Some Things Friday for December 17, 2010

Just a few things for a Friday morning at the end of a week that flew by way too fast.

• I believe I was Italian in another life. I love fresh food and Italians eat, for the most part, fresh everything. But I especially love pasta. Why do I mention this? Because I just came from a Huffington Post Food section article about pasta...with photos...and it made me so happy. My favorite? Pasta Carbonara, basically bacon and eggs pasta. It couldn't be worse for your heart: bacon, eggs, parmesan cheese and pasta. Oh. My. God. I'm starving. Well, okay, not actually starving, but now experiencing a craving hunger for Pasta Carbonara at 9:00am. How will I get through the day.


• On a real life note, things are shitty, thank you for asking. Tom hasn't worked much in the past two weeks. We are down to our last few hundred dollars in the bank and our year's worth of savings is exhausted. Although Tom continues to look for work here and submit bids for upcoming projects, there are no firm commitments and it will most likely remain that way until after the first of the year at least. Tom is, again, looking for work in Florida which is where we'd rather be anyway. Who knows what will happen. Given everything, or the lack of everything, we are canceling Christmas this year. We are not giving gifts, except for the breads and cookies I'm baking. We are not giving gifts to each other, but we have each other. There are days I am tempted to even take down the Christmas tree and other decorations we put up earlier this month and call this year's holiday season "over and out" but then I put on my big girl panties and forge ahead, although not without shedding a tear or two. [Sniffle, sniffle.]


• As posted by @DCdebbie on Twitter: "How many assholes who opposed the Islamic Center near Ground Zero are aware their GOP leaders pissed all over 911 responders this week?" Yep. They voted against H.R. 847, James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010, which is a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to extend and improve protections and services to individuals directly impacted by the terrorist attack in New York City on September 11, 2001. Not one. NOT ONE freakin' Republican voted for this bill. Apparently, it was fine for the first responders to jeopardize their lives to save others. However, given the outcome of the vote, Republicans do not think it is fine for the first responders to expect help with persistent physical injuries, stress disorder issues and illness related expenses incurred from their selfless, heroic acts. However, the 'Nay' vote to deny funds for assistance to 911 first responders does in no way inhibit the Republicans' enthusiastic 'Yea' vote to keep their earmarks that they absolutely think should be abolished but since everyone else is doing it they are going to do it, too. But, of course, after receiving their pork they will work diligently to adopt a bill to rename them Federal Investment Appropriations.


• And, yes, the slyly negotiated [snort], bi-[cough, cough]-partisan Obama tax cut bill passed, paid for entirely by adding to the deficit. The tax cuts will be for an additional two years until, of course, they are made permanent by the new Republican majority. But, the unemployment insurance was only extended 13 months because, as we all know, the wealthiest Americans, who will continue to reap billions of dollars for the next two years, are now going to create jobs galore, just like the ones they created over the last 7 years when the tax cuts were the Bush tax cuts, thereby slashing unemployment numbers down to zero in no time so there won't be a need to extend long term unemployment any more than those 13 months. I'm holding my breath. I'm turning blue. I'm fainting. Oops, my bad. No additional jobs. But we will have another $1 Trillion added to the deficit. An awesome trade off.


• Larry King finally retired. I never got into watching him. Maybe it's just me, but I think he's a little creepy. I felt the same way about a guy who used to drive an ice cream truck in our neighborhood when I was a kid. I hated buying ice cream from him. He gave me the creeps.


• Aretha Franklin is out of the hospital and at home for the holidays. Rumor has it that she has pancreatic cancer. It's a fight almost no one can win. This just couldn't be worse news.


• How is it that these sweet little handmade gifts from grandchildren can make you smile and weep at the same time?
  
  

  Made by Lily

  Made by Zoey



• I just got an email. Subject line: "Banish bra fat." Maybe I shop at the wrong stores because my bras are not fat. Silky, lacy, in multiple colors with cups large enough to cover and support my rather old, saggy and medium sized boobs, but not fat. Besides, I think that would merely be called padding, don't you think?


• And, finally my friends and family, no matter what my mood - joyful, sad, melancholy, angry or just plain down in the dumps - I must watch my favorite Christmas movie of all time at least once. The opening scene of this movie never fails to make me weepy, but the stories of love are uplifting and I come back for more several times during the year.