Ann with an E

I'm not overly fond of the movie LES MIZ (seriously, the poor French never seem to take baths during revolutions!) but I think this parody of dirt-smeared Anne Hathaway singing out for an Oscar is hilarious!  Enjoy!

                           

My Dog Is Not Sick

Usually, when I read about dogs on blogs, the wretched animal is already ill, has lost his appetite, or on his last weepy trip to the vet.  So I would like to introduce to you: my 6 year old Maltese Tiger who is not sick (knock on wood!), eats like a pig, and weighs a hefty 10 lbs., which is about 4 lbs. more than what an average Maltese should weigh.  He also barks at anything that moves on the street; he hates cats; and he will try to bite my feet if I dare leave him behind.  (I guess he knows that if his owner has no feet, she can't go away.)  And since he is a Maltese, he is also quite the needy little bugger who howls like a banshee when he is all by his lonesome. Tsk tsk tsk.

                                             "Go ahead & leave me .. I dare ya .."   

Computer update 3:  My sister said I would only have to pay her $1400 instead of $2000 for the new computer because she feels sorry for me.  Huzzahh!  I must say that it certainly didn't hurt to wave that measly pension check in front of her at the breakfast table.

My .. Err, Winter Garden

Thank God for a sustained week of warm weather.  After shivering in my thick wooly socks and harlequin-bright fleece pants since mid-December, I have finally ventured into the garden to survey the lay of the land.  The freesia and ranunculus bulbs I planted in late October have sprouted healthy clumps of leaves (some of the blade-like freesia foliage measure nearly a foot & a half), but so far, I see nary a flower bud.  Because this is California, a few of the roses are still in flower including an ever-blooming Lady of Guadalupe and a 4 year old Rhonda which I am training to grow around an arch. Three weeks ago, I decided to do some serious seed-sowing -- that is, I opened a 6 gram bag of *Carousel* zinnias (good until 2014!), and freely tossed the contents into the rain-softened ground.  Some sprouted, but more were eaten by birds, who were already having a grand old time eating the kibble I set out for the neighborhood's feral cats.  I also planted cherry rose nasturtiums and the sweet pea *America* -- mainly, because the seeds are large & manageable and easily planted with a chopstick.  Just poke a hole with the pointy tip, drop the seed, then cover.  I hope something shows up by February.  

Did I mention that I also found some nice flowering rose-orange coloured snapdragon in Home Depot for $1.99 for 6 plants?  Huzzah! I love Cheap!  I bought 36 plants (should have bought more) and planted them amongst some ugly, newly pruned shrubs, where they attract so much attention that passing toddlers pull them out of the ground to give to their mothers.  Damn it, you kidlets!  Drive to Home Depot and get your own crummy snapdragon!

                         
                                                                 In my dreams ...

Le Flu

Cold.  Shivering. Turban round my head. Didn't get a flu shot!  We have no heat because the ancient furnace broke down 4 years ago, and since the house was built in the 1920s, replacement would be ridiculously expensive. Plus Brian Williams is beginning to scare me!  (Can't he shut up about how *deadly* flu can be for even one broadcast?)  And I certainly don't understand how all those movie stars showed up at the Golden Globes with their icy pale publicity-seeking chests exposed to the cold cold air.  

Speaking of publicity, I can hardly wait for the Lance Armstrong *Mea Culpa* on Oprah.  How culpa will he be?  Not a lot, I reckon.  

Windows 8 ... Nooooo!

Well well well ... its 2013 and I have WINDOWS 8 on my computer!  Oh nooo!  [Tipsy starts to hyperventilate.]  Yes, I have an expensive new desktop alright, but it also has the shockingly different Windows 8 interface with its *living tiles* and no way to exit a page!  Ughhhhh!  Where's my big old *E* button that was perfect for these senior eyes?  What happened to my oh-so-convenient list of bookmarks that was always there on the left side of my screen?  How come the computer clock keeps going back to Central Time?  Does Microsoft want me to move to Arkansas?  So tonight, I am waiting for my new book WINDOWS 8 FOR DUMMIES which I just ordered from Amazon.  Unfortunately, there will be a week's delay because of the many dummies out there who also got a new computer for 2013.  Gahhhh!

Meanwhile, I have started reading my Christmas book stash again, starting with the vampire thriller RED, WHITE AND BLOOD by Chris Farnsworth.  I don't read vampire things usually (however, I will tolerate well-written zombies), but this book features a handsome 140 year old bloodsucker who serves the President of the United States!  We should all be so lucky. Yarrrr.