What You Won't See At the Convention

I need to remind myself to read these more often. Trouble is, I tend to do my blog reading at lunch (like now), and Frank's work can lead to food in places it was never intended to go.

Chomps made a hacking sound. Finally, he coughed up a Birkenstock.

"I told you not to murder Democrats!" Laura yelled at Bush.

"I didn't, honey!" Bush protested, "I just stood back and laughed as Chomps did."

hln

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The One Before "A New Hope"

Episode III is now Revenge of the Sith.

I'm a giddy little girl when it comes to the Star Wars movies. Less than a year away...

hln

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Ironman Triathlon

Ironman is this weekend in Lake Placid, NY. CNN has a very nice article about women ironathletes, who comprise about 1/4 of the field.

The triathlete from Saranac Lake, New York, is raising three kids, teaching part-time and training for Sunday's Lake Placid Ironman triathlon -- a grueling endurance race that combines swimming, cycling and running.

It's not an easy feat. But Lieb, a 45-year-old four-time Ironman competitor, has company. About a fourth of this year's 2,262 competitors are women. That's more than double the number of women who entered five years ago.

What the article doesn't give you is the specs of the event. But I will. Here's the course. 2.4 mile swim, 112 miles of cycling, and THEN you get to run the marathon - 26.2 miles of hoofing.

I don't know about you, but my Saturday plans include, oh, 40 - 50 miles of cycling. None of this running and swimming stuff. Tomorrow's weather in Lake Placid is a temperature range of 45 to 68 degrees, and the wind from the North at 9 mph. Not a bad day at all for the nation's fittest.

hln

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Cross Dressing

Why is it that women are never called cross dressers? I mean, a man puts on a pair of high-heeled shoes, and, whammo, he's a cross dresser. I grab Brian's dress shoes for a day of mall strolling, or, you know, perhaps wear his jeans, no big.

While I realize none of these things is a full-blown Victor/Victoria scenario, I was still wondering.

hln

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Project Planet

You've seen them on vacation and on business trips. They're the little cards that inform you that the hotel staff doesn't really want to wash your linens. They read a lot like this (text taken off of a Project Planet card).

The Project Planet program is an effort of this hotel to protect the environment through conservation of water and the decreased use of detergent.

If you are staying with us more than one night, as part of the Project Planet program, we will launder your linens every three days.

If you would prefer not to participate in this program, simply leave this card on your pillow and linens will be changed today.

As always linens are automatically changed after every guest check-out.

©1996

Printed on recycled paper. Laminated to reduce waste.

Okay - great idea. Now, environmentally conscious hotel, where's my recycle bin? Even one in the lobby would be good. But, no, none of that. Hotels - especially those that give you free papers in the morning, really ought to be doing that. And then hyping the heck out of it - after all, the hotel chain is obviously "environmentally conscious."

That's something that's always irked me.

hln

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Dream Sequence

I had one of those days where I feel invisible to everyone (my lunch plans forgot me, etc.) Maybe it's because yesterday I was somehow banished to Sarah K's dreamworld.

i was at my house, but it faced south instead of west, and the Noggles lived across the street, but we'd never met except online, because they were like the cool, popular neighbors on the block, and i was seen as the bookish freak who spent all my time on the computer when i wasn't fighting with my lawnmower (ok, i added that part). it was 6 a.m. or something like that, and Heather was about to pull out of her driveway. i waved through my screen door, and she walked across the street to my house. i had a friend over, a new potential blogchild (have no idea who she was or what she looked like, just a smudge-blogger, a bludger if you will), and the blogchild started jumping up and down while i was trying to be so cool. "hey, SarahK, hey, SarahK," bounce bounce "isn't that Heather of angelweave? holy cow, she's like, coming over here! oh! what do we do?" thud. i drop-kicked her and told her to shut up.

Sarah, can I come out now? I have a lot of work to do.

(Brian practices that bug-eyed stare, y'know.)

hln

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Brian Told Me To Post

But I don't really know what's going on in the world or with your blogs, so, well, here's what I did yesterday.

I rode 42 miles. To non-cyclists, I'm sure that seems like a whole lot. To cyclists, well, in context, that means I wimped out of the 51 mile option I was given. I have about 6 or 7 weeks until the MS 150, so I'd best be upping my mileage (18 yesterday). Oh, and I need to sign up with my team.

I'm unevenly sunburned, but it should turn in a couple of days.

See? Inane. And I already have a Bonfire post.

hln

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Please Forgive Me, For I Have Not Posted

Not much anyway. Just returned last night from Buffalo, NY, and I brought the niceties of the weather back with me, meaning I'm probably riding this weekend instead of posting.

United Airlines was so kind to leave my luggage in DC while my plane travelled to Buffalo. This after leaving quite late - put me on the ground at about 7:35, and after waiting for luggage and filing a report, I didn't get to the hotel until 8:20 p.m. Malls close at about 9, and Heather's in jeans and needs to be wearing business casual clothing in the morning. That was fun. Bought the first skirt and pair of shoes that fit. Hotel shuttle took me to the grocery store next, where I replenished the Luna Bar supply and finally bought dinner. Oh, and I replaced all of my make-up. Never travel to a meeting in jeans; I have learned my lesson.

Luggage arrived at about 9:30 p.m., while I was at the grocery store, so everything did turn out all right. And I ate a buffalo wing the next day. Yum.

So I pray you continue visiting. I'll post as work breaks this weekend. Gotta catch up.

hln

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With Bated Breath...

...I eagerly await Martha Stewart's launch of her new magazine, Arresting House, with such features of "Five Months to a Completely Redone Home" and "Decorating With Orange: Your Next Challenge."

hln

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Excuse for an Entry

I suppose "this page intentionally left blank" wouldn't cut it for an entry...

hln

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60 Million Dollar Feel-Good Bill

Oregon Republican Gordon Smith took the floor to introduce a youth suicide prevention bill named after his own dead son. "He saw only despair ahead and felt only pain in his present. Pain and despair so potent that he sought suicide as a release. As a release," Smith said, recalling his son Garrett, who killed himself in his college apartment last September, one day before his 22nd birthday. Smith recalled a "beautiful child, a handsome baby boy" that he and his wife Sharon adopted a few days after birth. He had vast intellectual gifts but struggled with learning disabilities, dyslexia, and bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic depression, Smith said.

That's from this article.

A few paragraphs later:

Endorsing Smith's $60 million bill, Nickles said, "I have no doubt as a result of us passing this legislation, we'll end up saving a lot of lives, maybe thousands of lives." The bill would help states develop prevention strategies and fund more mental health services on college campuses.

More than 30,000 Americans kill themselves each year and suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people aged 10-24.

Youth has now been extended to 24. If this bill passes, that is.

Brian had something to say about that earlier this week - the American concept of "youth" and the lack of push for adolescents to mature. I think it was in the comments over at Michael Williams' site. While available counseling for the troubled during the busy and stressful time of college is definitely a good idea, why should Joe and Joan American citizen need to pay an additional $60 mil for that. Start a foundation, Senator. Hold charity events. I'm sure your grief is real and this is your cause du jour, but, geez.

hln

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More Headline Fun

Something must be warped in my brain today.

China Culls 20,000 Chickens to Contain Bird Flu.

I took it as "hmm, let's give bird flu to THESE 20,000 chickens and let the other 40,000 go unscathed."

hln

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Headline Fun

Parent's close watch may prevent STDs

But if both parents are watching, the rate actually goes up.

Apostrophes are my friends.

hln

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MEOW

Ajax would like you to scratch his belly.



hln

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Happy 2nd Blogiversary, IMAO

That Frank J. and his monkey posse are celebrating IMAO's 2nd Blogiversary!

National holiday. I'm going home now.

hln

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Gene McNary

Gene McNary is running for County Executive of St. Louis County. Who's he, you ask (well, some of you might)? He's the former St. Louis County Executive; he held the job before Buzz Westfall, who passed away last year or the year before.

Again, why is this important? Well, if you've done any recent work in the Human Resources field, it's likely you'll recognize McNary as the former Commissioner of the INS. Yes, immigration and naturalization services. He served from late '89 to '93, so all of those pesky employment forms bore his signature.

News about the candidates. McNary has unsuccessfully run for what the paper calls "Congress, Senate, and governor."

McNary, 68, makes an unabashed appeal to nostalgia at campaign appearances, reminding audiences of the good times during his 15 years as county executive from 1975 to 1989. Before that, he served two terms as county prosecutor.

"You have heard everyone, almost to a person, say St. Louis County is in bad shape," he said in May at a candidate debate in Webster Groves. "Maybe it's time for Gene McNary to be county executive again. We ran a tight ship. It was a good place to live and work and raise a family. It is still a great place."

Odenwald says, however, that McNary is trying to get by on platitudes alone.

"St. Louis County is a very different place in 2004 than it was in 1974, when he was first elected," Odenwald said. "I think Mr. McNary does a great disservice to the electorate when he says all we need to do to make things better is return him to office. . . . It was easy to be county executive in the '70s and '80s when there was thousands of acres of open land and people were fleeing the city."

He's done a good job campaigning - I've gotten a call and also a professionally done pamphlet.

hln

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My Life, the Library Edition

The Thornhill branch of the St. Louis County library system has this program where new bestsellers (or projected bestsellers) are purchased in multiplicate and available for seven-day loan with no renewal.

A week ago, I saw My Life - probably 6 copies of it. Today when I stopped, there weren't any. Bet those who checked it out can't finish it in a week. But, then again, maybe the font is like the penmanship paper. See Bill govern.

hln

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I'll Be Back Soon

I've been ill, vacationing, and in hermit mode for the last week. But I'll be back to post at least a recipe tonight.

hln

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