May 2006

I would like a do-over from yesterday, please. Or on second thought, maybe not. The day was just so much insanity (as usual). Got home and got all the chores taken care of, and finally found a little time to just sit outside. That made it a little better. Tonight there's a condo meeting that I have to go to, if for no other reason than to watch everyone fight. I'm just gonna sit back and watch and listen. I know if I pipe up, I'll end up on some committee or something, and then home becomes just like work.

I didn't feel like looking at the news, so I took a quiz instead. And I've found that I'm really kinda behind the times.. but hey, as il ragazzo sez - "be who you are".

You Belong in 1958

If you scored... 1950 - 1959: You're fun loving, romantic, and more than a little innocent. See you at the drive in! 1960 - 1969: You are a free spirit with a huge heart. Love, peace, and happiness rule - oh, and drugs too. 1970 - 1979: Bold and brash, you take life by the horns. Whether you're partying or protesting, you give it your all! 1980 - 1989: Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day. 1990 - 1999: With you anything goes! You're grunge one day, ghetto fabulous the next. It's all good!

So I'm gonna go put on my pearls and saddle shoes and start the day. You think I'm kidding? Hehehe. Ciao Bellas. TiAmo.

Well, that alarm clock going off at 4:10 was certainly a harsh little reality check. Still, it was a great weekend. Hung out with peeps yesterday and played badminton (I'm freakishly good at it for some unknown reason), picnicked and just generally sat about in the sun for hours on end. I'm all tan now, and not from the rub-on stuff. Hehe.

Um, hello? Is it even legal for a 13 year old to be driving a boat?

Eeeeeek. I'm never leaving the house again. (I say that a lot. One of these times, I'm going to MEAN it.)

Have you been following this story? I remember my BIL saying that when his dad died years ago, they didn't bury him at the National Cemetery because they wouldn't put his religious symbol on his tombstone. I'm sure they do now.. but this is just another example of that. The guy in this story fought and died for this country, and for all the freedoms it stands for.. including freedom of religion, right? It's not just freedom for SOME religions, is it?

I just remembered - I have to get to work like RIGHT NOW to get the tech order written up. ooops. Here I go. Have a good day, kids. Ciao.

Good Morning. It's Memorial Day - so take a moment to remember.


I spent a goodly part of the day yesterday on the lawn at St. Kate's. It couldn't have been a nicer day.

Got up this morning and saw that the temp was down to a mere 80 degrees! So I threw open the door to get some fresh air in here. It's starting to climb already - but for a little while, it's good to hear the birds again. My poor little plants took a beating in the sun and wind yesterday. Looks like it's going to be just as hot today, but maybe a little less windy. Not that I'm complaining about it. Oh no! Not me! This is the ONLY time in life that I'm not ONE BIT chilly! Heh.

I even found some news to talk about this morning - The earthquake toll in Indonesia keeps rising. I need to find out where the best place is to send aid money for them.

Oh yeah - Broadband is the only way to go. Is anyone even ON dial-up anymore? Anyone? Anyone?

This story is just awful. And now it's gone from "there didn't seem to be anything wrong - he was a great guy, no trouble at all" to "He was distraught.. He was seeing things that didn't seem to be real." Oy. How about this? If you want to take yourself outta the game, go right on ahead. Leave the kids out of it.

A guy steals 686 sticks of dynamite. His wife says "I think he got himself into something he couldn't get out of." And the winner of the understatement of the year award goes to.....

Attention JenniFromTheInternet: Please, girl - DO NOT go skydiving. That is all.

I'm purposely not paying attention to this.

Awww - Principal Vernon from The Breakfast Club died. RIP.

Okay, I'm off to start the day. Hope yours is restful and wonderful! Ciao, Bellas.

Today will be ALL about playing outside. Oh, yeah. It's funny, though... when I think about the places that I'll GO to do the playing outside, they're still all St. Paul places. I think this means that I'm still a St. Paul Girl at heart. And that's okay, I think. My favorite spot in the whole world will always be the front lawn at St. Kate's (third picture from the left on the banner). When I need to be absolutely calm and centered, that's where I go. Everyone needs their "happy place". That's mine.

Talk to you later, amici. Ciao.

Happy Summer Weekend!

I got to watch the American Idol finale last night, AND eat pizza, AND watch fast cars. Life doesn't get much better for a girl. Hehe.

It's the long weekend! It's summer! I live for this time of year. I have an adequate amount of errands to run, and then I want to play outside a little bit. It'll be a nice day.

Updates and fun stuff throughout the day on the live journal, so click there. Ti Amo, Bellas! Ciao.

NOW it's summer. I slept with the AC on last night. Normally I'm a huge cold baby - I'm actually comfortable when it's 79-80 in my house. But that's not necessarily a good sleeping temp. The cool thing about having a home the size of a postage stamp is that it cools down pretty quickly. I've got the air off and the door open now and it's nice and comfortable in here.

I don't feel very newsy today. Instead, let's pull 5 questions from the "If" book:


1. If you could only have one piece of furniture in your house, what would it be?
My couch. It's all broken in just the way I like it.

2. If you had to choose the best book in history, which book would get the prize?
The best and most useful book I've ever had is The Modern Woman's Guide to Life. It's got EVERYTHING in it, from how to change a tire to how to set a table for a dinner party to how to get out of a hole if you fall into one!

3. If you had to identify the worst hotel room you ever stayed in, where was it?
Oh - this is easy. I can't remember the name of it, but it was in Toronto. We stayed there on the way to Niagra Falls. THE tackiest place ever. There were black folding chairs on the balcony, which overlooked a can factory. Thing is, that was one of the most memorable experiences of the whole trip.

4. If you had to spend one weekend alone in a single public building or institution, which building would you choose?
This one couldn't be easier, either. The Mall of the Universe! It's got everything a girl could ever need..

5. If you could call any person from history for advice tonight, who would you prefer to talk to?
My Papa.


I'm way annoyed at the cat-tles today. One of the threw up all over the quilt, which I discovered last night JUST as I was getting ready to get into bed. Yeah. Nice. And right about now I'm sick of cat hair on everything. I could dust and vacuum 40 times a day, everyday, and it would still be everywhere. I love them to bits, and they're great and I'm glad I have them.. but sometimes I wish I could send them away to kitty-camp for just a little while.

Long weekend starts tonight! Well, actually, it starts at 2:30 today, when I'm ducking out for a mani/pedi. I don't have tons of stuff planned for the weekend, which alternately makes me feel happy (that there aren't places I HAVE to be), and anxious (that there AREN'T places I have to be). HooYa - it's fun being me sometimes. Heh. Regardless, I'm glad I don't have to be at work for a few days, and that the alarm clock won't be waking me up. Talk to you later. Ciao.

I got home from work, took a little snooze on the deck, and woke up in time to hurry inside JUST before it started pouring on me. Had a little dinner, and thought, "Gee, my tummy feels funny." Um, yeah. Sometimes I just have to yarp for no particular reason. I got done with all the yarping, and laid back down for a little while.. after all, it was almost time for the final American Idol! Woke up about 15 minutes before the show, and....

No cable. No internet.

I called the cable company, and got the "you are calling from a verified outage area" recording. "All available technicians are working on the problem." GAH. I have watched every single second of American Idol.. and now, I was going to MISS. THE. FINAL. SHOW. I called il ragazzo, and that boy, he's like a saint. I started telling him "the cable's out.." and he said right away that he'd record it for me. See how nice he is?

Well, they must have been working on it all night long...because this morning, I HAVE internet! YAY! I was going to try to avoid hearing who won, but I figured that would be a little difficult, since I'm not going to get to watch the show til tomorrow night. So I'm glad that my secret American Idol boyfriend Taylor won! I can hardly wait to watch it..

I'm feeling way better - I don't know why my tummy does that, but at least it doesn't last very long. Stress, probably. Lord knows I have enough of that right now. Now I've gotta get going - it's yet another busy day ahead, and then a lot of running around to do tonight. So I'll talk to you later, amici. Ciao.

Yes, good morning. It's morning again. After a bit of a trying day, we got to go out for a for a bit of a happy hour and then home for some real-food dinner. Most most most excellent. I get to have an adventure this morning and take the bus into downtown, since only one vehicle was required for said happy-houring and dinner. HelloKittySaturn got to stay overnight at the parking garage. If this bus thing works as slick as I think it will, though, it'll be a good alternative for snow days and days when I just don't feel like driving.

I haven't watched the performances yet, but I'm hoping against hope that Taylor wins. Although at this point, does it really matter that much? After all, I have to keep reminding myself that a couple years ago, it was Ruben that won, not Clay.. And I've been much more aware of Clay in the years following that one.

This is a good idea. Gas prices are bad here, but not as insane as on the west coast. Still, I think it cost ragazzo something like $42 to fill up the car last night. Sheesh.

Okay, someone needs to explain to me what the deal is with the weird baby names. Bluebell Madonna? Sounds like a racehorse.

Oy. Just... Oy. Whatever.

Wednesday - that means all construction meetings, alla time. Better get going. Talk to youse later, Bellas. Ciao.

I woke up this morning in an unexpectedly crabby mood. This is unlike me. So in order to just snap out of it already I decided to list 12 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

il mio ragazzo
the bowl of herbs that's growing out on the deck
lunch with JenniFromTheInternet
pompeii purple polish on my toes
skeins of pink wool
the bird symphony in my backyard every morning
coffee with chai spice creamer
3 words: my own house
I don't care what the calendar says - summer starts this weekend
little flippy black skirt
the deck couch
papa stories
being in a steamy kitchen with 3 different pots going on the stove
life, right now, in this moment

I think that's more than 12, but I don't care. The more, the better-er, I say. Add some to the list if you'd like - comment or e-mail 'em to me. And that's all I have to say for the morning. I'm going to go wrap up in a blanket (or 3) and sit outside and drink coffee. La vita è bella. Ciao.

Here we go again. The first thing I thought when the alarm went off was "next weekend is a long one!" Well, actually, that was the second thing. The first was "il mio ragazzo ha ritornato!" Now everything is right in the world again *smiles*

First off - pictures of everything I planted yesterday are right here.

It was all over the 5pm newscasts, and it even made the AP wire - there was a roller coaster accident at Valleyfair. See? Those rides are an evil thing. eeeka.

This new drug can help prevent the transmission of HPV, which can cause cervical cancer, and do a world of good... so no wonder the "christian right" opposes it. I swear - they're the meanest people on earth. Oh, that's right, no politics on cheleblog. But c'MON.

The Desperate Housewives finale. Ho-Hum. Whatevah.

Well, this is the most interesting news I've read in a while. I'm know I'M pretty tired of them!

This is a great idea, and it's HERE - I didn't realize that. And, of course, the "christian right" again is right there, opposing it. Go. Away. All. Of. You.

I would like just a little more coffee, but I have kitty cats draped all over me, so there's no moving just yet. That's about all that I've got this morning - so I'm gonna get going. Talk to you mooks later. Ciao.

Yesterday really was a "wind her up and watch her go" kinda day. I left the house at 9:30 AM, and didn't really come back home to stay until 11:30 PM. But man, I accomplished a lot! My brunch plan for today changed a bit (oops. I have to be better about writing stuff down). After that off to meet with my chix with stix, after that off to have a little coffee and convo, after that a little planting time, and then I will get to talk to my ragazzo, who's been gone for 3-days-but-it-seems-like-longer. I miss that boy when he's not here. Maybe it's good to miss someone and to be missed, though. It reminds you how special they are.

I don't have petunias yet - but I have a whole FLAT of impatiens, because they were on sale. Also a really really hanging basket with bell flowers, and rosemary, basil AND lavender. It's going to smell heavenly out there. Everything is pink and white, because, after all, it's a chelegarden. Pictures later, after I get everything planted.

That's all for now. Ciao.

I wonder how many insane days in a row I can HAVE at work? I'm gonna stop counting them now, I think, and just accept them as the way my life IS at work. The key is going to be focusing on the other more fun and NOT work-related aspects of life.. that will help keep everything balanced. I hope. Otherwise, I'm just gonna go completely mental and you'll all find me huddled in a corner someday, sucking my thumb and doing my best Margot Kidder impersonation.

I went to the Mall of the Universe to buy the very very hot and cute red blouse that I saw in the window last week, and *gasp* *sob* it WASN'T THERE. Well, I take that back. There was ONE there, in size extra small (because evidently JUST small isn't enough to make most women feel bad.. heh). Now, I'm WAY smaller than the person I used to be.. (in fact, I'm just under half the person I used to be. hehehe!), but ain't no way I'm putting myself in an XS blouse. So, sad face for chele, because I really wanted to get that one. I even have the shoes to match! I did find a cute and sexy flippy little black skirt and another cute for work skirt to add to the collection of approximately 45,000 skirts which I already own. Because one can never have enough. So on my journeys of today I will be looking for a different very very hot and cute red blouse (which I should just abreviate to VVHACRB, so I don't have to type all that every time).

Speaking of my journeys for today, I should start on them. There are nine different places on my list. eeeka. And I told my friend the Grocery Girl that I would show up and play cards with everyone tonite, because it's been a long time since I've done that. So time to get my moving-on moving on. Have a swell day, Bellas. Ciao.

ps: li manco, ragazzo

I always thought it was clichéd and horrible to say it, but WOW - Thank God It's Friday. Not that the weekend will bring with it a lot of downtime, but at least I don't have to get up until the sun is a little higher in the sky.

I watched just a few episodes of Will and Grace. Sounds like a cute ending to the series.

Oh for the love of God. I just can't READ stories like this one. Not when I know so many people who are willing and eager to adopt. Grrr.

I've driven through Castroville many times.. seen the artichoke fields there. I will continue to have fond memories of it, despite the fact that William Hung is the artichoke king.

Do I want to go see this? I read the book before it was really COOL to read the book (and then I had to re-read it after that, to make sure I was DOUBLY cool). Meh.. I don't know.

Elliot's press conference. He seems like a good guy. I hope he does well. And by God, Taylor better win next week. Seriously, I'm even gonna watch it live and vote. Heh.

Looking ahead to the weekend activities and such.. again, it's time for the four thousand errands. Some of them are happy and fun, though, as they have to do with preps for la celebrazione di compleanno dei ragazzo (yeah yeah.. look it up on babel fish if you can't figure out what it means..). I'm also getting all my plants for the deck, so by the end of the weekend, my container garden will be finished and ready to enjoy. Brunch on Sunday with my boobylicious buddies, and Chicks with Sticks, too. Oh, and lunch. Oh, and a trip to the Mall to get possibly the cutest blouse EVER. Oh, and a quick trip to get a couple more cross stitch kits. Oh, and about 300 other things that I'm forgetting. I'm tired thinking about all this. Did I mention laundry and general cleaning up? Oy. Next weekend is a long one, and I will need it. I need a day where nothing HAS to be done.

And so, è tutto. Talk to you later. Ciao.

Good Morning, People of the Internet.

I checked out the new Trader Joe's last night. It reminds me of being on vacation! That's the only time I've ever gotten to go to a TJ's before. It's going to be a great store here, once all the hoopla dies down a little bit. It was SO picked over - lots and lots of empty shelves - and there were approximately seven thousand people in there (well, I may be exaggerating a little, just for effect. but not much). But I can truly see stopping there on the way home from work to pick stuff up. It's on the way, and just the right size. Yay. Every day, it becomes just a little more civilized here. Now if we could just get 'em to sell liquor at the grocery stores...

I did literally nothing else last night. I talked on the phone a little, and mostly sat outside. IssyCat is loving the deck couch. He sits there beside me and just WATCHES things, and enjoys the evening. So cute. MaddyCat will hop out for a minute or two, but she could take it or leave it, really. Issy would hang out there all day and night if I let him. But the rule is that he can only be out there when I am. I know that he probably WOULDN'T jump off.. but oh my gosh, what if he did? I'd never forgive myself. These kitties.. they've been more faithful to me than lots of people have been. Heh.

When I finally did come back inside, I broke the rules and watched the last 15 minutes of American Idol live, and saw who was leaving next (skip the next part if you haven't watched it yet). Oy. Oy. Oy. WHY does that girl get to stay??? She's just not that good. I might actually have to vote next time, because I want Taylor to win.

Isn't it kind a freaky, that they've never been able to find Jimmy Hoffa? Someday will there be a Geraldo show in which he finds the grave??

Um, excuse me? What the hell? **checks calendar**   What year is it again?

Well, EEEEEEKA. Maybe I want to take a driving vacation, rather than a flying one this year.

I agree with this - If people are going to zip along a particular stretch of highway because it was BUILT with a high speed in mind, they aren't going to slow down because there's a lower number put on a speed limit sign. Give me an Autobahn, man.

Okay, I'm just NOT gonna look at my 401k balance. Oh no. That would NOT be a good idea today.

Best advice EVER! If you don't want to be upset by The Da Vinci Code - DON'T GO SEE THE MOVIE. Howard is right.. It's entertainment - NOT theology. In other words - it's just pretend, people.

Okay. Let's go do this again. I have yet another crazy day ahead.. Ciao, amici. Have a good day.

Okay, it's getting a little easier to do the 4:00 thing. Just a little. I suppose you can get used to anything, though. Way back when - a thousand years ago, or maybe just a few less than that, when I worked at the airline - for a while I had to get up at 3:00 AM for work, because I started at like 4:00 or 4:30. It was great, because we could wear ANYTHING - literally, people came in shorts and tee-shirts, so you could just roll out of bed and go in if you wanted to. And I remember a couple of times, I'd take a half day off and get off at 8:30 in the morning. That ruled. But the getting up at 3:00 SUCKED sometimes. Because, of course, I couldn't make myself go to bed any earlier.. oh no, not me. So I routinely went on 2-3 hours of sleep at night, and then a quick 2 hour nap in the afternoon when I got home, if I could. Gah. Good thing I wasn't, like, FLYING the planes or anything. hehehe. This 4AM thing has been making me go to bed a little earlier.. last night I talked to ragazzo at about 10:30 and then went straight to sleep.

The US just had the warmest April on record. YAY! Global warming ROCKS!!!  *ducks*  Sorry, nature peeps. Just kidding. Mostly.

I think Simon is right - Taylor Hicks will probably win.. and that's okay with me. I haven't watched last night's episode yet, so I don't know how/what they sang.

Is this Richard Hatch guy completely insane? Hello? You're going to JAIL you know. Whatever...

Grey's Anatomy is going to run on Thursdays this fall, and if I'm reading this right, it's on at the same time as that Studio 60 show. So hooray for the DVR, that can record two shows at once. Commander in Chief is gone. Meh - it was good when it started, and then I quickly lost interest. Some of the other shows sound promising.. but I don't like the sound of that "Betty the Ugly". That's just mean.

I didn't really even read most of the article, but, you know... picture of my boyfriend James Spader... what else do you need to know?

Read this article - then daydream about Big Sur....Mmmmmmm......

Here are a couple of pictures to amuse you.

And now, I must run. It's Wednesday, so it's construction meeting day. Talk to you later, Amici. Ciao.

Literally. Cannot. Keep. Eyes. Open. So I keep slamming coffee down, and I'm grateful that I don't have to look at the keyboard when I type.

I spent the evening 1. talking to SB Boy; 2. baking brownies for il ragazzo to take on his road trip; 3. watched Grey's Anatomy (LOTS of spoilers if you haven't watched it yet.. so stop reading if you don't wanna know.) It was a good show. After the first hour, I was emotionally exhausted. And I just kept yelling at the TV - "What the hell is wrong with that Izzie girl???" Hello, psycho. I'm actually quite weary of her. When she got in front of the Chief and said "I'm a pretty girl" I wanted to crawl into the television and slap her. But then I remembered - it's only pretend. Heh.

I watched about 2 seconds of the President's address on immigration (after all.. there were brownies to be baked!) And - well - no politics on cheleblog. So on to the next topic.

There's going to be a sequel to "Bruce Almighty".   *sigh*   Why can't they just leave well enough alone?

Buried in the middle of this article about all of NBC's new shows in development... you'll find that they're cancelling "Joey". I just can't resist: "I told you so!" Ahhh. There.

Hey mommy! Let's go to the zoo! EEEEEEEEEEK!

Bwah ha hah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! (It took me a minute to realize it.. but then: bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!)

Wow. That Cardinal who lives in the backyard sure gets up early. It's 4:45, just barely light, and he's singing like a madman already. Yes, I'll admit it. Nature is kinda cool. I'd rather hear birds than garbage trucks in the morning. I AM suburbia girl.

Better get going now.. I hope your day is most excellent. Ciao Bellas.

Thus begins the first morning of being up at an even MORE ridiculously early hour for work. I've gotta somehow jam a few more hours into my work day - for a while, anyway. I've gotta be able to get a few more things done every day, so I'm hoping that even an extra 45 minutes to an hour will do the trick. Of course, knowing this, I should have gone to sleep maybe a little earlier... but.. oh well. Let's quick look at the news and start the day.

Say it with me - EEEEEEK! Um. Hello? Someone keep a closer eye on the baby when she's around the conveyor belt at the factory.

And in the Um, Hello? Part Two Department: What the hell was this teacher THINKING?

The West Wing series finale was so good. There are very very few shows which I've watched from beginning to end WHILE they were on the air (I didn't watch the first seasons of Friends or Seinfeld. I discovered Northern Exposure when it was on in reruns. I gave up on ER a couple seasons ago.) West Wing was one of them. It wasn't TOO terribly sentimental. I didn't cry oceans of tears, but I did choke up a little bit as Jed Bartlett's plane flew off into the sunset. I'm looking forward to that next Sorkin production.

The Race was great, click the link in the previous entry for pictures. And now it's time to start the new week. Andiamo! May it be the best and brightest ever. Ciao.

What a great morning. Here are some pictures.

Yes, pedicures ARE wonderful and I AM addicted, thank you very much.

Issy-Cat, who used to be my relatively barf-free kitty, has suddenly become the king of vomit over the last couple of days. I haven't changed their food, he hasn't gotten into anything weird that I know of. He's apparently just decided to yarp every. single. morning. May I remind you, too, that Issy is a BIG cat. 22 lbs, last time I checked. There's nothing small about him - so that *shudder* barf noise isn't small, nor is what he leaves behind small. All I can say is thank the good lord for Resolve Carpet Cleaner.

Wow. I just realized - I wonder if any of you were in the middle of eating or anything when you read all that. Heh. Ooops. Sorry.

It's all about the Racing for the Cure this morning. I woke up really sore and really stiff, so I think I'll be doing the inside walk which is just 1K rather than 5K. Besides, it gives me a chance to do some window shopping as well. Supporting my cause AND shopping. What could be better?

So there you have it. Pictures and updates from the day over here. Talk to you later. Ciao.

Well, I really really truly truly couldn't hate this rainy weather any more than I do right now. GAH. It's springtime, and it's a crime that I can't be outside playing every moment of the day.

It's a Saturday, so that means much running about in cheleville. I have a pedicure this morning. I've never had a REAL pedicure before. Everyone tells me that I will be instantly addicted to them. Heh. I'm guessing that they last a bit longer than manicures, so I won't break the chelebank if I decide I like them.

Then it's time to run to a greenhouse to get some lovely big deck trees for the corner. There's one corner where someone can look up easily and see onto my deck.. UNacceptable, of course. A ficus or two should take care of that. Then I need to get some new clean dirt (the concept of which makes my ragazzo laugh.. but there really IS such a thing as clean dirt. and it smells really good!) Next weekend it better be nice outside. I want to plant in my big pots. Petunias, geraniums, impatiens, and a little rosemary and basil just to make the whole thing SMELL wonderful. Now I just have to figure out how to make room for everything. Ahhh. Spring.

I will play alot over on the livejournal this weekend... so click over there, too. Talk to you over here tomorrow, probably after the race. TiAmo, Amici. Ciao.

Bonjour, mes amis. Pretty good for an Italian girlie girl, eh? The week took a fast and furious downturn yesterday. The big meeting was good, and then the day just went straight to Helena Handbasket (read it outloud. heh). I wasn't feeling well and was all out of sorts and there was just a lot of stress and bad ju-ju all around. Poor ragazzo - his day was not much better, and he had to deal with me on top of it all. He's like a saint, that boy. Today will be much better. It has to be.

Let's talk about American Idol more (because I know you all love it when I do. and if you don't, well, heh... it's MY blog!). Even though he should have won, Chris will still do just fine for himself. Whether he's solo or with a band, he's got a big career ahead of him. Read more about what he had to say here.

They convicted this priest. Good, he's a sick f*ck. What IS it about most of these guys? Is this why they enter the clergy in the first place? Whatever. Reason #2346582123034327 that I'm a recovering catholic.

A single hold-out juror kept Moussaoui alive. If anything ever happens because of that.. well.. I hope they can sleep at night. I know I couldn't, if I had that hanging over me.

Wow. She's just dumb, isn't she? But I guess guys don't pursue her for the mental stimulation, eh?

Not. Funny.

Is this wrong? I really do want to go see Poseidon. Mock me if you will! Although it does seem to be getting terrible reviews..

Have you been following this story about the conjoined twins? They'll be undergoing surgery in under an hour. Here's their website. Cute little punkins... Send them some good thoughts today.

Whoops. Don't be playing with those taser guns.

Like I said... Today is going to be a better day. It's almost fall-like weather here - really cloudy, cool and windy. I gave up and turned the heat back on a little bit last night, just to take the edge off. When I'm all achey like that, all I want to do is be warm. Looking forward to the weekend - Saturday will be some running around, a mani/pedicure, and just house stuff. Sunday is The Race for The Cure, always an empowering day. I'm looking forward to it. I might try to go pick up my packet tomorrow, instead of waiting til Sunday morning. Mare, if you're reading this.. want me to pick yours up, too?

And so that's it. Hope your day is the brightest and bestest ever. Ciao, Bellas.

Well, here we are again. As I was tumbling into bed at 12:30 last night, I suddenly remembered that gosh-darn 6:30 AM construction meeting this morning. The one I have to be ready for by 6:00 AM. Which means I better get myself outta the house by 5:40 at the latest. Which means we'd better do this quick:

Again, I haven't watched American Idol yet.. but I can't BELIEVE this. I thought he'd be the ONE. So help me - if that girl wins, I'm gonna stop watching. Heh. I say that every year about someone...

Hmmm. TV for Babies. I don't think that's probably necessary..

I might actually watch SNL this week, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Paul Simon. It'll be like the OLD days.. you know.. back when the show was GOOD.

Attention, Golfers: this article will either inspire you or make you break your golf sticks into tiny tiny pieces. Be forewarned.

So a quick meme from my new lunchy-girl-friend:


I am an Italian girlie girl and a Barefoot Contessa wanna-be.

I want to be everything to everyone sometimes, and it makes me a little bit tired.

I wish that my work life would just calm down a little bit.

I hope for the best for all my peeps.

I give about 110% of myself everyday.

I hate the word "hate".. I try not to use it too much.

I miss my Papa every day.

I fear being left. Yep.. those darn pesky abandonment issues.

I like to watch the birds and all that nature stuff in my backyard.

I love everyone, all the time.

I adore... you know who you are. *smiles*

I crave Godiva chocolate truffles. mmmm...

I dream about the strangest things.

I resist change.. but yet it's sometimes the best thing for me.

I hear the birds singing.

I see my flowering tree right off the deck.

I wonder at my luck.. I'm in awe of how very very lucky I am.

I regret... hmm.. I don't think I have many regrets. I've learned from everything I've done.

I am not sure about what I want to do with my kitchen just yet.

I dance in my chair a lot. *head bounces*

I sing in the car all the time.

I cry at the drop of a hat! Happy tears, sad tears, laughing tears, angry tears... hehehe.

I laugh most when I am with my ragazzo.

I am not always 100% happy and bouncy, but I put on a good face all the time.

I write like a madwoman. I have more journals than anyone.

I could use a Saturn Sky convertible! Yay!

I finish most things I start.. eventually.

I tag anyone who wants to do this!


Gotta fly! Talk to youse later. Ciao.

Let's talk about one of the more embarrassing moments of my day yesterday, shall we? (It's MY blog. I can humiliate myself if I want to.) As you know - or even if you don't know - a big part of my job is managing our company building/remodeling projects. It's a double-edge sword. I love the creative aspects of it.. seeing a design that was born on paper come to life in a building is a big thrill. But there are about one bazillion little details that all have to be managed and tracked and there are constantly people after me looking for answers and there's lots of chaos and meetings and and and and and.... and then, there's always the REST of my job that doesn't stop either. So I get about halfway into these projects, and then I just lose my mind. As I said in an earlier entry, at some point, I just have to face the fact that I'm really just along for the ride. Not a roller coaster ride, either. It's kinda like riding a crazy horse towards a burning barn. Anyway - you see the state of mind I'm in.

So yesterday, I'm talking to my boss about several different items I have on my plate right now, and he proceeds to add one more NOT insignificant item.... another remodel that's going to occur when I'm smack dab in the middle of moving some other people. I tell him - I'm not going to have time to DO that in October. He says "Why not? You'll be done with the bigger part of the project by then." To which I respond "But honey, I'll be in the middle of moves in October!" STOP. GASP. OH MY GOD. I JUST CALLED MY BOSS "HONEY".

After I picked myself up off the floor... and after he stopped laughing and saying "Well, DEAR...." I managed to choke out an apology and explain that, really, I HAVE lost my mind and could probably use a day off sometime in the near future and oh my god, I'm so embarrassed I'm going to die, etc. etc. etc. He just waved me off (I think his exact words were "go take a valium" or something to that effect) and I creeped back to my desk. Then I told il ragazzo that I required a DQ samich and a walk up and down the street. And we did that, because that boy, he's good to me.

So there you have it. I did the five-things meme over here, so you should go read it and tell me what you think. As for me, I want to just get through the day without making a fool of myself. Chances of that happening are about 50-50, I'd say. Have a good day, amici. Ciao.

Buon Giorno, Amici! It's that glorious time of year again, when it's actually LIGHT outside at 5:30. I live for this every year. Can't tell you how happy it makes me.

This brought tears to my eyes.. thank God they're out safely. 300 HOURS... my word.

Denied. Now, just go away.

And you know what? David Blaine could probably go away, too. He makes the news for NOT setting the record. What. Ever.

This is a good idea.

Why, Nicole... WHY?

La vita è bella. It's all good and wonderful right now, in this very moment. We were talking a little yesterday about the whole 'living in the moment' thing. THESE are the moments in life that I want to live to the fullest, to hang on to tightly. If I can 'soak' in these moments and store up that good feeling inside, I know I'll have something to fall back on and draw upon in those moments that AREN'T so good - know what I mean? Anyway - I hope your day is the best ever. Ciao, Bellas.

Greetings and Salutations. And all that. To steal a phrase from my favorite webgirl Jenni - it was a weekend full of awesomeness. Seriously one of the best ever, and I didn't really DO anything all that exciting. It was just the right combination of people, places and events. Plus, you know, Springtime and all that.

It's the end of an era, but I somehow think we're not going to forget the sinking of Titanic. I can't imagine what it would be like to carry memories like that around with you. And moreso what it would be like to see memories of a tragic event like that glamourized in Hollywood for people's entertainment.

What a smart idea - a fuel bank. Why don't we have this here in the Cities??

Steve Jobs IS a god. He's more powerful than the Beatles.   **the chip in chele's head starts to glow**

HA! HA! Tom Cruise is a nut. Even if I wanted to go so Mission: Impossible I wouldn't, JUST because I'm so sick of him. So ha.

Imagine my disappointment when I clicked on this headline and didn't find a picture of my boyfriend Andy Garcia.  ***insert growly noise here***

I'm sitting here trying to think of what's even coming UP this week, and I can't. The construction is going well on the new space - it's all about floor prep this week, and I think the drywallers are far enough ahead that I'll probably see painters up there at some point. I don't think we'll cable and wire 'til next week. Every once in a while, when we're sitting in a construction meeting, I'll get this little flash of "oh my god.. they all THINK I know what I'm doing! I don't know what I'm doing! How do they think I can DO this???" Heh. Then I remember - oh yeah, I've done this before. It gets less scary each time. I've found that the key is to have a good contractor with good subs, and these guys are the best. Plus, they've all been on our jobs before. It goes pretty smoothly, mostly, and I'm pretty lucky. And it's all a good exercise in just letting go. At some point in every project, I just have to take a deep breath and JUMP. It gets to the point where it really no longer is totally in my control.. that's when I have to trust that they all know what they're doing, and I'm just along for the crazy ride.
It occurs to me that life is a little like that as well. Things that I want to have the most control over... (which, face it, is everything. hello. my name is chele, and i'm a control freak) are ultimately the things that I have the LEAST control over. And when I just make that jump.. when I just take that risk.. well, that's when amazing things start happening. And I'm just along for the crazy ride. And life is pretty goddam good. Ciao Bellas.

Well, see how I am? I DID come back here on Sunday, if only briefly. The first thing you should do is go look at the pictures of my new hair, and while you are there you can see everything I did yesterday, which was a lot.

It's a beautiful, wonderful, GLORIOUS day! I must go be a part of it. These are the days that I LIVE for. Brunching with my home-girl this morning, then playing outside time. Make sure you get out a least a little bit today and feel the sunshine on your face. It's good for you! Talk to you later, Bellas. If anything good happens, I'll write about it over here. Ciao.

Happy Saturday Morning to You!

Yes, I'm up bright and early today. I'm long past my stupidity and tiredness. Yesterday, I gave up and left work at about 2:30 or so, because I was typing e-mails that no longer made sense. One line was "The school for the movers is an fellow".. I was actually TRYING to say "the schedule for the moves is as follows". That was when I decided that my synapses needed a little rest.

We decided it was a steak and potatoes kind of day, and I realized that the stuff I had at home was still frozen solid. So I stopped to visit my new favorite old-guy butcher at my foods store and had him pick me a couple nice sirloins, got all the rest of the fixins, and got home thinking that I'd have about an hour to nap before I had to start cooking. This was going to be the first time I'd used the broiler in this oven. Good thing I checked, because my broiler pan was nowhere to be found. I think I lost about 4 kitchen boxes in the move. SO - back in the car.. BACK over to Target to get a new pan. Oh did I mention that now it's getting to be rush hour, so twice as long to get back?? hehehe. I gave up on the napping idea, and bought some Red Bull on the way home. THAT did the trick! Wasn't sleepy anymore.

Anyway, it was lovely dinner and quiet evening and I was sleeping at a reasonable hour. Today is going to be less than quiet. I have 12 things on my list for today. So probably time to start working on that. I think for the rest of today and most of tomorrow I'll be throwing stuff up on chele's live journal page, so if you want to go play over there, that'd be swell. See you back here on Monday. Ciao.

Have you ever just done something really stupid, you know it's stupid, you're not stupid.. you REALIZE it's stupid.. - and you do it anyway?? Yeah, well, that was me. I did something stupid. Worse yet, it was not just stupid for me to do it, it affected someone around me.. so I wasn't alone in my stupidity. Oy. That was more than a little upsetting. I'm trying to turn this into a teachable moment, however. I learned that there are some things that I don't want to know, nor do I have to know them. I learned about the amazing power of forgiveness and understanding. I learned that, while sometimes hard, the truth is always the best thing. I learned that I really cannot - and more importantly - I do not WANT to keep things from those closest to me. While I was having that momentary flash of "I'm just not gonna tell", my body physically rebelled against me (put in less genteel terms, I had to run and throw up. Ew.). Most importantly, I learned that even though I sometimes do stupid things, I'm not a stupid person.. and that I'm really pretty damn lucky to have some of the best people on earth around me. Oh - and I'll never do that again. So there.

So I slept for approximately 30 seconds last night (not all of them consecutive, mind you). I'm an absolute train wreck this morning, so I'm glad it's Friday. I think I have one construction meeting, I've gotta clear some invoices off my desk, and then it can be the weekend. Bring that on, I say. And for now, anyway, that's all I've got. Grazie, ragazzo. Sono la ragazza più fortunata nel mondo, perché siete l'uomo migliore. Ciao.

Yes, please, may I have another day this week??

I wish I could be the way Papa was in the mornings. He was an early riser, too. But he was in a happy mood IMMEDIATELY upon getting out of bed. He'd get the coffee on, get the paper in, putter around the house singing and slamming things around. He'd come into our room and throw the overhead light on and yell things like "HIT THE FLOOR!" and "WAKE UP, SOLDIERS!" I'm laughing about it as I'm typing this now (and I would give the world and everything in it to hear him say any one of those 6 words again this moment) - but at the time, all three of us girls would scream "NO! GET OUT! NOT TIME YET!" and try to throw any non-secured objects like pillows or stuffed animals his way. Heh.

Now when the alarm goes off it's not nearly as lyrical-sounding as my papa's voice, and I rarely yell back or throw things at it (note: rarely). I stumble to the kitchen, feed the kitties and get that first cup coffee poured with one eye open. Hit the "on" button on the laptop, settle in on the couch (Issy settles in right next to me), get those first couple of sips of coffee in me, and the day begins. No one was more joy-filled at 4:45 AM than Papa was. He realized that, truly, each day was a gift, and he wanted to be up for every single second of it. I get that part of it. I'm the girl who really can't nap or sleep late because, God help me, I might miss something that happens. So I AM like him in that way. There will just be no singing and no puttering this early.

He got a life sentence, without possibility of parole. I actually think this is fitting. I think he wanted to be a martyr, and go out in a blaze of glory. Now he will sit alone, and fade out of everyone's consciousness, forgotten. I think that would be harder for him to bear.

Did I NOT say that Paris would be the next one to go home? My Idol-prediction streak continues.. heh. Next out the door? Um... Katherine, I think.

Like I said - I stopped watching "Lost" a while ago.. but caught this synopsis online. Here's my question - how the hell many people are ON this island, anyway?? They're talking about characters I've never heard of.

Most. Frightening. Picture. Ever. EEEEEEK!

Is it just me, or is this girl's life one big Jerry Springer episode?

Oh my lord - this made me laugh out loud. Greatest. Stunt. Ever!

Okay.. I'm pretty sure it's time to get to work now. Have a most excellent day..Ciao.

Yesterday was the best and most happy day. At various points of the day, I remember saying "I'm so excited I'm going to die of happy!" and "I want to hug the whole world." The reason for all this excitement can be found right here.

Right before all the FAST driving around, we had the yummiest dinner.. I finally cooked up the BETTER than the Barefoot Contessa gnocchi - and they WERE, indeed, better than just about anything. Heh. Some nice BIG meatballs.. garlic bread that has, um, like a POUND of butter in it. Definitely a to-die-for meal. We didn't even get to the canolli, so it's back to the freezer with those. There's something about homemade italian food...it makes you feel good to cook it, and even better to EAT it. Restaurant food is good.. but homemade has the extra amore in it or something. And I'm not just being braggy. Cooking is the third fall-back career choice (after telecom and professional dart throwing. heh.)

All day long yesterday, I was just a little more than excited to go drive the car (in fact, il ragazzo said I was "vibrating" while we were standing in line at the samich store at lunchtime. Indeed, I was a little whipped up). At about 2:30. a quick glance at the radar showed - HORRORS - a line of rain showers getting ready to march through. So I did what anyone would do - I had a quick talk with Papa - who's in heaven, and therefore ABOVE the clouds! - and asked him to do whatever was necessary to make sure I could test drive my cool new car. As always, he came thru for me. Ragazzo texted me when I was on my way home: "when you get a chance, look at the radar. the storms break up when they hit the edge of hennepin county." Yep. They'd hit the edge of the county and just.. disappear. We had a great Spring evening, drove the car for about a half hour, came home and sat on the deck for a while, THEN the rain came. Grazie, Papa. Siete il migliore nel mundo. TiAmo.

Today will be the day of a lotta lotta lotta meetings (it's construction time, and I'm starting to lose my grip already. eeeka!). Then I get to go hang out with my knitty chicks right after work. I'm pretty sure that somewhere in between some ice cream will be necessary. È tutto, kids. I've gotta fly. Have a good day, and thanks for the visit. Ciao.

Let's play cheleAssociation - with words of the day from yesterday:

work:busy
lunch:yummy
darts:EXPERT
kitchen:clean
Monday:awesome!

First question of the day: Why, exactly, do we care if a celebrity wants to adopt a baby, or really, what celebrities think about having kids in general? What actually made me really pause in this article is that Brooke Shields is 40. I didn't think we were that close in age.

Excellent! Boston Legal will be back next season. Denny Crane!

Just in case you didn't see Grey's Anatomy this week (and if you didn't - what's wrong with you, anyway?!) - here's what happened

When I go to Santa Barbara, this place is one of my hangouts - the Borders on State Street. Ahem. I wanna go back there! Okay. I'm done whining now. But I'm also gonna start watching airfares..

Okay - that freaking WILD TURKEY THING is outside my house again. I hear him all yelling and flapping and running around and I am SCARED TO DEATH OF THIS THING. EEEEK! Sometimes nature is not my friend.

It's a sunny day! I know this because Paul Douglas tells me so, and he never lies about the weather. Good thing too - because today is the day we get to go drive THIS!! Well, first I have to do silly things like work.. and then eat.. but THEN it's driving time. Yay! It will be most awesome. I bet there will even be pictures involved.

That's all, Bellas. Time to do this stuff. TiAmo. Ciao!

Okay, yeah, it rained every single second of THAT weekend, which really really really sucked. Did I mention? - It SUCKED. But I got an incredible last-second burst of energy at around 5:00 yesterday afternoon and got the desk all cleaned off and organized, moved the desktop computer over, did some general furniture rearranging, and went thru all the paperwork that I'd put off for literally 2 months. It was a productive evening.

It's supposed to rain again today (hello. I'm a duck. quack.), but be SUNNY tomorrow, which is important, since tomorrow is test-drive day. It will be no fun to test drive a convertible with the top up.

The Quote of the Day on the MyWay home page is one of my favorites by Louisa May Alcott: Far away in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see the beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

Okay, now that we've done the weather and all the culture you can stand.. let's look at the news:
It's May Day, and it's also Un Dia Sin Inmigrantes - A Day Without Immigrants. No politics on cheleblog..but all my people are immigrants - I'm the first generation born here. They came thru the Ellis Island. So I GET that immigrants matter. I have friends who are here from foreign-lands (waves at her) - they, too, came here the legal way. Maybe we should work on ways to make the legal way the BEST way? I'm just sayin'...

I say spray away. I hate needles.. and it's the worst to watch tiny babies get shots. And if it works better? All the better.

I don't even MISS Desperate Housewives. It's amazing how quickly that show, and Lost, fell off my radar. But when West Wing ends I'm really truly going to miss it. It's down to the last two episodes. And lord help me if they ever take Grey's Anatomy off the air! At last - a new episode last night. It was worth staying up past midnight to watch it on TiVo.

I remember seeing the original Poseidon Adventure as a kid. It was one of the first PG-rated movies I ever saw. I remember being shocked - and secretly THRILLED - that there was actual swearing in the movie! How grown-up! I still have to watch at least a few minutes of it when I come across it on cable. It's so kitschy. Yeah - I'll probably have to see this new one. At least on DVD.

On tap today - more construction project stuff, so more general chaos at work. Time to throw pointy objects tonight (I'm gonna just go on the championship darts circuit. That'll be my fall-back career path). My goal, really, is to just get through Mondays relatively unscathed with most of my sanity intact. That's not too much to ask for. Hope your day is good as well. Ciao, Bellas.