Jingle Bells

Oy. The "season" has begun.

Forget the holidays per se. I'm talking about the season in which Cosmos's television plays "Dogs Barking Jingle Bells." It was on for the first time this year, this very morning.

Needless to say, Cosmos feels compelled to join the chorus. Oy.

Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 25.

Turkey 24/7

It's that time of year again. Thanksgiving. The holiday that I hate worse than any other holiday on this earth. It really doesn't matter for the purposes of this post why I hate Thanksgiving so much; just that I do.

On the other hand, I am a minority of one in this respect in my household. 100% of the dogs surveyed really enjoy it. Specifically, they really like turkey and stuffing. Mashed potatoes not so much, and they have a real aversion to anything more vegetably than that. Although Cosmos does enjoy pies. Not the whole pie, mind you. He specifically focuses in on the crust.

TV viewing is skewed in my home this time of year, dictated by the dog. As any of my readers who have been around for a while know, Cosmos really enjoys standing in front of his "magic window," reacting and even commenting on what appears on the screen. And what programming do you think he enjoys the most this week before turkey day? The Food Network, of course! Their programming? Turkey, 24/7.

In years past, Cosmos has been transfixed by the pre-holiday activity on his screen, just as he is by any action going on in his kitchen. He's even been known to sniff, and then lick his TV screen on occasion. And I have to agree, those turkeys on television look pretty good.

Sadly for Cozie, we are doing Thanksgiving at Eric's home this year. However, I have already explained my Thanksgiving tradition to Eric, and he seems agreeable. That is, a ziplock bag hidden in my purse, specifically for the stealing of turkey for the dogs.

It may be a late Thanskgiving in our home for the boys, but they're always grateful for this particular treat.

Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 24.

Exit-stential Reality

Once upon a long long time ago, at least as far back as November 7Th, an Exit sign fell upon Dana's head. And that was bad.

But Dana was fine and lived to tell the tale, and that was good.

Sherry promised that the sign would be fixed, and all would be as it was before at Slimmons, but last Tuesday, it was if a light bulb went off in my head. I looked at the former sign which had not been fixed and I "knew" it would never be the same again. But that was OK, because Dana was free to dance in and out of the studio, and in and out of the lobby as the mood struck her and with nary a worry.

But then, this morning, I walked into Slimmons and an amazing sight I did behold. That of an electrician on his ladder in the doorway to the studio, and what would he be doing? He was mounting a new exit sign into place!

Of course I was fearful for Dana. It had already been proven that she had a target on her head, and knowing that the new sign lurked above, I felt like I was awaiting her Exit-cution. But she came to class and danced as if nothing had ever happened. None of the traumatic history she had experienced with the Slimmons ceiling mattered. And she wasn't struck down from above.

I questioned her about it after class. How can it be that she who had proven to be in moral danger was not afraid? Dana laughed.


"I've faced down more terrible things than this," she stated with a gleam in her eye. "I've taught exercise classes, I've run marathons, and I work in the finance industry. I've gone to Washington with Richard, I've gone to Mexico with my friends, and I'm neither going to confirm nor deny the rumor that I drank the water while I was there. I even survived my mother flashing my "before" picture at my 40Th birthday party. Do you think a little ol' sign from above can frighten me? Au contrair!"

And just to prove her point Dana then stood under the electrician's ladder.

I've heard rumors that she is now looking to buy the biggest umbrella you ever saw and plans to open it up indoors. I hope that if she does it at Slimmons, she lets me know in advance so my camera will be ready. And I suppose that if Slimmons is the chosen 'indoor' location, she will open it up under the sign to be sure it can't drop directly on her head again.

Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 23.

Vennie's AdVenture, Day 7 - The End

It's a sure bet that 100% of the dogs surveyed were against Vennie going home today.

They did not care about her stories of her own cats or Madison or even her Mother. They would prefer that she stay.
But neither they nor I could convince her that leaving was a bad idea, so after a late breakfast and a visit with Eric, we headed off to Longs Drug Store in pursuit of a travel rain bonnet and to complete a super-secret mission that nobody can know about. We did not find the bonnet, but instead we found this:

Bald Guyz head products. Moisure Gel. Deep cleanser and conditioner. Sunscreen. And head wipes. Now I don't want to sound naive, but wouldn't standard soap and sunscreen work just fine where there is no hair involved?

Lunch at California Pizza Kitchen,

And off to the Flyaway Bus we went.

Bye bye Vennie. Come back soon.

This afternoon, I resumed my normal life. Sigh.

Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 22.

Vennie's AdVenture, Day 6

Poor Vennie was exhausted this morning. As Richard would say, "I've worn her out and broken her..."

Ah! Back to life.

Wherever we go, whatever we do, we'll always go through it together!

At the Getty Villa. Don't jump, Vennie! There's a staircase down to the entrance.

Hmmmm.... is there maybe a little lack-of-trust issue going on here?

And Vennie does it again! There's no question that she attracts the opposite sex. And with each day that passes, she's getting them younger, more attractive, and subservient. Now, if only they were naked...

Did somebody say naked?Vennie's smokin'! And in lieu of a cigarette, she leans on a pillar of salt.


And then goes for a cool bath.


Two women with braided hair.

And Vennie, once again, is kissing frogs in search of her perfect prince.

Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 21.

Vennie's AdVenture, Day 5 - Reposted

Good Morning! Vennie & Laura woke up with a hankerin' for Smoked Salmon, so we went to Western Bagel for a Lox & Bagel breakfast.
Eric joined us there. It's official. Eric & Vennie are dating. Eric & I are planning to go on Jerry Springer together. The theme of the show? My boyfriend is dating everyone I know!

Vennie vs. the Red Line. Did she get sucked into the subway tube?

Boarding the train...

and away we go!

Vennie arrives at Union Station, the location where all unions begin.

A short walk later, and we're at Olvera Street. This is the first street in the city of Los Angeles.
Score! Vennie makes her first purchase of the day! "So many pretty things, so little time!" she says.
Vennie make herself at home in the Avila House. The Avila's were not home. Of course, that was to be expected since they built the house and started living there in 1818.
"Do not touch the cactus." Vennie did not touch the cactus. But she held onto the sign for dear life.
Says Vennie: "If one man is good, two is better!" She seems to have a date at every stop we make.

Reading the good "book."
Did she or didn't she? Only her hairdresser (and Laura) knows for sure.
Grand Central Market.
Half the Fab 4 at the Ramen place. Beth and Claudia, where are you?
Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 20.

I Know... Regarding Vennie's AdVenture Day 5

I know. For some of you, the post is there. For others - including me, it's not.

I'm receiving some commentary about it, so I know that it can be accessed although how I cannot figure out.

As I understand it, if you access it through your own blog (as in if you are a follower), you can get to it. If you go directly into my blog via the internet, it's not there.

I'm hoping that blogspot can find the issue and fix it. If not, I will re-post it in a day or so as Vennie's Adventure Day 5.1.

Sorry about the issue.

Thirty posts in thirty days. This is day 20.