Happy Halloween!! And Good Luck Beulah!

I wasn't planning on dressing up for Halloween this year. I'm too busy, too tired, too uninspired (and didn't intend that to rhyme either). But recently, our office was informed that a long time member of our staff has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her major surgery, to hopefully remove all traces of the tumor and discover that the cancer has NOT spread may be ongoing as I type this. Her request was simple. Dress up for Halloween and take a group picture for me.




This was for Beulah Doyle ... and a reminder to us that life is too short not to act silly sometimes. [Note: The official version of the group shot - on someone else's camera - is better.]

This Makes Me Want To Break Out My Hogwarts Fleece!

That's right, you heard me (read me). I have a totally awesome, black, hooded fleece with the Hogwarts coat of arms. You're jealous, I know.

But now, watch this ... just when we will have finished watching Twilight for the 27th time, Harry Potter will once again be cause for a midnight show.

God Can Move Mountains, Why Not Obama

Saturday morning, I received an email from my Mom, one of the nicest, Christian, do-anything-to-help-another persons you could ever meet. The only thing my Mom wrote on the email was this:

"Obama scares me. How do you girls feel? Love, Mom"

Attached to the email was a forwarded email entitled, "God Can Move Mountains." Within that forwarded email was essentially a call to Christian Americans to pray that God delivers us from the evil Obama. Seriously. It used accusations to incite blind fear and hatred, commented on religion and the need to protect our country from becoming "Under Allah," as well as on what it called the anti-white feelings of Michelle Obama. It cried out that Bush has been fighting a "holy war" and urged the reader to pray "to keep a man as suspect as Barak Obama from leading our country to who knows where with his message of 'change.' "

I responded to my Mom. I responded by letting her know that Obama doesn't scare me. The hatred and venom spewed in that email is what scares me. That email was one step away from some nut job reading it and deciding that he/she must take our future into their hands and "do God's will" by ridding us of the evil Obama. By assassinating the leader. That man or woman will likely call themselves Christian and, on that day, if/when such a horrific event happens, I will be ashamed.

If you want to see the email itself, email me at justacogitating@yahoo.com and I'll send it to you.

I don't think my Mom was quite prepared to see just the shade of blue all four of her daughters have become. But, as I told her, it is okay if we disagree, we still love her - that is the kind of Christian upbringing that she gave us - not the ignorant rantings of racist fanatics intent on spreading a message that any difference means you must be evil.

And now for some intelligent, comedic relief! God save Opie!!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Curses Be To Cotton!

Yes, I know, you deserve more ... but right now my only thought is how annoyed I am that I forgot the load of clothes in my dryer that includes a shirt that demands prompt removal to avoid the dreaded iron.

Have I mentioned what a domestic Goddess I am?

New Record

Wow ... apparently 10 days of Match.com is all I can take at the moment. I'm already sick of looking. Within those 10 days, at least according to Match.com, my profile was viewed 406 times, I received 20 emails, sent 13 emails, and received 23 winks.

I don't believe I'm supposed to be feeling this disillusioned already, am I?

It's a Match Reunion! [Just a Short Rant.]

Unbelievable. Two prior "dates" from Match.com years gone past have popped back up to "wink" or email me during my current round.

One of the two firemen I've dated: We went out four or five times, I went on vacation, he decided while I was gone that he didn't see a "romance" in our future. A year later, he contacted me again and asked me out. The day of our scheduled date, he left a message letting me know that he had a sick child and needed a rain check. What happened? Never heard from him again ... until this time around when I got, you guessed it, an email on Match.com from him wishing me the best roughly two years after first meeting him.

The other is even better - the EMT: This was the first man I went out with (or stayed in with) following my divorce. We saw each other for two months the fall of 2004 before he broke things off due to my then weight. Yes, that was the actual reason he gave me. Apparently I was a great girl with whom to "stay in" but not so much with the taking out. I just got a "wink" from him on Match.com tonight.

So, I'm taking opinions. How do you handle men, be they online dates or other, who have popped back up after treating you poorly in the past?

My first thought? You don't.

My second thought involves a transvestite named Destiny who guarantees a Crying Game experience for the right price.

Be True To Yourself

I have been "viewable" on Match.com for less than a week and have already updated my profile multiple times. How much of yourself should you show on a dating site? I tend to be a tad sarcastic. [I know, it's true! Who knew?] Consequently, my profile came across that way and, according to one advisor, it was too negative.

*cue the death knoll of my dating life*

Thereafter, I substantially cut negatives and sarcasm from my profile. It was much MUCH shorter and sweeter. It was also, according to one friend, "bland and blah."

So, how much should you say about yourself in an online dating profile? How much wit and/or sarcasm can a sarcastic person bestow upon potential dates without completely tainting the lot of them to her? I mean, hell, I've removed the "All Men Suck" mantra ... so I'm good, right?

According to Evan Marc Katz, we should figure out what makes us different and use it to our advantage. Okay, I can go with that and it adds points to my friend's cry of "bland and blah."

*5 minutes of thought about what makes me different. I'm stumped.*

Katz also advises the date seekers to stay consistently positive. *Oh my.*

No spelling mistakes. *Agreed! *

No glaring insecurities. *Define "glaring" please.*

No superficial wish list about looks. *Does that mean I have to remove my reference to Orlando Bloom?*

No giving anyone a reason to say no to you. *WHAT!!??*

Now I have to really draw the line there. I know, I know, mystery is a good thing but, frankly, I'd like a potential date to know that I am not even a distant relative to Betty Crocker or Sara Lee. I know my Papa John's phone number and he knows mine. I would just rather weed out right now those men who find a domestic deficiency to be a deal breaker. Bah Bye. I would also rather someone have a sense of my sense of humor before the phone numbers are exchanged.

I'll stick with Katz's ultimate tip: "If you have fun writing it, the reader will likely have fun reading it." My current profile leans back in my original humorous yet cynical direction. And honestly, if "my guy" is out there anywhere then the wit will be appreciated, accepted, and returned. No wusses allowed!

It's Not March Madness, it's Match Madness

Updated profile ... approved. Uploaded photos ... approved.

Let the madness begin.