More Stuff about me you probably don't want to know

But what the hey.... [ I saw this one over at UKOK so hat tip to her.]

What time is your alarm clock set to? Today it was set to 6:49 - I don't normally get up that early but I did today.

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex? Face. Particularly the eyes. I like it if they "dance."

Do you think people talk about you behind your back? Dunno. I don't give a flip if they do or not. As long as what they say *isn't* the truth.

What movie do you know every line to? Ah....so many....Sound of Music, the Godfather I & II, Gone with the Wind...Patton....Holiday Inn

What is your favorite movie? Surprisingly ;-D the above ones.

Is anyone in love with you? God, if they are I wish they'd tell me.

Do you eat breakfast daily? Not usually, though I'm trying to change that pattern as I find I "Graze" less during the day when I do. Can't stand milk at all though, and cereal is the pits. I like either fruit and whatever or the classic eggs. I either have an egg-in-the-nest, or eggs scrambled up with jack or mozarella cheese and red onions and a little salt and pepper. Bacon is the bomb, but I've been laying off. I like the Danish butter, but lately the Irish cows who produce the Kerrygold Butter are my bestest friends. Would someone in Ireland please kiss those cows for me? I'm still loyal to my California cows for my cheese. But girls, your Irish cousins eat better grass than you do. [Chris, I am STOKED ... someone finally put up the Cow video we only saw the once!]

Do you sleep on your side, stomach or back? Usually side.

Who was the last person to make you mad? He shall go nameless, but he wears mostly black. And it isn't the sainted one.

Are you a lover or a fighter? Both

Are you a morning or evening person? Queen of the Night

Are you a cuddler? Yes, but don't tell anyone, you'll blow my cover.

Are you a perfectionist? About some things. My CD collection is in alphabetic order. I don't give a darn if I wear a different gray T-shirt every day of the week...and then not gray for a month, switching to red. I'm not a perfectionist about everything because frankly some things aren't worth taking the time to do spectacularly well. There's only so much time and I'd be more insufferable than I am if I was.

Have you ever written a poem? Yeah. But don't tell.

Do you have more guy or girl friends? A few more girl friends than guy friends, but I'm very selective about my women friends. IF they show any signs of not being able to talk about anything other than men they're borrrrringgggggg.... And my guy friends are all good talkers. Forget the "strong silent type." I want a guy who can quote Shakespeare and talk baseball statistics and one who can argue with me. ALL of the people I count as friends tend to be good at more than one thing. We don't have to have everything in common, but at least one interest. Usually we have a few interests in common. I tend to keep my friends for a long, long time. I can pretty much get along with most anyone though, partly a function of my personality, partly as a function of being an "only" [if you want friends, you don't have built in ones!], and partly from having moved around a lot as a kid.

How many tickets have you gotten? Not any for 13 years...and I got THREE in ***king New ***king Jersey within 24 hours. Well, technically I got two and one "warning." The last one stopped me when I was going 80. He said "what are you doing?" And I said "Trying to get the hell out of New Jersey." Got 2 when I was a teen, the California rolling stop variety. Oh, and one of those as an adult. Have never been stopped for speeding in Cali on the highway. Not once. Ever. I think that's the life time count unless I blocked some out.

Piercings? In each ear. I'm not a "girly-girl" but I am a girl, and not a hippy girl, so I don't have 40. Funny story about that. When I was twenty my best friend from college and I were in a mall. I was up for the weekend visiting her house (and nice enough NOT to bring my laundry as Phylis had brought all *her* laundry.) I looked at a May Company sign that said "free ear piercing today if you buy a pair of earrings." So I turned to Phylis and said "Hey, I've been wanting to do that." She said "me too...you first." So I did thinking "it can't be too bad, I'm the girl that can practically break an arm falling down and not cry and everyone says 'what a great girl, no tears'." So I go first. The lady marked the ears then went in for the kill. "****-**-**-tears!!!!" I thought...but I showed NO emotion, knowing if I did, then Phylis would be too chicken to follow through. So I then smiled and lied "nothing to it." The lady did the other one and I sucked it up and beamed. Phylis got in the chair ... and WHAM.... She looked at me and good Baptist girl she was said "daaammmmn you!!!" Phylis didn't mind swearing if she was *quoting* someone else...but that was one of the few times she swore of her own accord. "Why didn't you TELL me?" "because I knew you'd chicken out if I showed any pain." "damn right I would have." Her mother howled when she heard about it. "back in my day we used Ice cubes and needles."

Do you have a tattoo? No. And if I did I probably wouldn't tell you. Some time ago there was a young woman at my workplace who bent over and in the gap between her shirt and top of low slung jeans was in letters bigger than life "Doggy Style." Sheesh. WAYYYYY too much information. I felt like slapping her. "WTF were you thinking?" I saw another girl with flowers basically growing out of her butt. "Honey," I thought "you may think that's cute now when you're nineteen and weigh 115 pounds, but just wait for middle aged spread. It will look like your insides exploded." What are young girls thinking today? A butterfly on the ankle isn't a particularly good idea. The only tattoos that look "good to me" are American Eagles on service men's arms. Classic. But a battleship on a woman's chest doesn't look good. [Well, maybe to a GUY it would....I guess "twin 40s" would take on a different meaning.]

Are you patient? Get real! Actually, with children, and mentally disabled I am extremely patient. ... God help the adult I think is stupid if they can help not being stupid... I'm not talking about ignorant ... everyone is ignorant about some things ... I'm talking about "was out for a smoke when the good Lord handed out common sense."

Do you miss anyone right now? You bet. My mother, in particular. There's not a day that goes by that I don't miss her.

Tea or coffee? Tea. Iced or hot. Keep the milk away, and I need my own cane field. I don't like hot coffee at all. The only coffee I like at all is that stuff they put caramel or hazelnut in and freeze the hell out of and put a half pound of sugar in. I don't get it very often as it would break the bank. A cocaine habit would be cheaper.

Regularly burn incense? Are you kidding, me? That's not a "home" thing.... although I wish we used it every Sunday at Mass like the eastern rite does.

Ever been in love? IF I tell I wouldn't be a woman of mystery then, would I?

Best room for a fireplace? Den

What do you do when you’re sad or upset? Sad? Watch a movie or play music I like. Upset? Bitch and moan.

Afraid of heights? Nope. But when I'm up high I like an airplane around me.

Can you change the oil in your car? No!

Favorite flower? Double delight Rose. White petals with red edges. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL.

Favorite hangout? Home!

Middle name? Ann [My confirmation name is Therese, and I've used that too ever since I got it. It's on my Social Security card too. Ditto passport, and all the important stuff.]

Most romantic sounding language? English. Really. I don't know why other women find men speaking French sexy. To me the average Frenchman sounds "gay, gay, Liberace gay." Really. They better have a deep studly voice for that thought not to even cross my mind. Ditto Spanish. Thorry guyths. You all sound so "exthitable." No wonder you lose wars. HOWEVER, for some reason Italian guys speaking Italian just sounds "fun" and relaxed and stylish. I still love the sound of English best. I also like the sound of German and Russian. With Chinese and other Asian languages? I think they really just read each other's minds. Oh. One type of English accent that drives me crazy is anyone from the Indian subcontinent speaking English. Sorry guys. IF you want to sing-song, do it in some romance language.

Ever been overseas? Yeah. 7 times to Yurrup. The first time when I was 17. Ireland, England, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican City, Monaco, France. I've also been to TJ too many times to count just across the border, but not in a couple years. I can only use so many boxes of chewing gum and drink so many tequillas. And I was to Expo '67 in Montreal when I wasn't quite 11. And I've been to Hawaii 8 or 9 times. I lost track. Kinda. I guess that counts as "overseas" because I had to go "overseas" to get there. Well, an ocean anyway. Oahu, Maui, Kauai, the Big Island and Molokai.

Update on the Sainted one

The Sainted Msgr. S. is getting sprung from the rehab center this Sunday. He is looking forward to playing "pirate" again. [Just kidding, the temporary patch is long gone.] I stopped by to see him today and he was showing off being able to walk up and down the halls with the aid of just a cane. He didn't say no to the piece of chocolate fudge I brought him either. I teasingly asked the notoriously un-social butterfly "Did you go to the luncheon in the garden today?" and he said "*how* long have you known me?"

The one good outcome to this is that he finally has a cell phone .... which I and others had urged him to get - me not a week before he fell...[see we toldja.] He'll be haunting Kentucky Fried Chicken before we know it - which is a darn good thing as he'd remarked that he was down to his weight in the seminary which was 130....if he jumped up and down on the scale a little. I think a few buckets of KFC and some more fudge are in order.

Killer Pizza From Mars

.
Who can resist?


I especially like the sign inside that says "Unattended children will be sold as slaves." Not exactly politically correct or subtle. BTW, they serve really good NY style pizza. Why you Chicagoans [dons flame retardant suit] want to eat a lump of dough, I have no idea. I like mine with Mushrooms, Pepperoni, and Anchovies...and beer....

Stupidsville on the campaign trail

Will the fawning media keep endlessly playing this stupid gaffe? Doubt it. They're in the tank for him.





Just shoot me come November -- the best I can hope for is a McCain win followed by a coup d'etat January 21st.

“Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats”

- Henry Louis Mencken

Mass Times

Digihairshirt was asking about if anyone knew where to go to Mass in Memphis, Tn. as she will be there soon. Some years back I ran across a website called "Mass Times" which I found very useful. It started off with just parishes in the USA, but has greatly expanded to include other countries too. Always confirm the times though when you get into town. Contact information of the church is listed. Parishes may be added if you don't see yours. It also has other useful links.

They're Back

I *LOVE* this time of the year. The Jacarandas are back in full bloom. Most of them anyway...except the ones confused by the "June gloom" when it's only supposed to be "May gray."

Rosary for Priests this Month

This May starting with Penta-
cost Sunday I will be saying a rosary every Sunday evening for all the priests listed on my blogroll plus Msgr. S. I will offer it for their special intentions and that the Blessed Mother keeps them in her special care as their heavenly mother.

Winston da MAN!

“How dreadful are the curses which Mohammed-
anism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy.

The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but the infence of the religion paralyzes the social development of those who follow it.

No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith.

It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”

Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50, London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899).

Who knew?

h/t to Archangel's Pulpit

Snaps for Fr. Mildew

...he reports he is feeling much better. He will resume regular posting on May 13th when he returns from Herne Bay. It looks like he is looking into a fun holiday pilgrimage too.

He asks us to spread the word.

PLAY BALL!

That salt-of-
the-
earth-
priest, Fr. Blake, in Brighton, UK at St. Mary Magdalen has taken some exception to the baseball caps worn by a coterie of priests at some Mass or other. Despite the tongue in cheek ribbing I've been giving him, I would agree that in general this sort of thing shouldn't be done.

HOWEVER, though I'd look daggers at any priest who did this at an indoor Mass, I have to cut a slight bit of slack to priests who throw in the towel and resort to a hat, even a baseball hat, in lieu of keeling over in the heat.

A while back Fr. Martin Fox had written about attending one of the outdoor Masses with the pope, and he related how long they were on the field ... quite a few hours before the Mass ... and then the Mass itself.

I can just imagine how the conversation went:

Fr. Cornelius: Dudes, I have HAD IT, sweat is now rolling off my head down into my jockey shorts. I don't care, I *AM* going to buy a ball cap from the vendor and wear it.

Fr. Clark: DON'T. You'll get us in trouble.

Fr. Cornelius: Shut your piehole, Clark ... you were always a goody two shoes, even in seminary.

Fr. Clark: That is NOT true, you know....

Frs. Manny, Moe, and Jack: Clark, shut up -- he IS right....we're getting caps too, you can join us or be a putz....the bishops can't reassign us *all* out to St. Nowheresville.

Fr. Jack: Hey, Chip and Dale ... you guys look a little, oh, light in the loafers in those golf caps. They make everyone look light in the loafers ... unless you are actually *playing* golf.

Frs. Chip and Dale: Where do you think we just came from?

Fr. Jack: Well, at least get the same caps we have.

Frs. Chip and Dale: Can't - we just spent our last bucks on beer.

Frs. Manny, Moe, Jack, and Cornelius: You guys are drinking that swill? G'wan. Get some. We'll send the bill to the bishop and we'll sign it with Clark's name.

Fr. Clark: HEY! Cut that out. I'm telling s'str!

Fr. Cornelius: I'm shaking. Yeah, it will probably go on our permanent records too.

Happy 54th Anniversary

today to the Sainted Father "don't call me msgr. , I work for a living" S. who is recovering in rehab after some dingleberry of a doctor didn't catch the fact that when he banged up his knee during Holy Week he also managed to pop out the nifty titanium ball and socket hip joint that he had put in in 2000. X-rays ("gee, skippy, I still hurt like all get out") two-three weeks after the event revealed this. Depending if all is a-okay, he'll probably be released this Sunday or the one after.

The bishop visited him and all that jazz - and a certain parish where he says daily Mass knows, and visited, but a certain pastor at a certain church where until for the last 30 years he's been the supply priest on Sunday until he was sumarily retired without being told doesn't know. I would have told a certain pastor had he inquired, but for right now I'm not saying zip. Except, of course, to the blogosphere. Keep him on YOUR prayer list, because for right now, despite the pastor having initially stated that "he'd fractured his leg" [untrue] it didn't occur to "The powers that be" that perhaps if this really was the case, then perhaps, as a nice gesture, someone (oh, I don't know, say...the pastor) would have put him on the list. Now, it *may* be possible that the pastor in question tried to reach him by phone and couldn't (seeing as how the operation to repair said joint) was done quickly and he didn't go back home for even a toothbrush before admission to hospital ... but, given he wasn't even on the prayer list....from the alleged fracture.....if I were a betting woman....

"30 years of service, and I didn't even get on the 'pray for' list at Mass." Gee, like no one else has noticed.

Stupidsville Redux

Hey, Manny, Moe, Jack, Clyde and Cornelius ... you .... you dummies over at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops: Listen up.


If you REALLY want to do the laity a favor by moving around Ascension Thursday to the following Sunday, go one better and move it to the Monday following the Sunday so we can take a three day weekend out of it. Didn't you notice the cool 3 day holidays congress gave us back in the 60s? I mean, what the hell. Jesus, tell them to straighten up and fly right.

Get with the program guys.

Prayer Request

Last week I was having a chat with a friend of mine, and she mentioned, with much pain, that she has always felt abandoned by the Blessed Mother. She's asked for help and and feels like Mary turns from her. I was distressed by this. I know that from earliest childhood my mother always told me that the Blessed Mother was my mother too. My mother said that not only was Mary also my mother "now" but she would always be there for me long after my mother died. I have always felt the Blessed Mother loved me. Please pray for my friend that she could feel that love and care too.