"Rome! By all means, Rome."

I guess if you're going to steal a star, you might as well steal one of the very best.

("Mr. Bradley, if you don't mind my saying so, I think you are a ringer." -Audrey Hepburn as Princess Ann, "Roman Holiday")

My favorite movie, ever.

Ahem... anyway, Roman Holiday moment over. Back to work.

The full picture

As I told Sal in the comments below -- there's a reason the girl in the profile photo is smiling so big. :) (Pre-partying in Conchita's kitchen, summer of 2004; with Ashley and Renee. I'm drinking San Miguel, while Ashley has a BIG bottle of Mahou; Renee is looking at our photos from San Fermines in Pamplona.)

That was a long, fun night. From Conchita's kitchen... running through Puerta del Sol in the rain... to a couple random bars... to Kapital... to cafe at 7 a.m. ... And somewhere in there I kissed a man from Andorra named Antonio.

So a couple more photos, just for posterity. With Michael the German, who actually batted for the other team but pinched-hit as my boyfriend on a few occasions when the Spanish boys came on too strong (earning him the esteemed title of "San Miguel"); and Laura from Texas, who made every outing 100x more fun. I doubt she'll appreciate my posting this particular photo for all the world to see... but I'm doing it out of love. Ah, Madrid... te quiero.

Why? Because I can

Angie & Erin, c. 1986 or so. An ode to my big sister, just because she's so darn cool. And because I've decided I'm seriously under-utilizing the "upload photo" tool on my blog. (And because I need to go grocery shopping, but I'd rather procrastinate a bit more.) Don't ask me why this photo was on my computer, but weren't we cute? And please note my angelic smile, in contrast to the devilish look on my sister's face. :)

Sticking it to the man

Thanks to a good friend and neighbor who has magical computer powers, I now have a cable Internet connection in my apartment... for $15 a month. I don't think the arrangement is exactly allowed, but I'm not going to lie to you -- I feel no guilt. (OK, just a little -- I am Catholic, after all.) But anyway, cable is a scam. So are cell phones, but don't even get me started. Damn Verizon!

Anyway, here's hoping that my verboten Internet connection will inspire me to write a little more often, and blog more often, too. Starting... now.

Thanksgiving is over. Every year I feel a little guilty because I feel like Thanksgiving is just this hurdle I need to get past to get to the real show -- Christmas. I never give the pilgrims and Indians (Native Americans?) their due because I'm just ready for the Christmas season. Rode to Thanksgiving dinner with my boyfriend and my sister... and subjected them to my Dean Martin Christmas CD. In my defense, I will say that I didn't make them listen to the actual Christmas songs -- just the wintery ones. ("Let it Snow" and "Baby It's Cold Outside") Because it was snowing, and it was cold outside.

Although Erin doesn't share my childlike enthusiasm for Christmas, she does appreciate good holiday tunes, so we had quite a sing-along, with Shane shaking his head and wondering what he's gotten himself into. (This is our First Christmas Together.) Thanksgiving night, I started putting up some Christmas decorations in my apartment, although I'm not sure if a tree is in my future. (I have a cat... she likes to climb things and chew on foreign objects... "Christmas Vacation," anyone?)

I will say that my Christmas excitement does NOT extend to Black Friday. I went shopping on that infamous day one year with my best friend, Lyndsey, and her mother. I consider myself a bit of a shopaholic, but there's no comparison to Lynz and Tina. You could say... they are the Judy Garland of shopping, and I'm the Britney Spears. My talent doesn't compare. I could barely keep up. And I get a little agoraphobic at the mall... and I hate waiting in line. No, the day after Thanksgiving is for sitting around drinking hot cocoa and watching "Miracle on 34th Street" -- the original one -- and "White Christmas." (Except this year, since I had to work!)

Anyway, I've rambled enough for one afternoon. I leave you with this -- just in case you thought your Thanksgiving holiday was bad. (Yes, it was a slow news day.) Perhaps Sal will be inspired to write another limerick! ;-)

That German beer...

... you've gotta watch out for it!

Maybe this man finally learned that...

A note from Dumbo Dippinbiscuits

From an e-mail forward I received from my friend, Goober Dippindoodle, an elementary school teacher (obviously)... just what I needed on a Thursday after a tough week! Enjoy.

Sometimes when you have a stressful day or week, you need some silliness to break up the day. Here is your dose of humor

A. Follow the instructions to find your new name.
B. Once you have your new name, put it in the subject box and forward to friends and family and co-workers. Don't forget to forward it back to the person who sent it to you, so they know you participated. And don't go all adult - a senior manager is now known far and wide as Dorky Gizzardsniff. The following in excerpted from a children's book, "Captain Underpants And the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants" by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names...

1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:
a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i = dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloopy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t= tootsie
u= dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z= zippy

2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half your new last name:
a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h = waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = potty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle

3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half your new last name:
a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f= breath
g = pants
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdinck
y = hiney
z = juice

Thus, for example, George W. Bush's new name is Fluffy Chucklefanny.

And my boyfriend is Snickle Chuckledoodle. Man, I could do this all day.

Things that make you go, "hmm..."

1. Last night, I watched The Daily Show (don't know if it was new or not -- I tuned in halfway through). Anyway, Martha Stewart was the guest... in black leather pants. Martha. Stewart. In. Black. Leather. Pants. I turned it off after a few minutes, but didn't go to bed right away. You try sleeping after seeing that.

2. A tattoo parlor in town has this sign posted: "Tattoos are forever / Life is not / So get one now / Before you rot." To quote Sal: "Class...you just have to be born with it, I guess."

3. Last week, I wrote what may be my favorite lede ever, for our paper's Political Notebook column. (The top item is mine -- the one about the yard sign.) Now really... no sexism there? Anyway, again, all together this time... "Class..."

Small town, Friday night, full moon

[Fun with the police scanner, Vol. IV]

A report came through that there were some "mooners by the railroad tracks."

Then, a few minutes ago, this from a tired-sounding officer: "I just told them to please keep their pants on..."

lol.

It's FRIDAY!

Random plug: If you haven't visited this blog yet, do it. It's introspective and entertaining! And I can live vicariously through it. It's going on my links sidebar, as soon as I get around to editing the HTML. :)

Lunch break time is precious (and short) so not much else to say today. Except this: no relation, no relation, no relation! Rathergate was timed so that it happened right around the time I was searching for my first post-graduation job in the journalism field, so of course, every interviewer would ask, "Are you related to that CBS producer?" No, and if I was, I'd probably lie about it.

Have a good weekend!

I'm better!

Yes, indeed... I have fully recuperated from my avian flu bug. (OK, sinus infection.)

However, the boyfriend hasn't been so lucky. Turns out he has mono!

The good news is that I've had it and theoretically can't have it again. I had it so long ago that it's also highly unlikely I gave it to him, so I don't know what he's been up to! ;) Poor guy.

In other news -- things that really, really piss me off. I totally respect these people's right to protest, but what a bunch of mother#$%^&*s, as my brother said. (My brother who's in the Army National Guard, who is almost the same age as this soldier that was killed.) If that had been (God forbid) my brother's funeral -- I don't think I would have been able to handle it gracefully. These are the same crazies who have the www.godhatesfags.com Web site. Sick, sick. I can't believe God would embrace that kind of raging hatred. I'd write them some hate mail, if I thought they'd actually read it. (I'm sure they've heard it all already.)

On a happy note -- I moved into my new apartment last weekend, at least halfway. Details to come soon.

That's all. Have a good Monday.