jazzgirl

Amen. Miss Scarlett took one for the team tonight *g*. Tomorrow is another day (so let's hope she takes couchie's advice and gets some rest!).

Couchie, often the confusion is due to unfamiliar surroundings. Hopefully, when you get your mom home she will be back to normal. Record the inauguration tomorrow for when mom is better. If not, I'm sure various retailers will offer a DVD. Claylove, this was lovely. It reminded me of my situation. Now, both parents are gone, but they were so vulnerable and I was happy to help.

My goodness, if GFI has a Q and A, I think that's a winner for the most original question ever asked! *G* ldyj, prayers for your sister on the loss of her hubby. And hugs for couchie and mamacouchie.

I've been quite surprised by the Clay revelations this year myself. But it doesn't really bother me. I don't know him, he doesn't know me and as such it doesn't affect my mental preconceptions about myself. As long as Clay doesn't turn OJ Simpson (at which point I will "Run Away"), I just enjoy what I like at the Clay smorgasbord (muski might pounce on that *g*) or as our thread title says, "avoid the crazy, enjoy the good, and chill". Regarding the "Asians are smarter" discussion, I saw a recent segment on Charlie Rose with a fascinating discussion of why Asians test so much better in math than their Western counterparts. It's because of rice! If interested, see this video link from about 12:30 to 15:00 minute mark. The discussion is with Malcolm Gladwell, author of the bestseller "Outliers". In brief, he theorizes on the role of culture in success, and that the rice culture is renowned for being much more labor intensive than Western agriculture. Per Gladwell, if a culture has intensive work for 1500 or so years, a child born into that culture has advantages. From NPR: More

Sending the best wishes to couchiemama and wonderful daughter couchie. You are blessed to have each other. You have found your grail......technology *g*. Thanks for link! annabear, that Doctor Clay is a keeper!

Most definitely renew the AAA card. I pulled into a gas station once for a fill-up. Pumped the gas, got back in the car, and the engine wouldn't turn over! Called the auto club to get a charge (this was about a 16 bay gas station with no repair services). It was late on a Sunday afternoon, but I got to Sears for a new battery before they closed at 5. Then, there was the time my credit card got stuck in the outdoor pay at the pump. I had to hike to another place to borrow some pliers and extricate my card! Congrats on the new job duties!

Wanted to give a thank you to goldarngirl and luckiest for the Gala song montages. Those are fantastic!

Oh, I think this band idea could be very prescient! (*takes opportunity to indulge in some snark*) Given that Clay's last tour had fans providing tour "content" via the Christmas stories, it does not seem that much of a segue (hee!) for the next tour to have fans providing the music as band members! I can already see the OFC contest with Clay blogging about being up to his eyeballs in audition clips. And, instead of a book of fan Christmas stories, TBAF will publish the memoirs of the fans chosen to be band members as "I'm With the Band, Confessions of the Claymates" (*homage to the Pamela Des Barres book *). :thpp_blinkie_1087: Doesn't "Couch Tomato's All-Girl Band" have a certain je nais se quoi? And the way the economy is heading, forming an all-girl band may be a good option

Congratulations on the great grades, annabear! I used to get a visit to the ice cream parlor with grandma when I got a good report card, so the balloons are in lieu of a virtual sundae. Speaking of economics, I have always appreciated this graphic imagery of the "trickle down" theory: f you feed enough oats to the horse, some will pass through to feed the sparrows." - Economist John Kenneth Galbraith I have spent the morning waiting for the alarm company to show up. We have had five false alarms in the last two weeks. If I set the alarm, and got a block away in the car, I would get a message that the alarm was activated! Evidently, the door sensor suddenly malfunctioned and needed replacement. Glad I asked for the 8-12AM time slot, because the repairman didn't show up until after 1 PM!

What great photos! Yep. If he's singing, I'm there, no matter what, no matter where! Another thread title nomination: If he's singing, I'm there, no matter what, no matter where It reminds me of the song "Get There" which Clay sang at the last GFI: You can reach me by railway, you can reach me by trailway You can reach me on an airplane, you can reach me with your mind You can reach me by caravan, cross the desert like an Arab man I don't care how you get here, just get here if you can You can windsurf into my life, take me up on a carpet ride You can make it in a big balloon, but you better make it soon You can reach me by caravan, cross the desert like an Arab man I don't care how you get here, just- get here if you can Yay for interviews, couchie, and aikim, glad you got your computer running again! I'll take September 9th for a concert start date (have to allow time for the first birthday festivities!)

Hee. And :14: aikim, loved the list! ldyj, wise move to not visit your mother as older people can be so fragile if exposed to what we can weather. Hope you feel better. Such fun to read all the reports from the FCA contingent! Hope the weather is better.

Couchie, glad to read that your mom is home. Sometimes, it's better to get out of the hospital as soon as possible as germs in the hospital itself can make a patient sicker than they were when they arrived. As for helping a loved one recover from a stroke, I think you will find that when it's family, you can do things you never thought you could do. It's a blessing that you still have your mom. As for the airline ticket, it's only money and you can't take it with you. annabear, your employer gives some good gift cards. The most I ever got was a turkey, that I think I gave to someone else! Bone-chilling cold here. It hurts to breath, so I try to keep the muffler wrapped around my face.

Ah, lovebirds! How sweet. Oh my! So much for enjoying the holidays. for mamabear! I like that mantra. Maybe we could call it the "Sanity Prayer"! Hee. Yay that mama couchie is doing better, and that aikim and muski survived their tooth troubles.

Adding my thoughts and prayers for couchie and her mom.

annabear, such a relief to hear your mom's news. I'm glad to read that the doctor says it's a detour and to enjoy your holidays. It seems like really good advice to take! Like aikim, I am freezing here and ready for winter to be over. The bad news is that winter technically hasn't even started and I've heard that we could be in for a volatile season.

aikim, sorry to hear about your tough day at work and my sympathies for your co-worker. I had a tough day at the dentist. I had no idea that I hadn't been there in two years. I did love your Wizard of Oz tree. Very cute!

That is the cutest bear annabear! Thanks for the smile this morning. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

FWIW, the site the above blog review is on does say “Exposing & Combating Liberal Media Bias”. *g* I think the police officer sketch was too Broadway insider, for example, the reviewer seemed oblivious that it was based on "Urinetown" (the only reason I know that is because I read a preview). I think the show could develop into something good, with fewer guests and tighter scripting. IMO, it really needed a water cooler moment. Maybe some lessons from AI where they always try for a "big" open and a "big" close (during AI2, Clay frequently was the close). Liza Minnelli and Gloria Estefan didn't cut it. Even the Ed Sullivan shows I remembered didn't seem to have more than a half dozen guests. A blog from the LATimes as posted at the CH:

Couchie, Rosie Live is this Wednesday at 8PM ET on NBC. The big mystery is what kind of appearance Clay will have. Music? Comedy? Cameo? Who knows? Wanda, you are one fortunate lady! Annabear, I like your attitude. It doesn't make sense to borrow "worry" before it finds you. What a cute story about you living "OMWH". How nice to have a place of your own and with better neighbors than the place you left behind.

Hugs to annabear and mamabear. Stay hopeful. Look at Elizabeth Edwards and here in Chicago, Maggie Daley (the mayor's wife) both continue to have active lives with advanced breast cancer. General show info from Playbill:

Great Halloween costumes, cha cha! Thanks for posting the pics. Congrats on another year for cindilu! Play and Scarlett, yay for seeing Raul (Esparza, my second favorite singer, when he sings, after Clay, of course, Mandy Patinkin's in the mix, too *g*). Great to hear that you thought the performance was Tony worthy.

In keeping with the political humor, you betcha *g* Glad to read that Sir Robin's in fine form and you got to second row appreciate his fine form!

Hope you can rest annabear with happy dreams of paint colors in your head. Just think how nice it will be to finally move. :F_05BL17blowkiss: Glad to read that mama tomato is doing better. More rest for couchie and you can be there in spirit watching the rally. I've been watching most of them online at CNN Live. What a terrible story about Jennifer Hudson. I thought she had a long-time childhood sweetheart, but recently read that she is now engaged to a reality star. Her and her family are going to need a lot of support. I think the word for that roast is sophomoric; it just seemed like frat boy humor.

Hee! Clay world and politics collide. New York Times Obama Endorsement

to Couchie and Mama Tomato. Couchie, you are a wonderful daughter. As hard as it is to deal with what you are dealing, you still have your mom. :F_05BL17blowkiss: Scarlett, enjoying the download. Have a great trip too!