I have been a pretty girl girl this year! I have done a lot of good things (just a couple bad things), given to charity, made new friends, become closer with family, and adopted a poor, defenseless puppy and given him a home. ;)
I have been a pretty girl girl this year! I have done a lot of good things (just a couple bad things), given to charity, made new friends, become closer with family, and adopted a poor, defenseless puppy and given him a home. ;)
Hi everyone! So I'm heading out to Houston tomorrow for the holidays. I'm looking forward to seeing family, friends, and showing Sheridan my hometown (The Livable Forest...)! He's flying into Hobby Airport, which is the GHETTO, so I hope it doesn't scare him! hahaha
This recipe is from the Raleigh Junior League cookbook, You’re Invited. I actually won a cookie-baking contest with this one once… true story!! If you have time and the inclination to bake, it’s truly the best cookie I’ve ever had! Enjoy.
So this weekend was a trip up to see Sheridan in SF for my actual birthday on Sunday. We had a beautiful, romantic dinner a deux on Friday night at this sweet little spot called Tiramisu (we would have never found this place if it weren't for the concierge at our hotel - it was adorable!) and met up with Sheridan's friend Brent and his gal pal du noir for drinks and funny stories about Sheridan. I kept thinking that these stories were from high school, or something, but it turns out that they were from a couple of years ago!! I'm glad he has recent stories which include rather silly behavior, too... hahaha We're obviously meant to be together, because I'm the queen of it!
Saturday we had breakfast at a sidewalk cafe, went to Union Square and did some shopping (Sheridan got some awesome shoes that he graciously let me pick out - swoon!), and hit the Yahoo! year end party Saturday night. I've NEVER been to a party so cool in my life - casino, live bands, arcade, indoor ice skating rink, ice sculptures, open bar, food for days... it was an awesome time!! Sunday - slept in, had breakfast with my very old friend Marc, who lives in the city (he spilled some of my embarassing stories!), rode the cable cars down to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghiradelli Square, and roamed around the city until it was time to
go home. Parting is always such sweet sorrow, but this week, my honey's coming to visit on Thursday - so it wasn't quite so bad this time!! :)
Well peeps, I'm headed to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday with Sheridan this weekend - I'm so excited and ready to see my sweetie and have some fun to dull the pain of turning 29 again!! I'll be sure to get back with some pics and potentially... stories. :)
For those of you that know me best, I have eliminated a lot of toxins from my life this year ("energy vampires", caffeine, aspartame, several drugs/ prescriptions, and reduced my animal product intake by at least one half), and I feel like good things are happening as a result!! I'm paying the physical price of beating up my body in my 20s and making some questionable decisions, but I do feel like my new commitment to getting my life on track, making good decisions, and living life healthfully has brought me several great things like love, friendships, and financial security - I feel like if I continue committed to my purpose and living life positively, everything else will fall into place!
Since the sun has moved into Sagittarius, I thought I'd share with you guys the astrological profile. Sheridan, this is what you're getting yourself into... I'm a pretty typical one!
So Thanksgiving is Thursday and it's going to be a crazy week, so I'm not sure if I'll have a chance to post very much. However, I just want to wish all my friends and family a very lovely Thanksgiving - I hope you all have a safe Turkey Day. I'll be in Phoenix with Sheridan (meeting the 2nd set of parents and the brother/ his fiancee - wowsers!) - I can't wait to see him and meet more of his peeps!!
(Click on image to see full size of post!)
So Saturday night was the much anticipated Junior League fundraiser and I had an absolute BLAST. We dressed up in our finest black tie attire, ate, drank, and spent lots of dough in the name of charity. I bought several Christmas presents and bid (and won) on a package including a night's stay at Pala Casino, with dinner included. Who wants to party, eat, and gamble with me at Pala soon? :)
ely. What a guy!!! Thanks for being a lovely escort, Sheridan. You rock!!!
So I have a new addition to the blog - I have invited several guest writers to be a part of my new series of postings by my friends and loyal subscribers. I look forward to introducing new points of view to this literary debacle known as The Mer Show, and hope you enjoy it too!
Mine isn't my problem area (that would be my thunder thighs!), but I notice that as I get older, my waistline is becoming less defined. I thought this was an interesting article that I'd share with you guys on how to cut that pesky ab flab (it's more helpful than just "quit eating Twinkies and start running)!
out Britney's new CD, and I decided to be open-minded about it and check it out. And people, it's actually really good!! So you probably have to like trance-y electronic dance music to really dig it, but as The Mer Show readers well know, I DO. Most of the lyrics are atrocious, hyper-sexualized "get naked, get naked, take it off, take it off", and generally make no sense (she meows in one song), but the beats are so good, it doesn't matter to me.Phone: 619-299-7387
Fax: 619-299-7396
http://www.VCAHillcrest.com
Phone: 619-291-0042
Fax: 619-291-0239
Phone: 619-299-2400
Fax: 619-299-0413
Phone: 619-232-7401
Fax: 619-232-7034
Phone: 858-485-7570
Fax: 858-485-5781
http://www.VCAWestBernardo.com
1) 2-1-1 is seeking volunteers to help in the next 72 hours to take calls and/or fill other roles at 2-1-1 should that be needed. Shifts are about four hours and training is available. If interested, email Meg Storer at mstorer@211sandiego.orgwith your name, phone number where you can be reached, your email address, and the dates/times that work best with your schedule. A 2-1-1 person will contact you directly once you send that information.
2) Individuals who wish to volunteer can go to the Red Cross Spontaneous Volunteer Center at Horizon Christian Fellowship,
3) Visit the Red Cross and Volunteer San Diego websites for updates and more ways to help. www.sdarc.org and www.volunteersandiego.org
So I'm sure that most of you have seen on the news that there are wildfires raging across San Diego right now. Fortunately, I live right on the coast in downtown San Diego and am very safe, but there are many people here that are not as lucky. I'm actually quite concerned about some friends of mine who live up north and in the way of danger. I tried calling them, but can't reach them. Say a prayer for my friends, please.
Well peeps, it’s that time of year again! The master cleanse is calling my name and I am answering the call. It’s going to be a very different experience this time, I believe. Shayne just went through the process for the 2nd time, so I sort of know what to expect from her experience. I think it’s going to be a little bit better knowing what to expect this time, but who knows?
Well, friends and family, I have very good news. After 2.5 years of living with my awesome roommate, Prasad, I have rented a new one bedroom condo and am moving out on my own again. It’s been a great 2.5 years with Prasad – he’s been the best roommate I’ve ever had, hands down – but it’s just time for me to live on my own again. As you know from past postings, Shayne has moved out of San Diego – on to bigger and better things – and I have rented her condo. It’s a lovely space, and before she left, put in new carpet and had it painted, so it’s like a brand new place!
Wow. This movie is supremely FOUL, but if you know me, I have absolutely no problem with that – in fact, I sort of enjoy it. :) But holy mother of Pete, Superbad was hilarious!How do I hate thee, tow truck businesses... let me count the ways!
You take our cars away surreptitiously and scare the crap out of us thinking that our cars are stolen, then make us pay you $300+ just for the opportunity to regain what is rightfully ours anyway. You drive around with your big, bulky trucks and prey on good people that likely have
legitimate reasons for having our cars in the wrong place at the right time. And most of the time, when you STEAL our cars away from us, you end up damaging our property. One of you actually wrote on my windshield once with permanent marker once and the jerk that stole my car this weekend actually left a light on in my car, draining my battery so low that it shorted out my entire electrical system! Poor Lady Marmalade is at the car doctor today getting a complete therapeutic treatment after getting so badly abused on Saturday night... This makes me extremely upset (and broke)!
How do you jerks live with yourselves? Do you hang out with meter maids at night, drinking beers, and laughing about whose day you ruined? Do you brainstorm about ways to screw over good people or damage our cars? Do you eat babies for breakfast to find the inner hate necessary to perform this job? You’ve obviously never had your car yanked from your possession and experienced the utter frustration of paying every single fee that could possibly exist just to get your car back… because if you had, you wouldn’t be able to sleep at night!
Tow truck drivers… I HATE YOU!
No love, Mer
For those of you not familiar with The Onion, this is a satirical publication started in Madison, Wisconsin about 20 years ago. It features satirical articles written about current events, both real and imaginary, editorials, interviews, and media. If you’re ever having a really boring day, I totally recommend reading through The Onion website (I think the print editions are only offered in a few locations around the country, likely with large college populations). It’s very intelligent humor and cracks me up all day long! Without doubt, my favorite pieces are the columns by Smoove B (http://www.theonion.com/content/columnists/view/smoove) - Smoove is the BEST!
*Warning* - some material on The Onion is totally irreverant, sometimes a little sacreligious, always a little weird, and potentially offensive to some people, so be sure to remove the stick from your ass before reading!
Anyway, The Onion appears to be going mainstream - I actually saw an Onion article on CNN today. The disclaimer was hilarious – "Editor's note: This may look like a real news story, but it's NOT. It is from the The Onion, a humor publication that calls itself "America's finest news source." CNN may beg to differ, but we do enjoy a good laugh, and hope you will enjoy a weekly selection of their satire.” I guess that some people just wouldn’t ‘get it’ without the disclaimer, but still, it’s so funny to have to explain SATIRE! Hahaha
Anyway, this is the article that was listed on CNN today. I hope you enjoy it! Love, Mer
-----------
POLOKWANE, South Africa (The Onion) -- After three rainy seasons together, a black rhinoceros and a parasite-eating tickbird are beginning to suspect that their symbiotic relationship has fallen into a rut, the couple reported Sunday.
The rhino and tickbird pass another morning on the African savannah not saying one word to each other.
"We're really symbiotic -- almost too symbiotic," the rhino said. "It's just gotten so predictable lately that I'm starting to wonder, 'Is this all there is?'"
First meeting at a local watering hole in 2004, both creatures immediately saw themselves as natural for one other and, in the words of the rhino, felt something "new, gratifying, and mutually beneficial." Within hours, the tickbird had moved into the rhino's habitat and set up house on his thick hide.
But as time went on, it slowly dawned on the couple that their partnership was perhaps merely one of convenience.
"I admit, when we first got together, I was a total mess," the rhino said. "She really helped me clean up my act. But we've been together so long now that I always know exactly what she's going to do next."
Devouring horsefly larvae embedded in her 3,000-pound partner's back, the tickbird seemed to agree that there was little fire left in their symbiotic relationship. At worst, she said, it feels like she and the rhino have been trapped in the same dead-end symbiosis for "countless millions of years."
"We just go through the motions, and there's hardly any communication," the tickbird said. "And we do it the exact same way every time. I get on top and take the parasites off while he just lays there."
"Feed off the embedded ticks on his hide, chirp when the predators come. Feed off the embedded ticks on his hide, chirp when the predators come. Where's the passion, the heat?" the tickbird continued.
The tickbird also accused the rhino of trying to make her "feel small."
"He doesn't realize everything I do for him," the tickbird said. "If it wasn't for my 'incessant squawking,' as he calls it, he would be shot by poachers before he even saw them coming."
Both creatures separately expressed envy of their neighbors, a plover and crocodile, who "never seem to have the problems we do," the rhino said.
"That crocodile appreciates having his teeth cleaned, and he makes sure she knows," the tickbird said. "Look at that big grin."
The rhino said that he often feels like a victim of her nitpicking.
"I might look tough, but I have feelings," the rhino said. "I give her plenty to eat and a great place to perch, but it feels like she's constantly pecking an open wound. Ugh, why can't we just be friends with mutualistic benefits?"
The frustration has caused the pair to act out in passive-aggressive ways. The rhino will frequently charge without warning, jarring the tickbird from her perch. Meanwhile, the tickbird often deliberately embarrasses her partner by speculating aloud about a symbiotic relationship with a cape buffalo or zebra, often within earshot of those species.
According to a nearby elephant, this sense of stagnancy commonly occurs in symbiotic partnerships across sub-Saharan Africa.
"The rhino and tickbird may have evolved physiologically to meet each other's needs, but it's clear they haven't evolved emotionally," the elephant said. "They need to recognize that in order to go forward. The rhino's loud snorting is very alienating. And obviously the tickbird is projecting her own feelings of inadequacy when she criticizes the rhino for being a typical Diceros bicornis."
For all their friction, both creatures conceded that they weren't sure they could actually live without each other.
"I don't know why we stay together," the rhino said. "I guess we're just creatures of instinctual habit."