What Makes It Okay That Its Monday?

Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs win! HOLY COW!!! And not only that, but they did it in style! First, Carlos Zambrano comes back and pitches a no-hitter (the first for a Cubs pitcher in 36 years), on Sunday, and then today Ted Lilly made it as far as the 7th inning with his own no-hit bid; although Lilly finally gave up a run, the Cubbies still prevailed over Houston 6-1.

All I know is that I feel like singin' that dang song really loudly..."Go Cubs, goooo! Go Cubs, goooo! Hey Chicago, whaddya say? The Cubs are gonna win today!" Woo hoo! Harry Caray is smiling down on the Windy City Northsiders!

And how was your weekend? Mine was C-O-L-D! Ugh, do I hate the cold weather. See us fire signs (see previous post) don't take kindly to the water or cold- snuffs out our "fire," don'tcha know.

So this week at work, I started my after school program for the kiddies. It serves kids in grades 1-6, and this year (so far) I have 55 little darlings from 3:00-5:00 pm, four days per week. Have you ever tried to fit 55 kids in a regular sized classroom? Let me save you some trouble: you can't do it. At least, not if you want them to be able to work on homework, or an art project, or math drills...So this week will be one of trying out different methods of classroom management. It may involve splitting the kids up into smaller groups, moving around to different areas of the building, who knows? But I'll figure out a way to "make it work!" as Master Guru Gunn says. That is, after all, what I get paid the Big Bucks for! Ha!

What else? Well, Katie finally got her flight and our rental car for our trip to the East Coast ( the Cape Cod Marathon ). If you're in the Boston area on the 27th of October and feel like having lunch with a very nice stranger, let me know and I'll hook you up with Katie- on a platonic level, because she's got this boyfriend named Paolo.

Enough drivel- I'll post again on Thursday, after the fabulousness that is PR happens. Have a great week!

The Sagittarians are on FIRE!

Read carefully the "good" and "bad" of my astrological sign, and file away for future reference. It will help you understand the mysteries of the Sagittarian mind...

Okay, that was complete bullshit. :o)

Kind of a cool challenge this week on Project Runway . I'm not sure that I like when the producers bring back the designers who have already been eliminated from competition, but it sure caused a bit of someone's diva behavior to come on out! (Uh, yeah, that would be Donna Summer and Utah Gay Keith.)

Let's get down to business, shall we?

The Losers: Blayne-licious and his "pooping fabric" design were awful from conception. Stupid Stella certainly didn't help by having such shiteous taste, either. Icky. Kenley's mish-mash monstrosity was so much costume, so not avant garde, I wanted very badly for "reach-through television" to be a reality so I could pound her in the head and call her that word My Favorite Redhead and I are not supposed to say (but we said anyway at Maple Beach!). And gee, her ousted partner, Wesley, was such a lively personality- I wanted to reach through and smack some life into him. (All that ugliness makes me a wee bit aggressive.) Suede and Jerry's Aquarius mess was so boring. That outfit is like the outfits you see on the Butterick 99 cent patterns: Sewing 101. And then Donna Summer (Terri) and Utah Gay Keith's Leo design- strike that, it was all Terri. That was one of those designs that looks great only from very very far away and out of focus. Otherwise you could feel the cheapness of the materials through the television waves. Again, reach-through tv would have come in handy to smack the diva right out of Ms. Summer. Auf to Blayne and Terri.

The Winners: I got that Korto and Kelly used Aquarius for their inspiration, but what were those crepe paper streamer thingies across the bodice? Confusing. Joe and Daniel's dress was very pretty; I loved the fabric that looked like some sort of horse's hide print- and I mean that even though I hate the animals- so "natural" yet so glam. Leanne and Emily's Scorpio was great. I, too (just like Master Guru Gunn), was sold on the exoskeleton idea. And I thought that the way the black came up and over and around the one side to totally cocoon the model's head was right on. And so that leaves us with the big winners: Jerell and Jennifer's super sassy Sagittarius creation. Where do we start? Well, during the work time part of the show, My Favorite Local Celebrity and The Doctah and me all went "Ohhhhhh!" when we saw the shiny fabric with the men's wear skirt. That jacket was to die for. And (always important to me) the finished product/styling/presentation was flawless. He used a twisted arrow as a headpiece! Brilliant (below)!



Hmmmkay...what else is there to write about? Well, Nona Bologna is reportedly visiting tomorrow night, and I think that The Doctah and me will be bringing her to see Daughter #1 play in the marching band. Hey- don't you think that its kinda an obligation for a high school marching band to play "Gonna Fly Now (the theme from "Rocky")?" I DO! I've been lobbying Daughter #1 to get it on the playlist, to no avail. They do, however, play some Cirque du Soleil stuff that only _______ (insert word Red and I are not supposed to say) really like. Sorry, Katie, but its true.

And remember the other day when I posted that the temperature was only 48 degrees? Well, another sure sign of cold weather came to me via US Postal Service: I got my rates guide from Ski Brule . I'm thinking that a long weekend for New Year's Eve would be fun, and am trying to get Brother Peaches and family to get on board.

The Devil is out of town on business, so I'm on my own for running tomorrow. Here's hoping that your weekend starts off as energetically as my own!

Just A Minute...

...and I'll be right with you! So, I don't have time to post on the fabulousness that was Project Runway last night, but I will later tonight. I promise! Now, get to work, or I'll tell the rest of the girls you're bad tipper!

Can You Believe No One Made A Wrap Dress?

Above: From Diane Von Furstenberg's Fall 2008 collection.

Time for my weekly Project Runway rant!

Seriously now, Diane VonFurstenberg is known for her wrap dresses, and not a single designer chose to create one for this challenge? Did they think that they'd be chastised for taking an easy route or something? I think a wrap dress would have been a welcome sight, especially after seeing what they DID come up with!

The Losers: Blayne's bloomers were terrible! Most women are curvy and to place the band of those pants right under the knee creates such a definite line- who wants their legs cut off there? His top half was great, though, as was his styling. Jerell's get-up was too much and not enough for me. Too much when put together like he did, and not enough on their own (boring!) to really make a positive impression. Joe took the "Shanghai-ness" a bit too far. Maybe he was still channeling his inner drag queen? Costume-y, poor construction (really, at this point you still can't get your seams to line up? Go back to home ec. class!), and incongruous design elements- blech! And the biggest "lose-ah," Stella: All that fantastic fabric in DVF's studio and all she used was a boring tweed and shiny black leathah stuff? Aside from the fact I'm over her attitude and shizz, the design was not there. Boring trousers, "magician's cape," (HA! That was an awesome comment by the judges!) and that crazy bloused top, which to me looked like a sleeveless polo shirt gone terribly, terribly wrong. As one judge said, "Stella wasn't stellar tonight."

The Winners: Kenley's dress was pretty, and Michael Kors nailed it when he said that she got the "Shanghai" just right. But it was a simple dress, nothing exciting. I think she lost touch of her own style in favor of- her words!- creating something "for sale!" I think she needs to remember that she's the designer, and if her designs are worthy, people will buy them. If she only wants to make clothes "for sale," maybe she can get a job designing for Wal-Mart. Korto's dress and jacket were fantastic. I loved the shock of yellow from under the skirt, but I think it should have been a longer hem. It seemed to me that she ran out of fabric, or forgot that the model was going to be wearing heels. And for my favorite- and the judges, too- Leanne. Two weeks in a row! You go, girl! That dress was magnificent! The color was deep and rich, the draping of the neckline and the sensuous ruffle down the back of the skirt- oh, my! And then to juxtapose the nubby grey jacket with that collar with the gown? W-O-W! See for yourself (below).



So I was left wondering what the next challenge will be? Who were those shadowy figures coming out onto the runway during the previews? My curiosity is piqued!

And now on to other news...The Devil had work to do, and I have an eye appointment, so my tempo run is waiting until 11 am or so. Maybe it'll warm up by then (current temperature? 48 degrees).

Also, Mr. Fix was not one of the 120 or so people arrested in St. Paul Wednesday night; he arrived safe and sound just in time to make dinner for the family. He did, however, spend a considerable amount of time with the bottle of Febreze in the car (oh, those smokers!). Have a great weekend.

I Think Its Really Over

Summer, that is. See the photo above with the pool, smiles, and 90 degree heat? Oh, it was sooooo magnificent! I am an unabashed heat lover, so that kind of weather is just perfect, especially if I have no plans or schedules to keep. That was how I spent a majority of my Labor Day weekend: sans plans. I was, of course, at the annual tradition of Hog Days .

I ran in the 4 mile Hog Days Stampede (36 minutes or so, the new results weren't posted yet), did some bar hopping, and...that's really about it! Usually I watch the parade ( I love a marching band and bagpipes), but I opted to swim instead. Usually I go to the flea market, but I opted to avoid the parking hassle. Usually I get flat-out drrrruuuuunnk at least once, but I opted for moderation this year, which I was especially glad to have done after seeing our newly "adopted" sister, Ashley/Paris, after playing a game called "Edward 40 Hands."

Do you know this game? Well, its a take on the movie "Edward Scissorhands," where Johnny Depp's character has scissors instead of hands. In the game, the scissors are replaced with "40s" of beer; in the case of Ashley/Paris and everyone else who participated, bottles of Boone's Farm were used. Now, here's the tricky part: the bottles are duct taped to your hands until they have been emptied by drinking the contents. The big trick is using the bathroom, I guess. Ashley/Paris (who bears a resemblance to a certain heiress, and shall from this point on be only called by that name) finished her Strawberry Hill in 18 minutes. Sister-in-law Jennifer made her puke it back up and come home for the night. Ah, to be young again!

I chose to stay in that night and play Farkle and then Shanghai Rummy with Sissy, Gack, Salcha, and Chin-ho. Yes, those are nick names, and no, I won't tell you who they really are.

Anyhoo, I returned home Monday and the kids started school on Tuesday, and Wednesday Mr. Fix drove to the Twin Cities to see Rage Against The Machine , playing across the street from the Republican convention. He's not home yet as I type this, nor has he called. He is on strict orders to never call me from jail, as I will not bail him out. So, either he'll show up later tonight, or he won't. Either way I'll post on what we're all eager to talk about: Project Runway !

The Bridal Party Looked Resplendant in Jewel Tones

As promised, here are "before" and "during" shots of the Gladstone High School Cross Country team's 2nd Annual 5K Fun Run where I ran with fellow fierce women dressed in bridal gear.

Top photo, from left: Denise, Robyn, Jessica, Rachel, Deb, and Stacey.
Bottom photo, from left: Robyn, Denise, Stacey, Rachel, Deb, and Jessica.

The day was lovely, just right for a wedding. It was, however, mondo hot in those get-ups, and we were all sweating our patooties off before mile one. What made this race worth while? Well, it helped a local school, helped fund a program we all believe in, and during the race, we wondered out loud about the people you see running marathons (that's 26.2 miles for those of you not in the know) in costumes. Were we really part of that crazy club? Yes and no. Yes, running in costume was great fun, it added some levity to the morning and quickly parlayed any thoughts of "getting a PR" during the race; we were able to focus on what, exactly, we ran for: it made us all happy. I'm sure there are more reasons than that one, but doing something you enjoy- that makes you happy- is absolutely the best reason to do something. Agreed, mon cherie?

And I saved the best for last: once you crossed the finish line, you had to make your way down the Slip 'n' Slide! Below, our "bride" Stacey (in her own wedding gown from her now-ended marriage) literally "takes the plunge." (groan...)

It was a blast, and we were throwing out suggestions for next year's costumes before the half-mile mark. Outsider suggestions welcome, just be sure that we can purchase the makings of the costumes at local thrift stores/dark corners of bedroom closets/dusty boxes under the bed.

Watch This

Okay, so I was visiting one of my favorite sites, Ninja Please , and this was posted. Effing awesome, indeed. Note: not for kids!