Need a break July 31, 2008

I’m almost done with this class (and school period), but I just needed to take a break and post something here. First off, I’m kind of hurt that pretty much no one is reading this thing (with apologies for those of you who are, of course). I only got TWO, count ‘em, TWO, responses to my request for “memories” of me. Wow, no one has a memory of me, huh (again, apologies to the two of you who posted)? Guess I’m pretty unmemorable. Yeah, I’m bitter.

SECOND OF ALL! Okay, so there is no “second of all” because I just don’t know what to write. I’m actually pretty tired of typing at this point since that’s all I’ve been doing for the past week and a half, plus at work all day. I’m acquiring carpel tunnel as we speak. I’m sure of it.

That’s all.

August 4th July 24, 2008

I realize there are, like, two people (including myself) who read this thing, but just FYI: I will probably not be posting anything new until August 4th. I just found out that I have until then to do my 8 – 10 page research paper, 3-page essay, presentation, four chapters of reading, and an annotated bibliography. Needless to say, I’m freaking out. (I know, what’s new, right?) As soon as I’m done posting this, I will be embarking on my masochistic journey of homework hell. Until then . . . that’s all.

Beck ‘08! July 19, 2008

Now I’m going to let a really big proverbial cat out of the bag – I  Glenn Beck! I never thought I’d say it, but I like him better than Bill O’Reilly. Let’s all let out a long, sad sigh for the loss. “Sigh . . .” I still like O’Reilly and I watch every show, but I just can’t help but be captivated by Mr. Beck. I started listening to his radio show when it came on the air here about 7 or so months ago and then I started recording his television show a month ago. My infatuation has grown exponentially over the past month and last night was the clincher. He does these tours a few times a year (he hasn’t come here yet – at least not since I’ve been a fanL) and last night they did something that has never been done before. They broadcast one of his live shows live to 350 movie theaters across the country (only certain theaters have the technology, I guess). So, my husband and I went last night and, needless to say, it was AWESOME!

I really didn’t know what to expect, but I loved what I saw. The first half (it was 2 hours) was basically a stand-up comedic act with a political bent; the second half was Beck coming out in suit and tie to “give the speech we all wish the politicians would give”. The jacket came off within seconds and the tie was loosened shortly thereafter, but it truly was the speech we want to hear – you know, full of honesty and common sense (with a bunch of humor mixed in).

Here are just a few things he said in this “speech”:

1. If we are going to send our troops off to war, then we need to allow them to do their job, providing every resource that the United States of America can provide. You go to win and to do so quickly. If you change your mind and want to pull out, then do it. You don’t keep our young men and women there to suffer and half-ass the job. If you’re not going to do it the right way, then you don’t do it at all. Period. Anything less than this is immoral.

2. STOP SPENDING!!!! One of the stats he pulled is that that for every $19 America makes, we spend $20. That’s $1 too many, Washington – in case you were not aware. He says he’s paid bills before and he has a wife. If he spends more money than he has, then his wife kicks his ass. So, if he was President, if he spent too much, his wife would kick his ass, as well as Congress’s. He’d keep the roads going, hospitals, schools, military – you know just the basics – but that’s it! We don’t have the money.

3. He would lower taxes because a) taxes are bad and b) business is good. Duh.

4. No universal healthcare, no bank bailouts, no mortgage bailouts, etc.

5. If you screw up, it’s your fault. Why should the rest of the country have to pay for your mistake. That is what America is about, he says, the ability to fail and then pick yourself back up again. In America, you have the right to succeed and make all of the money that you can, but you also have the right to FAIL and that’s okay because you can come back again.

6. Immigration: BUILD A FENCE! People do it every day, so it can’t really be that hard. After we build a fence, we fine the crap out of employers who hire illegals. If they do it again, they go to prison. THEN, we make it much easier for people to come and work here LEGALLY, but before we let them in, we will ask them what they can contribute to our country (education, work experience, etc.). If they can, then “come on in, brother!”

Okay, I guess I’ll get off my “soapbox” now, but this performance is going to come on DVD soon and if I had the money, I’d purchase a copy for every citizen in this country. It was truly one of the best events I’ve ever witnessed. I’m seriously considering writing him in on the ballot since we’ve been given literally no choice.

That’s all.

Is anyone even reading this thing?? July 18, 2008

This will be a good test to see who (if anyone) is actually looking at this thing. Plus, I think this is fun.

Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you leave a memory about me, I’ll assume you’re playing the game and I’ll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don’t want to play on your blog, or if you don’t have a blog, I’ll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Time to Get Political July 16, 2008

That’s right, it’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for (as if anyone even reads this thing) – Trezza on politics! Okay, so maybe the only one who was waiting for this was my grandfather, but, whatever. Actually, I’m not going to get too crazy here tonight, as I’m tired and need to get to bed shortly.

Here’s the deal, for anyone who cares and/or doesn’t know: I’m an Independent who has a strong tendency to lean to the right. (I have a very good hardcore Republican friend who likes to tell me that I sit on the fence. I say it’s just because she doesn’t like it when I disagree with her.) I agree with probably 80% to 90% of the Republican platform. Note that I stated “Republican platform”, as almost every Republican in government has completely lost sight of what being a Republican, or even a Conservative, actually means. What happened to less government and lower taxes? I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way Republicans lost their roots and their b*!%s (that’s right, even the women). I often wonder if it will take a complete catastrophe, like Barack Obama taking the White House, to get them to pry open their eyes. Sadly, I fear my theory will soon be tested.

That’s all.

Let the Devil be the Devil July 7, 2008

As I stated in my previous post, I just finished reading the book and watching the movie, The Devil Wears Prada. It’s definitely worth the read, and if you’re going to go through the trouble of reading the book, you might as well see the movie. Although, as always is the case, the book is much, much better than the movie, I think the movie is almost better if you’ve read the book first. Here’s why: You understand the character, Andrea, better because you’ve been front row and center to all of her private thoughts. On the other hand, having read the book, you are also able pick up on all of the movies failures. One flaw that jostled me was the fact that Andrea’s friend, Lily, is a much bigger player in the book. She ends up becoming a full-fledged alcoholic right before Andrea’s eyes, which eventually puts her in the hospital and in a coma. This is a major turning point, where Andrea is forced to decide what is more important - her career or her family and friends. This pivotal moment is sadly missing from the film version. Another shortcoming of the film was the glorious moment when Andrea completely tells off Miranda in the middle of a big, glamorous party in Paris, using the phrase “F*!k you!” It was a truly beautiful moment in the book, but with the PG-13 rating, I don’t think they could get away with it in the theaters. There are, of course, other details which were changed, like the fact that Andrea does not live with her boyfriend and his name is not Nate (it’s Alex in the book), but these things are trivial.

Now comes the most ginormous error in the entire film, and the entire point of this blog entry – Miranda is made human in the movie! In the book, Miranda Priestly, the Wicked Witch of Fashion, is truly the worst human being who ever lived (all evil dictators, child molesters, rapists, and murderers aside). She only shows one slight moment of kindness toward Andrea at the end, while in the movie, there are at least three to four of these instances. In the book, Miranda is never shown to have much of a personal life. She has a husband and twin daughters, yes, but no further information is given. She does not get divorced, as she does in the movie, so there is never a moment when you see her without her shield of make-up and she certainly doesn’t cry, for goodness sake! The reader is truly allowed to hate this woman, and rightly so. The book-version Andrea would never have given Miranda information on a plot to remove her as the editor of Runway magazine (that is, if this plot had actually taken place in the book). I truly hated the fact that they gave Miranda an emotional side in the film. The name of the book/movie is The DEVIL Wears Prada – not The Mean-Lady-Who’s-Really-Just-a-Big-MushPie-Inside-Because-She-Just-Has-A-Lot-Of-Issues Wears Prada. Let’s get real, people, and cut out all the pc crap! That’s all.

Writing July 7, 2008

Just a quick FYI: I put up some of the stuff I’ve written, as you can see to the right. As I say, it’s mostly stuff I’ve had to write for school, but whatever. I also haven’t been able to get everything up there, but I’ll get done eventually. That’s all.

(By the way, I think I’m making “that’s all” my new sign off. Here’s why: I just finished reading (and watching the movie) The Devil Wears Prada. (It’s a pretty good book, although nowhere as good as the book I read just prior, Girl With a Pearl Earring.) If you haven’t read the book or seen the movie (the book, as always, is way better than the movie – they changed things that did not need changing!), you know that Miranda Priestly, Andrea’s (the protagonist) straignt-from-the-pit-of-hell boss, always finishes her commands with “that’s all” – not “thank you”, not “please”, or any other nicety that would be way more appropriate. I just found it so funny, for some reason, and have really taken to the phrase. So, that’s all.

Simon!! July 4, 2008

 

If any of you are actually reading my blog, you may remember that I wrote about this awesome cat, Simon, I found at my shelter last Saturday. (I held him in my arms like a baby while he purred away.) Well, I’m going to the shelter again this Saturday morning and was totally excited about seeing him and hoping to love on him some more, when I checked out the shelter’s website and found out that he was adopted on 6/29/08! While I am always so totally excited when one of my favs gets adopted, I am also a bit sad because I know I probably won’t ever see them again. I only met him once, but I’m going to miss the guy. But, hooray that he found himself a real home! YAY!

Adventures in Brown Thumb Gardening July 2, 2008

I’ve never been one to claim that I have a green thumb; in fact, I’d say I have more of a brown thumb. This is why, several months ago, I decided to go the “natural route” and plant “Desert Wildflower” seeds around the tree in my front yard. “Desert Wildflowers” – sound easy, right? And pretty, too. After weeks of careful watering, sprouts eventually appeared, and a few weeks after that, actual flowers! I was so excited and hopeful. I was well on my way to hardy, easy-to-care-for flora. Eventually, I had to face the fact that my dreams of stress-free gardening were not to be. The circle surrounding the tree looked like the upper lip of a preteen boy attempting to grow a mustache. Only about nine seeds actually came to life, and out of those, only four turned into flowers. I eagerly awaited the impending HOA letters demanding that the weeds invading my front yard must be removed at once or the Earth’s axis would shift, bringing death and destruction upon the planet. Thankfully, that letter never came and we’re still spinning properly. I contend that the weed-Nazis were simply showing me a rare moment of mercy, taking pity upon me and my failed endeavor. After a couple months of these weed-esque flowers, I decided something needed to be done.

This past Sunday morning, I awoke at 6:30, in an attempt to beat the impending 100-degree temperatures headed my way. I headed out to Home Depot by 7:30 (yes, I got a late start), with my long list of possible heat-tolerant flowers. I roamed around the Garden Center for fifteen minutes before deciding that I should verify with an “expert” Home Depot employee that they, in fact, had none of the plants on my diligently-researched list. Sadly, the surprisingly friendly and helpful associate confirmed my fears. I then told him I needed heat-tolerant, fairly self-sufficient plants that would grow well in pots (I also had to refill 3 pots) and in the area around my tree. Initially, he suggested hibiscus. I told him we had hibiscus and we killed them. Next, he offered the bougainvillea, to which I informed him that they, too, had not survived the Trezza household. If any of you don’t know about bougainvilleas, let me explain something: Everyone in Arizona complains about them. They basically grow like weeds. They have horrible thorns and even when you cut them down to stubs and do everything in your power to rid your life of them, they return with a vengeance. That’s right, even the bougainvillea was not able to withstand the noxious power that emanates from my brown thumbs. To this, Home Depot man laughed heartily. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up funny man. To make a long story short, I ended up with the standard desert plant seen on every highway and common area in the Valley – the lantana. At this point, I did not care. I was not driving to a “real” nursery to find the plants on my list – I had rising temperatures to beat. I grabbed four 1-gallon lantanas and two tiny ones, two big bags of soil, etc. As soon as I started unloading my wares, I became aware of yet another obstacle in my path to gardening bliss. Those 1-gallon lantanas were way too deep for the area around my stupid tree!!! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! I tried calling my stepfather for emergency gardening advice, but, alas, he was unreachable. (He he has a knack for gardening – not blood related, of course.) I wondered if I could cut off the bottom half of the roots – would they survive? They’re hardy plants, aren’t they?? What I ended up doing was digging as deep into the ground as I could (running into a few worms along the way – disgusting) and piling the soil up around the roots as much as possible. They actually don’t look too bad, considering. And, of course, I had to drive back to Home Depot for more soil halfway through – three more bags of soil, to be more precise. I NEVER seem to get enough soil when I plant. Although it’s only been three days, everything looks great.  It’s too soon to tell if the lantana will be able to defeat the power of my gardening methods. Time will tell . . .