CafeChatNoir

Child’s Play is at it again!

Over 45 participating hospitals around the world this year.  330K donated already this season, they’re shooting for 750K by Christmas.   There’s probably a children’s hospital near you that’s participating.

I’ve come to the realization that the weekends that the Redskins have won any games have been the weekends where I have not seen a single minute of said games. For the rest of the season, it seems that it would be best that I not even take the time to pop over and check the score, much less actually watch a game.

Fortunately, this trend has not crossed over to hockey, as I have actually seen the Capitals win a couple times this season. (Even before they replaced the coach.)

I am afraid this trend is affecting the teams of my friends. I went up to watch the end of Philly/New England game this evening, fully expecting that the Eagles would be in the process of being slaughtered only to discover that they actually showed up to play, and I was quite stoked because it really looked like they would win. Many of my friends at the pub are Eagles fans, and I was heartbroken for them when the Eagles couldn’t quite pull it out. But they played one hell of a game - not too bad to only miss by 3 points when you go in with a 30 point spread.

In completely unrelated news, it’s not often that people genuinely surprise me in a positive way and it’s happened twice in the past week. It’s nice to have your faith in people restored every now and again. (For the most part, I can maintain my faith in humanity, it’s faith in people that gets a little shaky at times.)

Yes, you read that right - because today, Moxley is certainly not MY dog. Little bugger has been driving me up the wall today.

I just now got him to come inside after being out for about six and a half hours. (Today’s high: 46 degrees.) Today’s trick was to come to the door, sit and look pathetic and then when I would go to let him in - RUN AWAY!!!!!!! WOOHOO!! Let me just tell you, that gets old after a bit.

In the morning he gets biscuits after he goes out. Since he didn’t want to come in, I just set the biscuits on the floor inside so he could get them when he finally came in. Well, the cat comes downstairs and is sitting too close to said biscuits - so, what does the little dingbat do? Barks at the cat - through the back door - but won’t come in because said cat is blocking his path. The cat that is about 10 pounds to his 30. Of course, the cat sees no need to move since the dog isn’t actually coming inside, and the dog won’t come inside because the cat won’t move.

I know the cat enjoyed that little episode.

The dog is already asking to go out again.

Little bro liked the turkey and had no arguments when I informed him that the leftovers were allllllllllllll his.

Other than the rolls being a touch *too* golden brown, everything was good.

Target, who normally doesn’t pay a bit of attention to any kind of human food, was rather perplexed. I lost count of how many times he walked into the kitchen, head high smelling the turkey, and then ate his food and looked at me as if to say, “Why doesn’t this taste like the rest of the kitchen smells??” At one point I had to put the roasting pan on “his” counter for a moment, and it’s a good thing it was only a moment, cause he was ready to take a header right into it. So, he got a tiny bit of turkey with his dinner and was a VERY happy cat.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Group W bench.

At the rate things are going, we’ll be eating around midnight, but we’ve never been big on hard and fast schedules around here.

As usual, the pub was packed last night - everyone comes into town and after about 3 hours realizes they’ve already had too much family time and then it’s time to escape for beer and sports.

Enjoy the day.

I just saw an advert for Kohl’s after Thanksgiving sale. Though I still do not want to hear a damn thing about Christmas until after Thursday, I can’t fault the stores for advertising the sales, as they have this little thing they like to do called staying in business.

What killed me is this - they’re opening at FOUR IN THE MORNING. I just can’t even fathom being up and at a store that early in the morning for anything or anyone. I’m fairly certain I don’t like anyone that much in the first place.

I realize that there are people that DO go out to these sales at the crack of dawn - what I can’t quite fathom is who and why. What gift or recipient is SO critical that you would get out and torture yourself that way? You’ve just survived a major family holiday and now you want to go deal with insane crowds and risk an elbow in the eye because some store only has 5 of this season’s hottest toy actually in stock?

For full disclosure, my brother & I usually venture out on Black Friday. Wander around, check out the Santa Claus to see if he’s decent and get a late lunch. It’s more a spectator event for us, never before noon, and I’m fairly certain I don’t remember a single time we’ve actually bought anything that day.

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. - Plato

Honestly, I think more people forget this than remember it.

I have been having all sorts of off the wall dreams of late. Usually I can’t really remember much about them except that I wake up very confused and trying to make sense of something I can barely remember. Today’s stuck for whatever reason.

It kind of revolved around a party I am supposed to go to this evening - I was with all the same people I saw last night (who will also be there this evening) and there was all sorts of scurrying about in the morning to get ready for the party (which is actually at someone else’s house) but then I had to go to work. At work, I was begging management for some technical manuals for my team that they really needed to get their jobs done. I was fed some BS story about it being copyright infringement if they gave them out, so I said I’d just take it further up the chain to management. Another manager said it cost too much, I said that I’d pay out of pocket, but they said I couldn’t do that either. Then I found out the higest manager would be at the party - so I said I’d just corner him there and get my technical manuals.

Then I woke up. I can only assume my subconscious feels that the party will be weird and drama laden. I figured if that’s the case, I might as well contribute to it and managed to snag a slot at the hair salon for a long overdue haircut. That alone should confuse the hell out of most of my friends around here. The stylist was rather disappointed when all I wanted was a boring straight cut with no frills. But, he did it exactly the way I wanted and I walked out of there being one big bucket of awesome.

When you have this kind of fabulousness going on, the only thing you can do is top it off with Starbucks.

We shall see how the party goes and if anyone randomly offers me technical manuals.

Normally I don’t pay much attention to Britney Spears train wreck of a life, but someone pointed out this article, and well, I just don’t know how she is surviving.

…when court papers recently revealed that the pop tart doesn’t save or invest any of her roughly $737,000 monthly income, financial and entertainment insiders weren’t surprised. …

Given that it’s Britney, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised either. It’s not the income number that is mind boggling - she had a good career there for a while, and probably gets residuals every time pictures of her running over people’s feet hit the internet.

But seriously, how on earth do you manage to spend 737K in a MONTH?? Granted, every picture shows her at Starbucks, which ain’t cheap, but I just don’t think it’s possible to have that many lattes in a month.

Britney, honey - give me 737K for a month and I’ll show you how to live on just half of it. And you’ll still be able to go to Starbucks, I promise.

Food & Friends is working with Bread & Chocolate to bring Thanksgiving Pies to their clients.

You can order pies for yourself, or for Food & Friends, or both.  I beleive there is only a day or two left to get orders in, so if you’re interested, best get over there soon.

Food & Friends is one of my favorite local charities - basically it’s Meals on Wheels for homebound folks with illnesses such as AIDS and cancer.

Wisconsin Police Officer Reprimanded After Accidentally Tasering Himself

OK, I realize the reprimand is because of a safety violation, and safety IS important.  But damn, you’d think the Tasering itself would be reprimand enough.

It’s quite easy to tell that the Ravens game is not going well, given the loud cursing coming from the basement every 5 to 10 minutes.

I’ve already suffered through the Redskins and Caps this weekend. I’m almost afraid to watch the Chargers game later.

Tickets have been acquired for Christmas in Phoenix…

It’ll be nice to at least be able to take my grandmother out for dinner and not have to worry about her slipping on the ice, though.

Went and did my civic duty. Though I can’t say I was exceptionally enthusiastic about it, at least I don’t live in a country where the constitution has been suspended and the next elections are now in question. (Yet.) For the most part, the campaigns have been snarky and uninspiring and didn’t exactly leave me with a feeling of “YES! That is who I want in office!”

Bonds were voted upon, my delegate ran unopposed, and my state senator will learn that I don’t like being responded to with a form letter.

Clerk of the Court was up again - I believe it was visgoth that wondered aloud why the position of a professional administrator was an elected one, rather than an appointment given to the most qualified person. Can’t say I disagree on that one.

Then there is my favorite - Soil & Water Conservation Board. If these folks are actively campaigning, they sure as hell missed my neighborhood. I read the candidate profiles, try to do my due diligence, and never manage to see anyone that is either spectacularly perfect for it, or egregiously wrong for it. Short of going and personally interviewing these folks, I never feel like I am making a truly informed decision.

I must say, I do love my polling place - it’s 5 minutes away, only one precinct, and no lines. (OK, doesn’t hurt that I go in the middle of the day.)

Gentlemen: Women talk to each other. About almost anything and everything. Remember this, and do not be shocked when it happens.

The weather is too cool to leave the back door open for the dog. This has resulted in his doing his very best to make me insane as he cannot decide if he wants to be in or out.

If you have not seen this yet, and have a cat, you must watch: http://www.neatorama.com/2007/10/17/wake-up/ (SFW)

How long will it take all the candidates to get their trash signs off the roads after tomorrow’s election? Some helpful links for Virginia voters.

And finally, if you’re looking to redecorate a bit and have many millions burning a hole in your pocket, Christie’s is having an auction of Impressionist and Modern Art.

Food poisoning (or “my body just doesn’t like some ingredient and hates me”) sucks.

Managing to get it 2 times in 3 days because you didn’t make the connection the first time around really sucks.

I don’t know what went wrong with that soup, but I sure as hell won’t be making it again anytime soon.

And let the sharks take care of the leftovers.

I know I don’t necessarily have traditional views on death. I also know the only reason I’m even thinking about it is that I have a visitation to go to this afternoon and of course, it dredges up all sorts of mental nonsense.

When I go - no funeral, no services, no visitations or viewings. In my mind, every one of these “events” just delays the healing process. Go get on with your life and do something that would make me smile. If someone out there feels some overwhelming need to have a wake or something - don’t expect anyone in my family to host it in any way, shape or form. When my Mom passed away, I had a house overflowing with people - and I knew maybe 20% of them - it was nice to know my Mom had so many friends, but I can’t go so far as to say it was helpful for me.

I know lots of people out there take a lot of comfort in these rituals, but I can’t wrap my head around why, and I probably never will. I’m glad that they do something for folks - I just hate the idea of instructing my family to go through rituals that will do them no good and cause them stress. If they want to do something, fine - but only because they want to, not because they feel like they have to - either for me or anyone else out there.