FMM: 1 mi
Hi, Everybody,
It's not too late to add to the "Why I read the Blog" list. I'm sitting here waiting for your phone calls and e-mails...My day out with the AWD (American Women in Dublin) was fun. One lady asked if anyone were interested in forming a bunco group, and every hand went up! My search for fun and frivolity may be ending...There's a Tradfest (traditional Irish Music Festival) this weekend. We have tickets to hear a former world champion in the uillean pipes competition ..c'mon, I know you're jealous; you can admit that you've always wanted to see Finbar Furey in person...
Griping and piping,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Friday, January 29, 2010
One Hundred Days of Solitude
FMM: 3 mi
Hello, faithful - and even unfaithful - readers,
I guess you're all wondering what is special about TODAY, aren't you? Well, wonder no longer. Today is the 100th entry in The Blog from the Bog! That's right. If you've been with me from the start, you have now read my drivel 100 times. Aren't you proud of yourself? (This fact could be substantiating evidence in a court of law to have you committed, so I wouldn't tell too many people if I were you.)
My goal was to write "100 Reasons Why You Read Tiztalk" (aka "The Blog from the Bog"). However, it is 12:30 here and I'm only up to 31. Believe it or not, I do have other things to do today, so here are they are:
31 Reasons Why You Read the Blog from the Bog
1. You have a great interest in Ireland.
2. You are nosy.
3. You keep accidentally pressing “tiztalk”on your “bookmarks” and you don’t know how to avoid that.
4. You had been looking for a site that features bumbershoot poems.
5. You are in detention and your teacher has made you read this blog over and over again.
6. You wonder why Nancy is so weird.
7. You wonder why Molly is so weird.
8. You wonder why Tim is so weird.
9. You wonder why Megan is getting weird.
10. You wonder how much wind a windbag could blow if a windbag could blow wind.
11. You know Bob and you can’t believe he is married to such a person.
12. Your job is so boring that even the Blog from the Bog is interesting.
13. You hope to have me committed and you are waiting to gather enough evidence.
14. You are committed somewhere yourself.
15. You love to hear about other people’s root canals.
16. Your friend told you it was funny and you’re still waiting to see if it is…
17. You want to see if I can ever convince some unwitting person to actually be my friend.
18. You’re curious to see how may FMMs (forced mile marches) and old bag like me can survive.
19. You want to show this to the Fulbright Committee so that they will vet all spouses in the future.
20. You’re waiting for me to forget which side of the road cars drive on.
21. You want to warn Maeve Binchy of my actions.
22. Your sleeping pills are getting too expensive.
23. You’re a venture capitalist thinking of starting a water fountain franchise in Ireland and you want to confirm that there aren’t any here. (There is only one working one in Dublin; the Blog from the Bog assures that.)
24. You are too cheap to buy a Dublin tour book.
25. You want to see how few comments a blog can inspire.
26. You are seeking out a skunkless place to live.
27. You are waiting to see what the final marketing slogan is for my plastic rain hat.
28. You want to see how many rainy days in solitary confinement a person can take without becoming a serial murderer (or a serial BLOGGER!).
29. You want to know if Bob will ever find “real Irish music”.
30. You are secretly conducting research on “Human Responses to Unannounced Water Interruption.” Please remove me from this experiment, OK?
31. You are pathetic.
Please send me YOUR reasons for reading the blog. I will share them with other readers and they will help me to better meet your needs.
We don't have so much as a crust of bread or a drop of milk in the house, so I am off to hunt and gather. I'm afraid the head caveman may come home and knock me over the head with his club if I don't have something to show for my time other than the above.
Listing when I should be desisting,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Hello, faithful - and even unfaithful - readers,
I guess you're all wondering what is special about TODAY, aren't you? Well, wonder no longer. Today is the 100th entry in The Blog from the Bog! That's right. If you've been with me from the start, you have now read my drivel 100 times. Aren't you proud of yourself? (This fact could be substantiating evidence in a court of law to have you committed, so I wouldn't tell too many people if I were you.)
My goal was to write "100 Reasons Why You Read Tiztalk" (aka "The Blog from the Bog"). However, it is 12:30 here and I'm only up to 31. Believe it or not, I do have other things to do today, so here are they are:
31 Reasons Why You Read the Blog from the Bog
1. You have a great interest in Ireland.
2. You are nosy.
3. You keep accidentally pressing “tiztalk”on your “bookmarks” and you don’t know how to avoid that.
4. You had been looking for a site that features bumbershoot poems.
5. You are in detention and your teacher has made you read this blog over and over again.
6. You wonder why Nancy is so weird.
7. You wonder why Molly is so weird.
8. You wonder why Tim is so weird.
9. You wonder why Megan is getting weird.
10. You wonder how much wind a windbag could blow if a windbag could blow wind.
11. You know Bob and you can’t believe he is married to such a person.
12. Your job is so boring that even the Blog from the Bog is interesting.
13. You hope to have me committed and you are waiting to gather enough evidence.
14. You are committed somewhere yourself.
15. You love to hear about other people’s root canals.
16. Your friend told you it was funny and you’re still waiting to see if it is…
17. You want to see if I can ever convince some unwitting person to actually be my friend.
18. You’re curious to see how may FMMs (forced mile marches) and old bag like me can survive.
19. You want to show this to the Fulbright Committee so that they will vet all spouses in the future.
20. You’re waiting for me to forget which side of the road cars drive on.
21. You want to warn Maeve Binchy of my actions.
22. Your sleeping pills are getting too expensive.
23. You’re a venture capitalist thinking of starting a water fountain franchise in Ireland and you want to confirm that there aren’t any here. (There is only one working one in Dublin; the Blog from the Bog assures that.)
24. You are too cheap to buy a Dublin tour book.
25. You want to see how few comments a blog can inspire.
26. You are seeking out a skunkless place to live.
27. You are waiting to see what the final marketing slogan is for my plastic rain hat.
28. You want to see how many rainy days in solitary confinement a person can take without becoming a serial murderer (or a serial BLOGGER!).
29. You want to know if Bob will ever find “real Irish music”.
30. You are secretly conducting research on “Human Responses to Unannounced Water Interruption.” Please remove me from this experiment, OK?
31. You are pathetic.
Please send me YOUR reasons for reading the blog. I will share them with other readers and they will help me to better meet your needs.
We don't have so much as a crust of bread or a drop of milk in the house, so I am off to hunt and gather. I'm afraid the head caveman may come home and knock me over the head with his club if I don't have something to show for my time other than the above.
Listing when I should be desisting,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Book Club Report
FMM: 1.5 mi
Happy Thursday, Folks,
The book club spent 45 mins discussing THE BOOK! I've never heard of such a thing. I learned that _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_ is based on _Hamlet_. I'll bet those of you who have read it didn't even know that. Ginny, if you're reading this, you must get the Third Monday of the Month Book Club in Columbia in line. I now understand that discussing the book -NOT talking and eating- is the purpose of a REAL book club. Next month the club is reading _Her Fearful Symmetry_ by Audrey Niffenegger and we are reading the Dublin One Read Book for April: _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ ...I am off for a day of fun: a tour, a movie, margaritas and lunch, and a music event tonight. Why didn't I discover this American Women in Dublin Group last Sept?? I didn't know I could have so much fun...
The suspense builds for TOMORROW...
Having fun but not in the sun,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Happy Thursday, Folks,
The book club spent 45 mins discussing THE BOOK! I've never heard of such a thing. I learned that _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_ is based on _Hamlet_. I'll bet those of you who have read it didn't even know that. Ginny, if you're reading this, you must get the Third Monday of the Month Book Club in Columbia in line. I now understand that discussing the book -NOT talking and eating- is the purpose of a REAL book club. Next month the club is reading _Her Fearful Symmetry_ by Audrey Niffenegger and we are reading the Dublin One Read Book for April: _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ ...I am off for a day of fun: a tour, a movie, margaritas and lunch, and a music event tonight. Why didn't I discover this American Women in Dublin Group last Sept?? I didn't know I could have so much fun...
The suspense builds for TOMORROW...
Having fun but not in the sun,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Keeping Up With the O'Connells
FMM: 2 mi
Hi de ho, Ex-Neighbors and everyone else,
I don't exactly know what "hi de ho" means, but it must mean something. I'm waiting for Ned Flanders to e-mail me back...If you read yesterday's comments, you'll know that the excitement is building. Tiztalk (aka "The Blog from the Bog", pmandell, creator) is the buzz at Shakespeare's (a fitting venue) Pizza in Columbia..strangers are laughing about it on the ski slopes of Idaho...old sorority sisters are encouraging me to continue my blabfest (well, some things never change; that's probably how I got this way in the first place)....So, you know you are where you should be at the moment....Fulbright scholars, including Bob, have been invited to the U.S. Embassy tonight to be in the audience for a panel discussion on Obama's first year that is being hosted by Ryan Tubridy, a popular late night Irish talk show host. U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for you lowbrows) will be there. I'm not sure when/if it will be on TV, but I do know how to DVR now thanks to Tim who told me I just have to push "record" on the black thingie...We started watching the first season of _The Tudors_. I'm reminded of the song "Who's Zooming Who?" Anyway, we are trying to keep the treachery and shenanigans straight...Today I am off to an American Women in Dublin book club. I haven't read the book - _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_, but I'll surely think of something to say. And I am longing for coffee and conversation...
Wandering and pondering,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Hi de ho, Ex-Neighbors and everyone else,
I don't exactly know what "hi de ho" means, but it must mean something. I'm waiting for Ned Flanders to e-mail me back...If you read yesterday's comments, you'll know that the excitement is building. Tiztalk (aka "The Blog from the Bog", pmandell, creator) is the buzz at Shakespeare's (a fitting venue) Pizza in Columbia..strangers are laughing about it on the ski slopes of Idaho...old sorority sisters are encouraging me to continue my blabfest (well, some things never change; that's probably how I got this way in the first place)....So, you know you are where you should be at the moment....Fulbright scholars, including Bob, have been invited to the U.S. Embassy tonight to be in the audience for a panel discussion on Obama's first year that is being hosted by Ryan Tubridy, a popular late night Irish talk show host. U.S. Ambassador Dan Rooney (owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for you lowbrows) will be there. I'm not sure when/if it will be on TV, but I do know how to DVR now thanks to Tim who told me I just have to push "record" on the black thingie...We started watching the first season of _The Tudors_. I'm reminded of the song "Who's Zooming Who?" Anyway, we are trying to keep the treachery and shenanigans straight...Today I am off to an American Women in Dublin book club. I haven't read the book - _The Story of Edgar Sawtelle_, but I'll surely think of something to say. And I am longing for coffee and conversation...
Wandering and pondering,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Monday, January 25, 2010
Checkin' Out Blogs
Good morning/afternoon/evening, Blogos,
Since Friday is a BIG DAY for the Blog from the Bog, I have been checking out other blogs. I had never read a blog before my own, so I figured that I should do a little research. The two I investigated included photos, pictures of the author (no, thanks), and elaborate text frameworks. I concluded that MY readers are more highly intellectual than readers of those fancy blogs as I deal only in WORDS. Who needs pictures? You are all quite literate, really; keep telling yourself that. Furthermore, I don't know how to do any of that fancy stuff, and think of the time I'm saving you. Why, you would be staring at my picture wondering why I am still plump despite all my FMMs. I wouldn't be able to explain it either since I claim to not like the sweets over here. I guess I just keep trying them to make absolutely SURE I don't like 'em. And I know how you operate: you would be looking at the fancy designs around the text instead of reading for comprehension. I am keeping you from wasting your valuable time. However, if you have a good blog or two you think I should read, please send me the link...
Flabby and blabby,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Since Friday is a BIG DAY for the Blog from the Bog, I have been checking out other blogs. I had never read a blog before my own, so I figured that I should do a little research. The two I investigated included photos, pictures of the author (no, thanks), and elaborate text frameworks. I concluded that MY readers are more highly intellectual than readers of those fancy blogs as I deal only in WORDS. Who needs pictures? You are all quite literate, really; keep telling yourself that. Furthermore, I don't know how to do any of that fancy stuff, and think of the time I'm saving you. Why, you would be staring at my picture wondering why I am still plump despite all my FMMs. I wouldn't be able to explain it either since I claim to not like the sweets over here. I guess I just keep trying them to make absolutely SURE I don't like 'em. And I know how you operate: you would be looking at the fancy designs around the text instead of reading for comprehension. I am keeping you from wasting your valuable time. However, if you have a good blog or two you think I should read, please send me the link...
Flabby and blabby,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Facts and Figures
FMM: (FMM = Forced Mile March) 6 mi
Hello, Everybody,
I just returned from a walk with the seashore ladies. There is quite a sensational murder trial going on in Dublin. As you might expect, I am right in the thick of it. Okay, well, I have walked past the murder site several times - including today - and been barked at by the accused's dogs. Evidently, the man snapped after his wife accused him of not feeding the birds or taking out the garbage. The case has riveted the city as the couple was quite prominent....Some of you are curious about Irish fashion, especially if you are planning to visit. On my 1 mile walk to the train, I conducted an informal survey. I counted all the people wearing black coats. There were 66 out of about 85 people. Either the Irish are very bleak or black is popular...On Saturday's bus ride, I counted the number of times a man sitting behind me used the F word (I stopped counting at 65) in his conversation with his "friend" (Is someone your friend if you threaten to beat him up and send him to the hospital??) Ever vigilant, I took a good, hard look at both of the men as I departed the bus just in case I need to identify either one! I fear that my new counting fixation may soon lead me on the path to Mom's favorite driving pastime: counting J.B. Hunt trucks!! Heaven help me! ...I do have some facts and figures for you to ponder since most of you live in Illinois or Missouri:
Ireland: population: 6,200,000; area: 32,599 sq mi
Missouri : population: 5,600,000; area: 69,709 sq mi
Illinois: population: 12,900,000; area: 57,918 sq mi
Staring and comparing,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Hello, Everybody,
I just returned from a walk with the seashore ladies. There is quite a sensational murder trial going on in Dublin. As you might expect, I am right in the thick of it. Okay, well, I have walked past the murder site several times - including today - and been barked at by the accused's dogs. Evidently, the man snapped after his wife accused him of not feeding the birds or taking out the garbage. The case has riveted the city as the couple was quite prominent....Some of you are curious about Irish fashion, especially if you are planning to visit. On my 1 mile walk to the train, I conducted an informal survey. I counted all the people wearing black coats. There were 66 out of about 85 people. Either the Irish are very bleak or black is popular...On Saturday's bus ride, I counted the number of times a man sitting behind me used the F word (I stopped counting at 65) in his conversation with his "friend" (Is someone your friend if you threaten to beat him up and send him to the hospital??) Ever vigilant, I took a good, hard look at both of the men as I departed the bus just in case I need to identify either one! I fear that my new counting fixation may soon lead me on the path to Mom's favorite driving pastime: counting J.B. Hunt trucks!! Heaven help me! ...I do have some facts and figures for you to ponder since most of you live in Illinois or Missouri:
Ireland: population: 6,200,000; area: 32,599 sq mi
Missouri : population: 5,600,000; area: 69,709 sq mi
Illinois: population: 12,900,000; area: 57,918 sq mi
Staring and comparing,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Friday, January 22, 2010
Secrets and Surprises
FMM: 4 mi
Happy Saturday, Folks,
Shouldn't you be insulating your walls or taking down the Christmas lights? Well, I have my housework done for the week, so I'm here for your time-wasting pleasure...Molly had a dinner party last night at our house. She is following in her mother's culinary footsteps. Instead of lasagna and lemon squares, her specialty is tacos and margaritas. I wish I had been there to join in the fun. I hope she served pudding and Jell-o for dessert...I did get a haircut so as not to shame the U.S. ( YOU, by proxy) by my appearance. Molly colored my hair while she was here, so now I look like a young Liz Taylor -- velvety black hair, fair skin, and I'm working on the come-hither looks. I'm hoping I don't look like an OLD Liz Taylor...Bob and I went to see "It's Complicated." I knew it was the ultimate "chick flick" but I played dumb and didn't reveal that. Bob fell asleep during the first part calling it a "total cliche" (older man marries younger woman, regrets it, and longs for his classy ex-wife - Meryl). However, he woke up and admitted that it did get better and that parts were quite hilarious...We walked home happy and smiling until we entered our apartment and discovered that our old friend had returned -- no, I would welcome one of you drunk and passed out on the couch -- waterlessness! Once again, we are going into the weekend without a drop of water in the tap. Luckily, I still have a good supply of water on hand. In fact, if you looked at the containers of water in and around my kitchen, you would think Y2K was coming. If this "water interruption" lasts long, I will have to don sunglasses for my secret missions to the Burlington Hotel to steal water and, well, I won't go into detail as this is a family blog... So, enjoy your shower, and have a scrub on me!
Smelling and telling,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Happy Saturday, Folks,
Shouldn't you be insulating your walls or taking down the Christmas lights? Well, I have my housework done for the week, so I'm here for your time-wasting pleasure...Molly had a dinner party last night at our house. She is following in her mother's culinary footsteps. Instead of lasagna and lemon squares, her specialty is tacos and margaritas. I wish I had been there to join in the fun. I hope she served pudding and Jell-o for dessert...I did get a haircut so as not to shame the U.S. ( YOU, by proxy) by my appearance. Molly colored my hair while she was here, so now I look like a young Liz Taylor -- velvety black hair, fair skin, and I'm working on the come-hither looks. I'm hoping I don't look like an OLD Liz Taylor...Bob and I went to see "It's Complicated." I knew it was the ultimate "chick flick" but I played dumb and didn't reveal that. Bob fell asleep during the first part calling it a "total cliche" (older man marries younger woman, regrets it, and longs for his classy ex-wife - Meryl). However, he woke up and admitted that it did get better and that parts were quite hilarious...We walked home happy and smiling until we entered our apartment and discovered that our old friend had returned -- no, I would welcome one of you drunk and passed out on the couch -- waterlessness! Once again, we are going into the weekend without a drop of water in the tap. Luckily, I still have a good supply of water on hand. In fact, if you looked at the containers of water in and around my kitchen, you would think Y2K was coming. If this "water interruption" lasts long, I will have to don sunglasses for my secret missions to the Burlington Hotel to steal water and, well, I won't go into detail as this is a family blog... So, enjoy your shower, and have a scrub on me!
Smelling and telling,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Taxes, Teeth ,and Tidbits
FMM: 1 mi
Good morning/afternoon/evening/middleofthenight(GO TO BED!), Blogophiles,
You must really be pathetic if you are willing to read a blog entitled "Taxes, Teeth,and Tidbits". Nonetheless, I guess you are, so I'll proceed. I spent about an hour on the phone sifting through 4 months of our Missouri mail with Molly. Talk about tedious! She had it organized into 5 piles, but that didn't help. Our homeowner's insurance was due yesterday, so Nancy was ordered to get in the car and rush to my State Farm agent with a check at 4:00 PM. Maybe I have enough friends in high places (John? Cheryl? Jerry? Are you listening?) to save me for a day or two if the check is no good (I didn't have time to check my balance!). She read me some of your Christmas cards, but was reluctant to mail them to me as that would cost money (I think that is my own money, but who's counting?) From all descriptions, you, your children and your grandchildren all looked adorable, and thanks for the cards. All of the tax statements are arriving. I fear it will take Bernard Bernanke to unravel my taxes this year, but I have decided to play Scarlett O'Connell (aka "O'Hara) and enjoy my glamorous lifestyle a bit longer and adopt a "Tomorrow is another day" attitude...On to teeth, you fools who are still reading. After much hand wringing and micromanaging from 4,000 miles away (thanks, Dawn), the surgeon canceled Nancy's wisdom teeth surgery. Always prepared, Nancy was left with 20 pudding cups which Molly wants immediately removed from the fridge (Molly is allergic to milk) and two large bowls of Jell-0. I was presented -- from 4,000 mi away -- with the problem of what to do with this stuff. So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop my house today and enjoy a plastic cup of pudding or two and maybe some Jell-o to go with it. Problem solved!...In between all these interesting goings-on, I have been filing medical and dental claims and making travel arrangements, so now you know why I didn't blog yesterday: I was afraid of boring you to death. Instead, I bored you to death today!..I leaving the apartment (or as Bob sometimes calls it "the rat's nest") today for a haircut and a wander downtown with the wheelie cart. Who knows what I might find in the dumpsters??
A anniversary shout-out to Cara and Jeff! (Nancy says I will get more comments if I include shout outs; I'll see if this works. Bob claims that I only have 11 readers for my blog. I know there are more of you out there. 11 is only the OFFICIAL signed-in number, right?)
Getting weirder all the time,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good morning/afternoon/evening/middleofthenight(GO TO BED!), Blogophiles,
You must really be pathetic if you are willing to read a blog entitled "Taxes, Teeth,and Tidbits". Nonetheless, I guess you are, so I'll proceed. I spent about an hour on the phone sifting through 4 months of our Missouri mail with Molly. Talk about tedious! She had it organized into 5 piles, but that didn't help. Our homeowner's insurance was due yesterday, so Nancy was ordered to get in the car and rush to my State Farm agent with a check at 4:00 PM. Maybe I have enough friends in high places (John? Cheryl? Jerry? Are you listening?) to save me for a day or two if the check is no good (I didn't have time to check my balance!). She read me some of your Christmas cards, but was reluctant to mail them to me as that would cost money (I think that is my own money, but who's counting?) From all descriptions, you, your children and your grandchildren all looked adorable, and thanks for the cards. All of the tax statements are arriving. I fear it will take Bernard Bernanke to unravel my taxes this year, but I have decided to play Scarlett O'Connell (aka "O'Hara) and enjoy my glamorous lifestyle a bit longer and adopt a "Tomorrow is another day" attitude...On to teeth, you fools who are still reading. After much hand wringing and micromanaging from 4,000 miles away (thanks, Dawn), the surgeon canceled Nancy's wisdom teeth surgery. Always prepared, Nancy was left with 20 pudding cups which Molly wants immediately removed from the fridge (Molly is allergic to milk) and two large bowls of Jell-0. I was presented -- from 4,000 mi away -- with the problem of what to do with this stuff. So, if you're in the neighborhood, stop my house today and enjoy a plastic cup of pudding or two and maybe some Jell-o to go with it. Problem solved!...In between all these interesting goings-on, I have been filing medical and dental claims and making travel arrangements, so now you know why I didn't blog yesterday: I was afraid of boring you to death. Instead, I bored you to death today!..I leaving the apartment (or as Bob sometimes calls it "the rat's nest") today for a haircut and a wander downtown with the wheelie cart. Who knows what I might find in the dumpsters??
A anniversary shout-out to Cara and Jeff! (Nancy says I will get more comments if I include shout outs; I'll see if this works. Bob claims that I only have 11 readers for my blog. I know there are more of you out there. 11 is only the OFFICIAL signed-in number, right?)
Getting weirder all the time,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Teeth and Grief
FMM: 2 mi
Good day, Blogophobes,
Hope you're enjoying a sunny day. We still have water, but it came on with such force this morning that it shattered a glass in the sink. At least it didn't blow me out of the shower, although that could've been interesting for my neighbors...I found out that I need dental surgery on a cyst on my gum. The dentist says I can't fly currently as the cabin air pressure would cause my gum to inflate. Again, that could be interesting for my cabinmates. I've had a few hours of fun discussing all of this with my US insurance companies...Last night we went across the street to O'Brien's Pub with our neighbor Mary Lou. She's a very pleasant person and we hope she'll join us again...Today I joined the American Women in Dublin Club. I met some interesting ladies and hope to improve my girlfriend quota from its current level of 0. I already have plans to attend a play, a book club, and a trivia night, so things are looking up.
Smiling and beguiling,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good day, Blogophobes,
Hope you're enjoying a sunny day. We still have water, but it came on with such force this morning that it shattered a glass in the sink. At least it didn't blow me out of the shower, although that could've been interesting for my neighbors...I found out that I need dental surgery on a cyst on my gum. The dentist says I can't fly currently as the cabin air pressure would cause my gum to inflate. Again, that could be interesting for my cabinmates. I've had a few hours of fun discussing all of this with my US insurance companies...Last night we went across the street to O'Brien's Pub with our neighbor Mary Lou. She's a very pleasant person and we hope she'll join us again...Today I joined the American Women in Dublin Club. I met some interesting ladies and hope to improve my girlfriend quota from its current level of 0. I already have plans to attend a play, a book club, and a trivia night, so things are looking up.
Smiling and beguiling,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
I'm Flush
FMM: 3/4 mi
Good morning, Civilized People,
I rejoined you yesterday at 1:20 when water began to dribble out of my tap. I probably haven't had so much fun flushing a toilet since I was a toddler. I had to curtail the urge to flush it again and again. Anyway, we have clean sheets, towels, hair, bodies, dishes, and I've even met a few neighbors while foraging for water. One of them, Mary Lou, is meeting us at O'Brien's Pub tonight. So, life is looking up...Of course, my brother Tom had little sympathy for my plight. He reminded me that while he was in Alaska working on the pipeline-- about a century ago -- that he didn't have a bath for 143 days and he brushed his teeth with Tang or coffee and had a garbage bag for a toilet. He proclaimed it a "simple life"...
Flushing and blushing,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good morning, Civilized People,
I rejoined you yesterday at 1:20 when water began to dribble out of my tap. I probably haven't had so much fun flushing a toilet since I was a toddler. I had to curtail the urge to flush it again and again. Anyway, we have clean sheets, towels, hair, bodies, dishes, and I've even met a few neighbors while foraging for water. One of them, Mary Lou, is meeting us at O'Brien's Pub tonight. So, life is looking up...Of course, my brother Tom had little sympathy for my plight. He reminded me that while he was in Alaska working on the pipeline-- about a century ago -- that he didn't have a bath for 143 days and he brushed his teeth with Tang or coffee and had a garbage bag for a toilet. He proclaimed it a "simple life"...
Flushing and blushing,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Monday, January 18, 2010
Travels & Travails
FMM: 5 mi
Good morning, Lucky People,
I assume all of you reading this have running water. Not us. We haven't had a drop in our tap since Thursday. I am writing this in a laundromat which I hope doesn't run out of water. Evidently, last week's cold weather has caused massive water problems nationwide. There are pipes burst and leaks all over the country. Water service keeps getting temporarily "restored", but it never reaches us as we are on the 4th floor. I have made several surreptitious trips to the Burlington Hotel next door to fill water bottles, etc. (smiley face if I could make one). So far, they haven't called security on me. Last night I boiled a kettle of water and poured it on my head to wash my hair. If you want more hair-raising "water interruption" tales, contact me. After 36 hours w/o water, Molly and Nancy were thrilled to head back to civilization. However, their fortunes did not improve. The last leg of their journey (Memphis to Columbia) was a most harrowing flight (Jody & Teresa - remember our New Orleans return??). Ultimately, the pilot turned around due to fog, and they got to spend the night in Memphis. Last I heard, they had made it home but their luggage had not. They are swearing off further transatlantic flights...So, my days are spent filling up water bottles wherever I can and trying not to use them. Beware if you see me enter your business or home with a big black tote bag; I'm there to steal water or do something worse....However, all is not bleak. Ken Heischmidt, a childhood friend from Paris, was in town and we all went out for dinner. I got the lowdown on the class reunion and we swapped a lot of stories. If I smelled, he didn't mention it.
Waterless on an island,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good morning, Lucky People,
I assume all of you reading this have running water. Not us. We haven't had a drop in our tap since Thursday. I am writing this in a laundromat which I hope doesn't run out of water. Evidently, last week's cold weather has caused massive water problems nationwide. There are pipes burst and leaks all over the country. Water service keeps getting temporarily "restored", but it never reaches us as we are on the 4th floor. I have made several surreptitious trips to the Burlington Hotel next door to fill water bottles, etc. (smiley face if I could make one). So far, they haven't called security on me. Last night I boiled a kettle of water and poured it on my head to wash my hair. If you want more hair-raising "water interruption" tales, contact me. After 36 hours w/o water, Molly and Nancy were thrilled to head back to civilization. However, their fortunes did not improve. The last leg of their journey (Memphis to Columbia) was a most harrowing flight (Jody & Teresa - remember our New Orleans return??). Ultimately, the pilot turned around due to fog, and they got to spend the night in Memphis. Last I heard, they had made it home but their luggage had not. They are swearing off further transatlantic flights...So, my days are spent filling up water bottles wherever I can and trying not to use them. Beware if you see me enter your business or home with a big black tote bag; I'm there to steal water or do something worse....However, all is not bleak. Ken Heischmidt, a childhood friend from Paris, was in town and we all went out for dinner. I got the lowdown on the class reunion and we swapped a lot of stories. If I smelled, he didn't mention it.
Waterless on an island,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Friday, January 15, 2010
Who Needs a Bath - Really?
Good morning,Bathing Beauties,
I hope you've enjoyed a nice hot shower today. Not us! Water is finally being rationed here, and our ration for the past 14 hours has been zero. We await "restoration"...The girls and I found several bargains downtown yesterday. However, getting this new stuff into 3 suitcases (they came with 4) is not easy! Molly has usurped my packing "vacuum bags", and since we have no vacuum, we have been rolling and sitting on them. Remind me in June when I am packing to go home where those vacuum bags are, ok? Thanks...It should be 48 today, so life is good. Clean or dirty, we will get out to enjoy our last day together. We are sad that the girls go home tomorrow morning..
A big birthday shout out to Pam Mandell!!! Have fun, P.
Yakking and packing,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
I hope you've enjoyed a nice hot shower today. Not us! Water is finally being rationed here, and our ration for the past 14 hours has been zero. We await "restoration"...The girls and I found several bargains downtown yesterday. However, getting this new stuff into 3 suitcases (they came with 4) is not easy! Molly has usurped my packing "vacuum bags", and since we have no vacuum, we have been rolling and sitting on them. Remind me in June when I am packing to go home where those vacuum bags are, ok? Thanks...It should be 48 today, so life is good. Clean or dirty, we will get out to enjoy our last day together. We are sad that the girls go home tomorrow morning..
A big birthday shout out to Pam Mandell!!! Have fun, P.
Yakking and packing,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Up and At 'Em
FMM: 2 mi
Greetings,Gang,
Miraculously, we are up, dressed, and heading out shortly to shop and meet Bob downtown. Molly is still under the weather, so I need to fix her some oatmeal. Happy Thursday!
Purring while stirring,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Greetings,Gang,
Miraculously, we are up, dressed, and heading out shortly to shop and meet Bob downtown. Molly is still under the weather, so I need to fix her some oatmeal. Happy Thursday!
Purring while stirring,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Bogs, Bumbershoots, and Books
FMM: 1/2 mi (the girls have taught me how to take the bus)
Good day, friends and frienemies,
We're still on water alert here. The newspaper advised us not to hoard water in the tub or elsewhere. Why, I hadn't even thought of that, so I did fill up a jug or two or three. The free flow of information is so essential to a functioning democracy; don't you agree?... A strange thing happens when you run out of things to do. Mary has long had this theory about why we Baby Boomers became avid readers: we were bored stiff in our youth. When we ran out of friends and our very limited selection of TV shows, we needed SOMETHING to occupy us. That's when we pulled out a book. Well, that theory has proved itself true once again. After 3 1/2 weeks of sightseeing, museum going, family togetherness, and full disclosure from all Facebook and e-mail contacts, my daughters have retreated to book reading. Nancy is reading _Lovely Bones_. Molly has read _Catcher in the Rye_, _Dublin 4_ (an old Maeve Binchy), and is reading _Thirteen Reasons_. Both have asked to take books home with them. Of course, I have had to set a good example for them and I have just finished _Tethered_ by Amy MacKinnon (kinda weird; I wouldn't really recommend it) and _We Need to Talk About Kevin_ (a bit weird, too, but an interesting read)...We did get to one museum yesterday to view the bog bodies which are about 5,000 years old. It was raining and freezing and I'm sad to report that two more O'Connell bumbershoots were laid to rest. I am always sure to bless them before binning them. Bob says there is a $60 bumbershoot that is layered, allows the air through and won't blow apart. What would YOU do? Buy 45 $1.50 ones at the 2 euro store or 1 good one?? It's a tough conundrum....It's cold and rainy again today. We have plans to go to Gravediggers' Pub for lunch and take a tour of Glasnevin Cemetery; however, we may just stay home and read. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Still hanging out on the 4th floor,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good day, friends and frienemies,
We're still on water alert here. The newspaper advised us not to hoard water in the tub or elsewhere. Why, I hadn't even thought of that, so I did fill up a jug or two or three. The free flow of information is so essential to a functioning democracy; don't you agree?... A strange thing happens when you run out of things to do. Mary has long had this theory about why we Baby Boomers became avid readers: we were bored stiff in our youth. When we ran out of friends and our very limited selection of TV shows, we needed SOMETHING to occupy us. That's when we pulled out a book. Well, that theory has proved itself true once again. After 3 1/2 weeks of sightseeing, museum going, family togetherness, and full disclosure from all Facebook and e-mail contacts, my daughters have retreated to book reading. Nancy is reading _Lovely Bones_. Molly has read _Catcher in the Rye_, _Dublin 4_ (an old Maeve Binchy), and is reading _Thirteen Reasons_. Both have asked to take books home with them. Of course, I have had to set a good example for them and I have just finished _Tethered_ by Amy MacKinnon (kinda weird; I wouldn't really recommend it) and _We Need to Talk About Kevin_ (a bit weird, too, but an interesting read)...We did get to one museum yesterday to view the bog bodies which are about 5,000 years old. It was raining and freezing and I'm sad to report that two more O'Connell bumbershoots were laid to rest. I am always sure to bless them before binning them. Bob says there is a $60 bumbershoot that is layered, allows the air through and won't blow apart. What would YOU do? Buy 45 $1.50 ones at the 2 euro store or 1 good one?? It's a tough conundrum....It's cold and rainy again today. We have plans to go to Gravediggers' Pub for lunch and take a tour of Glasnevin Cemetery; however, we may just stay home and read. I'll let you know tomorrow.
Still hanging out on the 4th floor,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Who Needs a Bath?
FMM: 4 mi
Good day, Clean Freaks,
You've probably taken your morning bath or shower by now. Not us! Dubliners have been ordered to curtail bathing due to burst pipes and water leaks. When I last checked online, we were able to take a quick "power shower." Since my family is asleep, I plan to rush in and get my water alottment. I'll be right back. Don't go away...Whew! You'll be glad to know that there was enough water for ME today here in the Fair City. It wasn't that hot, but, hey, water is water. Being the patriotic sort, I did my part by NOT washing my hair...Have you ever wondered whatever happened to the penny postcard? Me, too. It costs the same to mail a postcard to the U.S. as it does a letter: $1.20 (.82 euro). Postcards usually cost $.75 (.50 euro). Imagine my surprise when I asked Nancy how many postcards she had written to her friends this week. She had bought a few and raided my supply. Are you ready? 28. That would be about $55 worth. Needless to say, none of YOU will be getting a postcard from me anytime soon. Of course, this could have all been kept a secret from you-know-who if Molly hadn't thought it was funny and felt compelled to reveal it to a certain person who did Not think it was funny. Enough said! Our goal this year is to stimulate the Irish economy and no one can say that we aren't doing our part...The snow has melted and the weather has warmed up. Yesterday we went to Kilmainham Jail, downtown Dublin, to see _Sherlock Holmes_ (we all loved it), and to hear folk music at Bewley's Cafe. Molly is now getting my cold, so she and I were ordered to sleep together last night. Between snoring (I swear I don't do it) and being too hot, cold, or unable to find the box of Puffs between us in bed, we didn't fare too well. All are still asleep as I stand in the kitchen doing my duty to you, dear readers!
Bathing and raving,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good day, Clean Freaks,
You've probably taken your morning bath or shower by now. Not us! Dubliners have been ordered to curtail bathing due to burst pipes and water leaks. When I last checked online, we were able to take a quick "power shower." Since my family is asleep, I plan to rush in and get my water alottment. I'll be right back. Don't go away...Whew! You'll be glad to know that there was enough water for ME today here in the Fair City. It wasn't that hot, but, hey, water is water. Being the patriotic sort, I did my part by NOT washing my hair...Have you ever wondered whatever happened to the penny postcard? Me, too. It costs the same to mail a postcard to the U.S. as it does a letter: $1.20 (.82 euro). Postcards usually cost $.75 (.50 euro). Imagine my surprise when I asked Nancy how many postcards she had written to her friends this week. She had bought a few and raided my supply. Are you ready? 28. That would be about $55 worth. Needless to say, none of YOU will be getting a postcard from me anytime soon. Of course, this could have all been kept a secret from you-know-who if Molly hadn't thought it was funny and felt compelled to reveal it to a certain person who did Not think it was funny. Enough said! Our goal this year is to stimulate the Irish economy and no one can say that we aren't doing our part...The snow has melted and the weather has warmed up. Yesterday we went to Kilmainham Jail, downtown Dublin, to see _Sherlock Holmes_ (we all loved it), and to hear folk music at Bewley's Cafe. Molly is now getting my cold, so she and I were ordered to sleep together last night. Between snoring (I swear I don't do it) and being too hot, cold, or unable to find the box of Puffs between us in bed, we didn't fare too well. All are still asleep as I stand in the kitchen doing my duty to you, dear readers!
Bathing and raving,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Sleet Goes On
January 11 Blogpost
Good morning, folks,
The worst "snowstorm" in 32 years is still the top news story here on the isle. Schools have been closed nationwide for 6 days. I don't think the storm would've warranted even one snow day in Missouri or Illinois. No one owns a snow shovel here, so the sidewalks are ice packed. From what I can tell, the British control all the sand and they've had their own storms and won't send us any. Our transport minister has been on a Caribbean vacation and everyone wants his head. Whatever the reasons, it's not our fault that things are a mess over here! ..It's warmed up a bit today, so we hope go out to Kilmainham Jail and downtown to Penneys which - according to Nancy - has darling winter headbands with knitted flowers on them. Molly is demanding new Pumas and Nancy new Uggs as the weather has ruined their shoes... We spent yesterday inside and I spent the day in bed due to a bad cold. I have caught the girls giving each other secret signals noting how many days they have left with us (5) and also checking the weather forecasts quite regularly to see if they can fly out of here on Saturday. We all hope sunny days are ahead!
Still bleating despite sleeting,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Good morning, folks,
The worst "snowstorm" in 32 years is still the top news story here on the isle. Schools have been closed nationwide for 6 days. I don't think the storm would've warranted even one snow day in Missouri or Illinois. No one owns a snow shovel here, so the sidewalks are ice packed. From what I can tell, the British control all the sand and they've had their own storms and won't send us any. Our transport minister has been on a Caribbean vacation and everyone wants his head. Whatever the reasons, it's not our fault that things are a mess over here! ..It's warmed up a bit today, so we hope go out to Kilmainham Jail and downtown to Penneys which - according to Nancy - has darling winter headbands with knitted flowers on them. Molly is demanding new Pumas and Nancy new Uggs as the weather has ruined their shoes... We spent yesterday inside and I spent the day in bed due to a bad cold. I have caught the girls giving each other secret signals noting how many days they have left with us (5) and also checking the weather forecasts quite regularly to see if they can fly out of here on Saturday. We all hope sunny days are ahead!
Still bleating despite sleeting,
I remain
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Friday, January 8, 2010
Cold Facts
FMM: 1 mi
Happy Saturday, Chaps & Chicks,
Shouldn't you be shoveling your walk or checking your pipes? It's freezing here with treacherous, icy sidewalks. That didn't stop the girls from a Thursday trip on their own to the Temple Bar area in open-toed stiletto heels..Nancy did admit she thought she might lose a toe or two. However, with a few encouraging and uplifting text messages from their mother (WHR R U???!!!) they made it there safely and back and even danced a jig or two and made a few friends along the way.... Last night the girls made us tacos for dinner while we sipped wine - that I could get used to..We then watched our last episode of _Doc Martin_ (I think you can find episodes on YouTube if you're really interested) and the quintessential Dublin movie _The Commitments_ about a Dublin band the 1980s...Today it's more of the same with an invitation to our Irish friends' home this evening...
Hope you're keeping warm.
Wining and dining,
I remain,
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Happy Saturday, Chaps & Chicks,
Shouldn't you be shoveling your walk or checking your pipes? It's freezing here with treacherous, icy sidewalks. That didn't stop the girls from a Thursday trip on their own to the Temple Bar area in open-toed stiletto heels..Nancy did admit she thought she might lose a toe or two. However, with a few encouraging and uplifting text messages from their mother (WHR R U???!!!) they made it there safely and back and even danced a jig or two and made a few friends along the way.... Last night the girls made us tacos for dinner while we sipped wine - that I could get used to..We then watched our last episode of _Doc Martin_ (I think you can find episodes on YouTube if you're really interested) and the quintessential Dublin movie _The Commitments_ about a Dublin band the 1980s...Today it's more of the same with an invitation to our Irish friends' home this evening...
Hope you're keeping warm.
Wining and dining,
I remain,
Tizzie/Tiz/Tizmom/Mom/Liz/Elizabeth
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Where's Tiger? Where's Tizzie?
FMM: 2 mi
Hi, Gentle Readers,
I know you are all dying to know what I did for New Year's Eve and where I've been keeping myself. I'm sure most of you have checked the blog hundreds - perhaps thousands - of times looking for answers. At least one of you wrote demanding that I resume the blog as you need it with your swig of whiskey in order to get to sleep each night. Unlike Tiger, I did not rent out a penthouse or invite my sleazier friends to cheer me up for the holidays,although all of you are proof that I do have plenty of sleazy friends. I didn't need to! I had my entire family at my disposal, and the girls are still here. Yes, we are in week 3 of our family togetherness experiment. Molly is "sharing my computer" which means that I have use of it only when she is not on a "Skype Date" with Cody or aimlessly checking Facebook. It's not fair! How am I supposed to waste MY time?..On Monday, a power outage disrupted my finely tuned clothes washing schedule leaving me with a striped dishtowel with which to dry myself. Unauthorized, Bob had stuffed two precious towels under the doors to curb the drafts. Unauthorized, the girls had used 2 towels each. As all the guilty parties were asleep, I broke down and used Molly's towel (she'll never know until she reads the blog so I'm safe for awhile.) We are now back to our choreographed, color-coded toweling system today.... We loved London and visited most of the major sights. We also saw _Chicago_ and _Blood Brothers_ on stage. It was rather cold, but the London Underground kept our forced mile marches (FMMs) to a minimum. Tim & Megan put us all to shame with careful planning and execution of their time. They kept the rest of us focused. They left Saturday. They agreed to fly a later flight home and -- like all my relatives but me -- they got upgraded to first class...Yesterday Bob, the girls and I hired a nice man named Harry to take us on a tour of Newgrange and other sights north of Dublin. For the first time in 30 years, Dublin had a significant snowfall of about 3 inches. All of Ireland came to a complete standstill and we got to sit in traffic for 5 1/2 hours. Harry was very good-natured and we sang, played games, tried to keep warm....So, while I'm not in a penthouse living it up with sleazy friends, I am being held captive in seclusion in my fourth floor apartment by my family who are making me cook their favorite foods and pay attention to them...I miss all of you. Send me an e-mail or comment on the blog so I'll have a legitimate reason to reclaim my computer from Molly for a minute or two.
Cooking, cleaning, and complaining,
I remain,
Mom/Tizmom/Tizzie/Tiz/Liz/Elizabeth
Hi, Gentle Readers,
I know you are all dying to know what I did for New Year's Eve and where I've been keeping myself. I'm sure most of you have checked the blog hundreds - perhaps thousands - of times looking for answers. At least one of you wrote demanding that I resume the blog as you need it with your swig of whiskey in order to get to sleep each night. Unlike Tiger, I did not rent out a penthouse or invite my sleazier friends to cheer me up for the holidays,although all of you are proof that I do have plenty of sleazy friends. I didn't need to! I had my entire family at my disposal, and the girls are still here. Yes, we are in week 3 of our family togetherness experiment. Molly is "sharing my computer" which means that I have use of it only when she is not on a "Skype Date" with Cody or aimlessly checking Facebook. It's not fair! How am I supposed to waste MY time?..On Monday, a power outage disrupted my finely tuned clothes washing schedule leaving me with a striped dishtowel with which to dry myself. Unauthorized, Bob had stuffed two precious towels under the doors to curb the drafts. Unauthorized, the girls had used 2 towels each. As all the guilty parties were asleep, I broke down and used Molly's towel (she'll never know until she reads the blog so I'm safe for awhile.) We are now back to our choreographed, color-coded toweling system today.... We loved London and visited most of the major sights. We also saw _Chicago_ and _Blood Brothers_ on stage. It was rather cold, but the London Underground kept our forced mile marches (FMMs) to a minimum. Tim & Megan put us all to shame with careful planning and execution of their time. They kept the rest of us focused. They left Saturday. They agreed to fly a later flight home and -- like all my relatives but me -- they got upgraded to first class...Yesterday Bob, the girls and I hired a nice man named Harry to take us on a tour of Newgrange and other sights north of Dublin. For the first time in 30 years, Dublin had a significant snowfall of about 3 inches. All of Ireland came to a complete standstill and we got to sit in traffic for 5 1/2 hours. Harry was very good-natured and we sang, played games, tried to keep warm....So, while I'm not in a penthouse living it up with sleazy friends, I am being held captive in seclusion in my fourth floor apartment by my family who are making me cook their favorite foods and pay attention to them...I miss all of you. Send me an e-mail or comment on the blog so I'll have a legitimate reason to reclaim my computer from Molly for a minute or two.
Cooking, cleaning, and complaining,
I remain,
Mom/Tizmom/Tizzie/Tiz/Liz/Elizabeth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)