Future leader of the free world?

Or Batman?

You decide.

Thank god Bush never went on vacation in Hawaii.

Damn it's cold.

So cold that there's ice on the stairs? CHECK

So cold that there's ice on the walkway? CHECK

So cold it's freaking snowing in the NAPA VALLEY??? CHECK friggin CHECK!

A light dusting of snow on Mount St Helena. Thursday, December 18th.

I LOL'd

I LOL'd right out loud when I saw this.

Seriously, I can't control my laughter and I don't know why. Happy Friday

The end of an era....

When I was in the 3rd grade I only wanted one thing, an American Girl Doll. Samantha Parkington, to be very specific. I read all the books for all the American Girls but Samantha was by far my favorite. I spent hours pouring over the American Girl catalog marking my preferred Samantha set up and leaving it about the house for my Mom to find, hoping she would get the hint.

Finally, after a very disappointing non-Samantha filled birthday, I struck a deal with my parents. If I finished all of my times tables by Christmas break I could have Samantha. Before the dancing an twirling about begins, I should say that I am very very VERY bad a math and this is no exaggeration. The tables where a challenge but beginning September 11, 1987 I set about making them my bitch. I studied harder than any third grader should, often forgoing playing outside after school to work on the Tables. Samantha was more important than playtime. I was a child truly obsessed.

After weeks of studying and testing I finally passed my 12th and final table. After which I completely forgot what 12 times anything but 5 is. (Hey I told you I'm not into math, no judging!) I rode my Huffy bike home after school as fast as my vans could pedal, leaving my two younger brothers and their lame-o BMX bikes in the dust. I ran into the house triumphant, waving the 12th and final times table ditto over my head. Had I known the ditty "We are the Champions" I would have been singing it, unfortunately Queen didn't enter my life until much further down the line. I handed the paper to my mom and ran to my room for the American Girl catalog, today was the day Samantha would be mine! And she was, my mom placed the order that afternoon. Imagine my disappointment when I learned it would take 2-3 weeks for her to arrive!

From that day on I checked the porch for my Samantha box everyday. Being a girl just newly 7 years old I had no concept of how UPS works or the fact that tracking numbers existed. Had I known UPS would have for sure known me by name. After just about 2 weeks the magic day came. As I skreeched my Huffy to a halt in front of the house I saw it, the box on the porch, Samantha was finally here!! I threw my Huffy on the lawn and raced for the porch to collect my treasure. I swooped up the box and dashed inside the house coming to a crashing halt in the middle of the living room, yelling for my Mom with uncontrollable excitement. Mom mom helped me carefully open the box, freeing Samantha from her packaging. She was amazing and she looked just like all of her pictures. I was in total shock. I sat there on the living room floor holding Samantha for the rest of the afternoon. Matter of fact, I don't think she really left my side for the next several months. She cam to Thanksgiving, our family Christmas Party, Christmas (complete with a gift or 2 from "santa") and I think she even banged some pots and pans with me on New Years Eve.

A few days ago, my Mom asked me about Samantha. She said that people were selling their American Girl dolls on eBay for mucho dinero and wondered if I had checked to see the value of my doll. Naturally I checked as soon as I got back to my computer. Much to my surprise I made two very shocking discoveries....1) Original Samantha's (pre-Matel) are worth over $300 and 2)American Girl is retiring Samantha Parkington this year! I can't believe they are retiring such a wonderful Doll! Good thing I'll have my Samantha for future Wood girls to enjoy and I'll never have to say goodbye to such a wonderful childhood friend.

Joe is a toolbag.

We all have heard and seen this freakin' tool bag Joe the Plumber. I'm not going to lie, I don't know him but I hate him....seriously I do. I could care less about his political leanings or his view on Obama's tax plan. This guy is a total deadbeat media whore and I can't believe anyone, **cough McCain cough**, would want to align themselves with him. My point was proven yesterday when Mr. Douchey-McToolbag stood up his new BFF at his Stump speech. Let's just put it this way, given his track record if John McCain was picking a dodge ball team the best players would actually get picked last. But yeah, go ahead and vote for his dumb ass Joe, show America how to be a real man.

We all know toolbags love the spotlight, so now that he's all famous and stuff (although his fame is nearing an end with the election only 5 days away) I'd bet $20 that Joe the Toolbag does one of the following in the next few months....

a) Goes on some sort of reality TV. Surreal Life, The Apprentice, Amazing Race.....something that man is a TV whore.

b) Comes out with an album and goes on tour with K-Fed.

c) Dates Lindsay Lohan. If anyone can take him away from Sam Joe can.

If he was realistic he would shut his freakin' pie hole and just be happy with the fact that he will be both a question AND and answer in the next release of Trivial Pursuit.

We rule...

Not even Martha would think of theme costumes this awesome. Ladies and gentleman, I give you the Chateau Loco Lawn Ornaments.....

(Garden Fairy, Pink Flamingo, Lawn Gnome, Virgin Mary, Flower, Lawn Jockey)

It melts Lori's heart....

When I hold babies.

Sorry Lor, I wouldn't put any money on it ever being my own baby that I'd be holding. But Neeta-Colleen's wee one and I are pretty cute! I like him cuz' he's got a thing for beer.....