is not really chili sauce, it is more like gravy or brown dressing, and that is why I like it. I hate ground up meat pieces in my sauce. I am a pure sauce girl - don't mess it up by adding unnecessary texture, just give me the sauce, plain and simple. Also, their hot dogs just aren't as "wolfable" as Yesterdog's. I can order 3 Yesters and swallow them practically whole, they are so smooth and easy. The Cook's dog took a while, I had to get past the chunkiness, of course, and the dog itself wasn't as tender as the Yester. Guh. I could go on and on, but you've probably stopped reading already. Can you understand that I am DYING for a Yesterdog? Ok? Good. Let's move on!
Ok, I can't move on, I have to have a Yesterdog. Maybe I can pretend this PB&J is a Yester.....uh, nope, didn't work, I guess I'll have to wait until Saturday. 60 more hours...they better not be closed for repairs. Fire up those steamers, Patti Sunshine is comin' through!!

Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Olfactory Malfunction

I've been told by many that every pregnancy is different. My first pregnancy was pure joy - no vomiting, minimal weight gain, I was able to stay active in the theatre.... I am now in my 5th month of my 2nd (AND LAST!!!) pregnancy, and I am still throwing up, still tired, and I can't walk so much as a mile without having to stop and go straight to bed for the night. People don't believe me when I tell them that I am still barfing. They say "but that goes away after the first trimester" um, hi, I'm not making it up! Every time I smell french fries, garlic, or onions, that squeezy feeling creeps up my throat, and I start looking around for the nearest bush, bucket or trash can. The list does not end there. My "trigger" smells also include any grilled food, campfire, sweaty shoes, old carpeting and most forms of wood. To make matters worse, I had a sensitive schnozz BEFORE my pregnancy, and so now, I am able to walk up to any person and know what they have had for dinner for the last 3 weeks! Maybe it's because I have those large Armstrong nostrils, or maybe I grew up in an all-too-clean household in my youth. I dunno, but I can't WAIT to get this baby out so I can wake up and smell.......NOTHING!