In case you haven't noticed yet, there are posts up all over the 'sphere about a very elusive man running lose around the central and southern parts of the country. If you find him, please proceed with caution and do not attempt to approach him alone. He goes by the name of That 1 Guy. more...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:48 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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It has been re-confirmed ... there are some serious general douche bags circling around this poor country of ours.

How on earth have the twenty-somethings (and younger) gotten this far in life with such terrible social graces? Someone please tell me that they are going to hit the wall of reality sometime soon and fall flat on their asses. It is a most assuredly a pipe dream, I know Â… but can someone please just lie to me on this one?

Oh and while IÂ’m asking questions, when did it become acceptable to treat your friends like disposable picnic wear because you didnÂ’t get your way? Did I miss a memo somewhere? Apparently, I must have Â…

Today, a friend of mine invited his friend to hang out. Once his friend found out that I was going to be there as well he said, “Oh. Well then my roommate and I don’t want to come.” W.T.F. Over.

Just what exactly did I do to the Douche Twins to elicit such a response? Nothing.

I have known Douche Dude 1 for nearly as long as I have known my other friend. He and I have hung out in a variety of situations. HeÂ’s borrowed my car. HeÂ’s crashed on my couch while waiting for a house. We were never going to be best buddies, but I sure as hell thought we were at least cool with one another.

And his roommate? I thought that he and I got along decent enough. When the hell did things get so tense that he didnÂ’t even want to go to the same damn movie? I tell you, I have no effing clue.

But as far as IÂ’m concerned, it was rude and they are a giant set of Douche Twins. Do they not get that they told their own friend he had to decide who he wanted to hang out with more? Do they not get that they pulled some seriously immature moves?

I’ve heard more than one story tonight about stupid, immature “friendships” than I think I can take. And obviously this is some shit which has just irked me to the core. But I tell you, I just don’t get how people treat each other these days.

Maybe it will make more sense once I get my hands on that memo.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 02:04 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Jazzy, one of my five loyal readers has finally decided to join the ranks of the 'sphere. He's set up an ecclectic little shop over at Dances With Squirrels, where you'll find a bit about world idiots, domestic oddities, and even a word or two about his life.

He's new to this funny little game we play, so be nice. Give him a read, a shove of encouragement, and maybe a little linky love (ahem, I said linky ... Harvey ... with an 'L' ...)

I think this one might actually stick with it ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:56 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I am aware that these little bastards are generally harmless but wtf are they doing in my house?

They are supposed to like dark, damp places ... my bedroom is anything but damp and dark. Remember ... I have an entire wall of window through with the fire of Hades warms my room to the temperature of the sun.

To get rid of them you're supposed to seal cracks in the walls. Well we sure do have our fair share of cracked walls (and doorframes) ... Not to mention windows with a layer of sand on the sills because they don't seal, a door with a gap that allows moisture into the entryway, and water damage on one of our ceilings ... I think I've figured out how they are getting in!

Seriously, I don't care how many spiders they eat ... in my house, they die!

Posted by: Princess Cat at 03:34 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 I get them, too. I hate bugs and these things get flattened on sight. I didn't know that they ate spiders, though...

Posted by: zonker at July 07, 2006 10:38 PM (PrUNH)

2 I too hate the little suckers! I crush them when I see them. I moved some fencing the other day and they were everywhere! YUCK!

Posted by: Chuck at July 08, 2006 09:57 PM (/lwt1)

3 Ewwww, gross... Ive never seen this bug before.... I hate spiders, in fact, I am moving out of my house becuase there are too many!!! Im not sure if I should "import" these critters to get rid of them or not.... I think I would be too grossed out either way.... hmmmmm

Posted by: supertoddy at July 12, 2006 12:38 PM (2pFEI)

4 Oh my gosh, I had a centipede problem in our house for about three years. We live in an old Victorian place with lots of spaces in the windows, spaces between floorboards in the corners, etc...it is actually a very nice place, but very old. We have FINALLY managed to get rid of the cenitpedes by doing the following. (1) had a pest company come spray the outside around the foundation, (2) cleared ALL of the weeds, debris, leaves from the outside of our house so the foundation could really dry out, (3) sprinkled BORAX around the perimeters of the rooms, and (4) kicked out a roommate of ours who was ALWAYS doing laundry, and therefore greatly increasing the humidity of our house! Now our house is much drier and cleaner. I used to see at least two centipedes EVERY NIGHT, either in the kitchen, bathroom or my bedroom (ugh!), but now I have seen just ONE in three weeks! I consider that to be excellent progress! OH yes, I also bought one of those electronic pulse repeller things for each room downstairs, don't know if it's really helping or not...but I am sure going to keep it plugged in! I am SO HAPPY to finally be RID of those awful things...they gave me nightmares!!!

Posted by: Tina at August 24, 2006 04:16 PM (CaDaz)

5 well I hate centipedes and well I havn't tried anything yet but just the other night I found one in my frige. I sreamed and mad my boyfriend get rid of it I see about 2 a night...what should I do?

Posted by: rose at October 25, 2006 05:45 PM (MObI4)

6 i live in liverpool england and found one of these in my house wtf are they shud i be scared ??????????????????? HELLLPPPP!!! i had the fright of my life haha

Posted by: Kathy at March 28, 2007 11:53 AM (N8EPA)

7 I found one in my mom's bedroom while I was playing on the computer and it scared me soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo bad that I screamed and jumped on her bed!!We are trying to figure out how to get rid of them before they take over our house!!My mama has seen them 2 times now and she has seen them about 3 weeks each time!!How do we get rid of them?We will try anything!!But,at least they eat pests but they still seem that they will cause a harmful bite!!We are trying everything!!

Posted by: Brittany at April 21, 2007 08:35 AM (IfUoY)

8 I had them in my old apartment, which was an old 1900s house. I had them most of the time in my bathroom, but I found one in my bedroom/living room. First time I ever seen one, it was on my bathroom wall. They dont run in straight lines let me tell you and it ran bloody fast. I started catching them to see what they were. I was told it was a silverfish, but in truth it was a house centipede. It was so gross, I had one in the shower with me and I was pregnant at the time and was tweaking out, calling my fiance to get the shoe. Another time I had one sitting on the top of the tank of the toilet while I was sitting there and I dont care if they dont bite that hard and they kill other pests, I dont want that nasty thing(s) anywhere near me, they are freaking disgusting. Eww

Posted by: Nikki at May 24, 2007 10:45 PM (p0UzO)

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Tonight's dinner was fantastic ... in a way that caught me completely off guard. I mean, fantastic!!

I don't really do recipes per se ... I'll take culinary suggestion from them ... but I was going on the fly with this one. I didn't really know what to expect and I was way outside my comfort zone on this main dish. But I'm telling you, it rocked!

Chicken Sausage w/Leeks

1 package of spiced apple chicken sausage, fresh (about 5 brat-sized sausages)
1 med Vidalia onion, sliced
2 leeks, sliced
1 med granny smith apple, peeled and sliced
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
3/4 c apple cider
1 trusty, handy-dandy cast iron skillet (or whatever it is that you use)

In a couple tablespoons of oil, brown the sausages over medium heat. Remove from the pan. Add onions and leeks, sauté until softened (about 5 mins) Add apples, sauté stirring constantly until soft (about 2 mins). Return sausages to the pan. Add apple cider vinegar and apple cider and continue cooking until sausages are done and the liquid has reduced by at least half.

Plate and serve!

So so yummy, tangy and sweet Â… Mmm Mmm!
And I have some for lunch tomorrow. ;-)

My full menu:
Chicken Sausage w/ Leeks
Polenta w/ Sundried Tomato & Basil Cheese
Cauliflower & Snap Peas

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:11 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I think I'm going to need to borrow ArmyWife's red tent for a few days. Normally, I'd say the tent is overkill for me, but this time, it might not be a bad precaution.

Last night, I was moody ... not bitchy or irritable ... Just plain moody. I have a lot on my mind and all of it just weighed with a terrible sadness.

I've been doing my best to keep it within the confines of my own personal space, but I think I've failed on a few occasions.

So perhaps today I will take with me to the confines of the tent a very comfy blanket, some pillows, and curl up in the corner with a movie sure to make me cry. Maybe I can flush out some of these demons out with a bought of overly dramatic tears brought on by just the right cinematic forumla of cheese, bullshit, and unlikely romance.

Maybe this is why I never go camping ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:30 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Whether physically or metaphorically, "getting away from it all" is very appealing. Just don't let the little time out become a long withdrawal.

Posted by: Lysander at July 06, 2006 10:49 AM (ShW/G)

2 Honey, we need to start decorating the tent, so people can rent it or borrow it...a cyber red tent... I think that may be the ticket. Fill it with cheezy movies, and books, candles, and lotion, and cucumber masks, a hot tub for soaking, no mirrors and comfy jammies.....

Posted by: armywifetoddlermom at July 06, 2006 01:03 PM (gLfxV)

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At the risk of furthering the highly erroneous idea that I am a neat freak ... I feel the need to confess my sins of the day.

... I crevice tooled nearly my entire house ...

I pulled out all the vacuum attachments, made myself a magic wand of suction (wow, someone could go bad places with that one), snapped on the crevice tool, and away I went.

Room corners? Done
Baseboards? Done
Edges of the carpet? Done
Crown moldings? Done
Fireplace encasement? Done
Air vents? Done
Door frames? Done
Sliding glass door track? Done
Under the stove? Done
Under the fridge? Done

And then, yes ... there's more
... I dusted/cleaned every neglected thing in the house ...

All the usual stuff? Done (duh)
Chair rail? Done
Stupid inset wall panels? Done
Evil decorative wood going up the stairs? Done
Banisters? Done (btw, these were the nastiest part of the whole day ... hand grime like you wouldn't believe!)

If my room werenÂ’t still so cluttered up, I'd think I'm turning a little OCD. I'm telling you, today was a scary day ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:07 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I've spent some time lately explaining to a newcomer in this realm the hows and whys of my thought processes and actions. It got me to thinking about my time in New York and how much my mom just didn't understand about me.

It was Fleet Week. What girl doesn't love fleet week? Men in uniform ... YUM!

In our planning, the Fleet Week events and visiting ships kept getting pushed out farther and farther. I kept emphasizing to my mom that attending events and/or visiting the ships was something I really wanted to do. She did the "ok ok, we'll get to it" that we've all heard before.

Finally she got so frustrated by my daily insistance that she burst out with, "you lived in San Diego for six years, haven't you seen enough? Is there something you need to see that you don't already know about?"

And there was her mistake ... She only heard the what and she didn't understand the why.

I stopped her on the corner and had her look across the street. I said, "Do you see those two people right there? They are the reason I want to go to Fleet Week. They are the reason I need to go to Fleet Week. And they are the reason I think we should go to Fleet Week."

Those two people were anti-war protestors passing out stickers and shouting to people about their negative messages as they passed by.

But she still didn't get it ... so I continued ...

"Mom, the people getting off the ships are going to see these people and who knows how many more people like them. Some of them are probably being 'welcomed' home by these messages ... by messages that are as least supportive as they could possibly be ... toward people who get shot at, blown up, and witness death as a job.

When they get home and its just them and their thoughts, is that what you want them to think about? That the only people who took the time to recognize them and their efforts were the people against them? Because I promise you, there aren't nearly as many people openly saying 'thank you' or 'job well done' or even 'glad to have you home' as there are these disgraceful ones.

The people getting off these ships aren't going to see that tattered flag you have tied to your second car's antenna or that magnet you keep intending to buy but just haven't gotten around to yet. But what they will see is you clapping your hands at one of their concerts or shows, or touring one of their ships, or learning about their equipment. They will see you taking an interest when you show up to Fleet Week. They will see that there are still Americans that believe in their purpose and their mission. They will see that the pride they have in themselves is also found in the people they represent ... because you took the time to show up.

They might not say anything about it to anyone else, but how do you feel when you put together an event and no one shows up?"

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:30 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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My day certainly did not turn out at all how I had intended it to.

My original plans were to go with two friends and join the masses of tourons (tourists, to those of you who aren't local) for fireworks on The Mall. Last night, my girl called and cancelled on me. I called this morning to try to talk her into it but she wasn't having it. So, since she was bummed, I said we'd hang at her place. She wasn't having that either. Well shit ... these two were damn near the only ones in town and they were bailing on me. WTF?

Instead ...

I had Mexican food, rolled in some dirt, almost got killed, bleached the crap out of my kitchen, had Japanese food, discussed vaginas, and THEN got to watch fireworks. more...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:05 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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This is still one of my favorite holidays...

I miss the days as a kid when I would wake up early and watch the parade, making sure to get a good candy catching place right on the curb, then going to the local park and having a big neighborhood BBQ & picnic, playing with squirt guns and water balloons all day to stay cool ... of course having a good fireworks spot claimed earlier in the day with a couple of blankets on the hill above the baseball diamond ... because the fireworks were always the best part ...

It was our day of independence from our parents in some ways. We got to be kids all day, we had our own blanket strategically separate from theirs, and no one looked at us crosswise for it all day. We felt like grown ups for a day, I guess.

So go out and enjoy your picnic, BBQ, local get together, or whatever festivities you have planned.

I'll be having a beer, mulling over my memories, waiting for the fireworks ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:35 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Finally ... someone has some sense ... Supreme Court Issues a Stay for Cross on San Diego City Property

It sure as hell isn't the idiot trying to get the cross taken down though. I mean seriously ... the cross is part of a war memorial ... are you really going to pull the whole separation of church and state thing? Cuz other than that argument, you've got nothin, Buddy.

You don't like the cross? Don't look at it.

And how long are you going to push this battle? The city has been having political and financial trouble for how long now? If you cared about your city, you'd help them sort it all out. Instead, you're using it to your advantage to try to get your pet project through. Guess that means you don't get to complain about anyone else doing that again, now do you?

I say again ... if you don't like the cross ... Don't look at it.

Thank you, Supreme Court, for having some sense.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 06:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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I know I'm not exactly a demure little kitten, but seriously?
I think this is off ...

You Are 28% Lady

You tend to make up your rules of etiquette, throwing all conventions aside. And while you try to be a lady (sometimes), your behavior is often quite shocking.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 03:20 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Seems that I'm pretty late to the party on this one but I'll write about it anyway ...

I love to walk through the wine section of my local store, sometimes because I feel the need for a bottle or two and sometimes because I just love to laugh at the crazy labels people are putting on things these days.

Tonight, this one caught my eye:

From their bottle (and site Jarheadred.com):

Jarhead Red is a wine made by Marines, for Marines, at Firestone Vineyard on CaliforniaÂ’s Central Coast. Net proceeds from the sale of this wine benefit the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, which provides educational assistance to children of U.S. Marines, with special attention given to children of fallen Marines. (www.Marine-Scholars.org)
Adam Firestone – CAPT USMC 1984-91 (Winegrower)
Ruben Dominguez - SGT USMC 1979–84 (Vineyard Foreman)

Besides, everyone needs to have a little table wine laying around. And getting your buzz on while doing your part to help out the Marines just makes it that much more rewarding.

Jarhead Red is available for sale online to: CA, CO, ID, IL, IA, MN, MO, NV, NM, ND, NY, OH, OR, TX, WA, WV, WI & WY (states not listed may have local retailers instead)

I'll let you know how I like it once I pop the cork later this week ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:20 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I finally got a picture of my dad's OTHER $1500 mistake ...

Meet Ringo:

(click to enlarge)

I suppose he's kinda cute ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:02 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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I was reminded recently ... against my will, in fact ... about what perception really means and how powerful it can be.

... it is a personal truth ...

... it is an intimate reality ...

... it is the thin veil of belief under which we grow to live our daily lives that keeps us generally happy and content ...

but things can change and that veil can be lifted
and we don't always like what we see
yet, there remains another veil through which the light of the world is filtered
and enters a new perspective that we must learn to find comfort in

... but is truth ever really revealed?
... if its not, does it really matter?

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:40 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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My thoughts on this movie can be summed up in one word - Perfect.

It fulfilled its intended purpose with authenticity and a sense of genuine reality; it revealed the experience, ordeal, excitement, and doubt of war through the eyes of the warfighter. Not just through the eyes of the warfighter but through the personal thoughts and existence of these warfighters. These men shared themselves with the audience in ways most friends and neighbors never would.

The film didn't take a political stance on the war. It served as the vehicle for these personal truths to be shared with those of us that will never honestly know or understand what war is really like. We, as viewers, should feel honored and privileged to be given such insight.

I think that this movie should be seen by everyone who has an opinion on the war in Iraq or our troops that are serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'll say again - this film is simply perfect and a treasured diary.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:32 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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