Hazmat Adventures in Refrigerator Cleaning

or what the HELL was that?!?

Okay, so Suzette stopped by this morning to partake of our traditional Sunday brunchfest before attempting to clear out the various tchotchkes and such she's amassed over the past 20+ years.

In the afterglow of a very satisfying meal, we got the misguided notion to tackle the contents of the dreaded department fridge.

Holy Crap!

First tip: Dawn a hazmat suit. Seriously. There is so much unidentifiable goo and glop liquefying in every nook and cranny of that beast it's a veritable petri dish of epic proportion. Plus a respirator would be a wise accessory to prevent accidental aspiration of the powdery air-born spores lurking in any number of long forgotten paper bags. Not to mention shield one's olfactory system from the full frontal attack of the inevitable odoriferous nuclear waste.

This purging process never fails to solicit a chorus of EEeeewwwwws! and gags and shivers down the spine. I suspect innocent bystanders walking down the hall think something untoward is going on behind the curtain.

"Untoward" ... isn't that a great word. It sounds so...Merchant/Ivory English. Fa Fa Fa Fa

but I digress...

Pop quiz: 

Q: How many single-serving sized containers of applesauce, jello and yogurt does it take to fill a refrigerator? 

A: Apparently 1,006 and still counting. People, people...how about doing us a solid and eating this crap with the shelf life of a half century.

So this week's bounty worthy of a technicolor yawn starts with this lovely example of neglect--a mold-laden, half used can of enchilada sauce circa 1999. Or as that pompous personality Alex Trebek might say, En-shi-la-tha. (he's such a tool.)

I know what you're thinking... "That's not so bad, ya Pansy. It didn't even make me gag." It's a matter of pacing. Don't want to share the coup de grace, the mother of all vom inducers, the nightmare on Kenmore Street too early. 

Next up may I present to the court the dripping, slippery remains of what was once a vibrant yellow pepper. 

It actually was dripping through the baggie. Smelled real charming, too.

When we first uncovered this next exhibit of heinous handiwork, it was corralled in a rather nice plastic container which had locking sides. The container was way too good to toss with the contents so we opted to transfer the unknown substance to a Ziploc bag. Imagine our horror when we gazed upon this ...

What the HELL is that?!? Seriously. It looks like Satan's spawn ...  preserved in jelly. I'm not kidding. You can see it's head on the righthand side. Or perhaps it's the evil contents of Beelzibub's colon. Either way call Cyril Wecht! Or better yet an old priest and a young priest... 

The last horrifying discovery is well... I don't even know how to begin to describe this... this furry former food stuff... this science experiment gone horribly, horribly awry. 

I have no earthly idea what this could have been in its former, edible life. All I know is you totally do NOT want to inhale a single atom of this powdery peculiarity for fear of contracting some sort of Andromeda Strain or the Hamthrax. Even Alexander Fleming would have given this lot a wide berth, despite his love affair of all things surrounding that moldy marvel, penicillin. 

Well I'm happy to report Suzette and I survived our journey through the center of Lucifer's lair without contracting Mesothelioma. Only good thing about this activity is it's a great appetite suppressant. 

Friday Photo #23 

or sure...why not a bottle opener 

What's the first thing you think of when wielding a razor-sharp ratchet driver powerful enough to chop off a digit or two? Beer, of course. So, yeah... why not a bottle opener.

A Bittersweet Bon Voyage 

or how do you say farewell to a piece of your heart 

Yesterday we threw a retirement shindig for one of my dearest friends in the world, Suzette. She is perhaps the most universally beloved individual to have ever set up shop in our shop. Twenty some odd years ago she waltzed in the door and right into every one's heart, disarming their defense shields with her quick wit, sarcastic bent and bawdy 12-year-old boy humor. She's been my mentor in that category. She is also one of the kindest, most generous people I have ever had the pleasure to know.

Television is the third career in her long and varied history. She first was a grade school English teacher, then branched out into theater as a stage manager as well as actor before finally settling in as a television grunt. She worked at a competing local station until union negotiations fell through and everyone was locked out. 

An unlucky day for her...a very lucky day for us. 

Over the years she has become the collective mother to our entire department. She's the one who brings in food for all, keeps the general supplies--both biz and non-biz related--stocked and is the confidant of all. I tease her that she needs a shingle "The Doctor is In" or as Lucy Van Pelt would say "The Doctor is Way In". She has a sympathetic ear so there's always someone confessing their woes to her. That's one of the many things that makes her special. 

That, and her delightful off-color edge. 

Having been in theater for decades, she has a song or a dirty limerick for any and all occasions. Here are a couple of my favorite ditties:

Balls! said the Queen. And the King laughed because he had two.

I looked up his kilt and what did I see? 

I looked up his kilt and what did I see? 

I looked up his kilt and what did I see? 

Wang... Wang... Wang...

She offered her honor.

He honored her offer.

and all night long he was on her and off her.

Ha Ha Ha... aaaaaw... It makes me sad to realize I won't hear that every day.... *sniff*

She and I had our last official Sunday brunch blow out last weekend. 

Everything I know about whipping up a four-course breakfast using a microwave and toaster oven, I owe to her. She's like the MacGuyver of short-order cooking.

The bittersweet truth about her retiring is this. Suzette has been battling some pretty serious health issues over the last eight months. She's been in and out of the hospital three times. She needs to stop working full time and take care of herself so she can get stronger and back to her normal, irreverent self. Beets, Jude and I have been leading her--okay pushing her--towards this decision for a while. We know it's for the best and she's only five minutes away, but I'm still going to miss seeing her every day. 

Anywho, if there's one thing we know how to do well in Operations...it's throw a party. We surprised her with a fully decorated work space and chow up the yin yang. 

Loads of people stopped by to say goodbye and take photos. Them there boys do love her!

Of course you knew there had to be an irreverent one or two...

Todd, our buddy who jumped ship last year to work across the river showed up in a, wait for it... golf cart! Sonya, our morning anchor begged him to drive it. She was so excited. Afterwards Todd let her drive the cart, too. Hey-O!!

We all piled in and burned rubber around the plaza, terrorizing all mortals in our path. We did donuts around the fountain and tried to kidnap... I mean, pick up Heather, the Barista from our lobby coffee shop, but she wouldn't play our reindeer games. Go figure. Then we took a bunch of jump pictures. 

Yeah, so basically yesterday we got paid to graze continually, zoom around haphazardly in a pimped out golf cart and jump around like idiots. All in celebration of our one-and-only, Suzette. Isn't it great to inspire such frivolity. You see why we'll miss her.

 

So here's to you, Suzette. You and I have done some crazy things along the way, no. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside you all these years. Knowing you has enriched my existence beyond expression. You are my sassy sister, my irreverent friend, my constant confidant, my fellow 10-year-old, my cohort in crime and one of the few people who truly gets me. Your friendship fills my life with abundant joy and elan. Thank you for your positive presence in my life. You occupy a permanent place tucked away in my heart. I love you, man.

Holy Crap! And I'm not even drunk!?! I'm slipping...

So...what do you say? Lunch next week?

"It's The Fragrance of the Favorite Summer of Your Life..." 

or a Trifecta of happy events 

Okay, so yesterday evolved into a Trifecta of positive events in the form of appreciation, recreation and jubilation.

First, Geo received a resounding vote of confidence from his employer. In fact it was the most glowing review he has ever had. EVER. My better half has always had an outstanding work ethic. In fact he is the poster child of integrity and hard work. He is a team player with a capital T. Always the first to volunteer his assistance to anyone who is covered in the quagmire of a ridiculous rush job. And you know rush jobs are never satisfying...that's what she said.

He has been a huge asset to every employer for whom he's worked, and is FINALLY, after all these decades, getting the recognition and appreciation he has so richly deserved. I could not be happier for or prouder of him. Plus the accolades came wrapped in a purty green ribbon raise. Cha-CHING!!  

Second, we went to see the incomparable Francis Dunnery play a house concert, coincidentally in 

the home of our very first Francis house concert three years ago. Geo and I even recognized several folks from the last time. Pittsburgh was Mr. Dunnery's last stop of this particular tour and it was positively enchanting, as usual. The vibe in the room was a warm, welcoming hug rewarded by an extended song list and an extra hour of his time rubbing elbows with the devoted crowd. These intimate house concerts are such a special experience. They never fail to leave us uplifted. The title to this posting is my favorite line from one of Francis' songs "Give Up and Let it Go" which we were treated to towards the end of the evening. Geo and I absolutely LOVE this guy! I highly recommend attending one of his house concerts in the future. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Here's a link to his website to keep tabs on his show dates. You may recall Francis was part two of our anniversary road trip this past February as chronicled in this prior posting here. Part one of that trip was, of course, my beloved blue-eyed one, Rhett. 

So the obsession concert score so far this year: Francis 2, Rhett 1 

Francis is going to have to step it up later this year since I'll be going to three Old 97's/Rhett concerts over eight days in July, BABY!!

The "Tri" part of the day's Trifecta was...THE PENS SWEPT THE SERIES AND ARE GOING TO THE STANLEY CUP!!!! That's right. Starting Saturday the Boys of Winter get a rematch of last year's heartbreaking defeat against the Detroit Red Wings. My money's on the Pens. They're older, wiser and hungry as Hell for their chance to drink from Lord Stanley's cup. 

After hearing past stories of victory celebrations...they might want to pour a little bleach in that bowl first. 

Murray and Geo's Excellent Weekend 

or there are no friends like old friends 

Okay, so Geo's always busting on me for being on the interweb too much...spending waaaay too much time with virtual folks rather than real people. 

He's right, of course. 

Twitter is like freaking crack. Seriously. Even when I tell myself I'm not logging on today, I end up succumbing to the lure of the beast and taking my place as a twalker (twitter stalker), peering into the lives of those more famous than I. Turns out only a handful of them are the least bit interesting or creative tweeters--Rhett, the king-of-all-my-things, being one. Rob Huebel and Paul Feig being two others. The rest are rather boring. I'm sure those misguided souls who follow me feel the same disappointment with my offerings. I have, however, had lovely "conversations" with a young woman from N. Dakota after connecting over, of all things, a mediocre CBS cartoon named Horseland where the collie sounds like Sean Connery... or at least Darryl Hammond portraying Sean Connery. Turns out she works for a CBS affiliate and also gets paid to watch cartoons. Small world. 

Every Sunday when I suffer through...er, I mean watch Horseland, I keep waiting for the collie to spout off something like "Just like your Mother last night, Trebek" from SNL:

That skit cracks me up every time.

Anywho, back to the topic at hand...

 I justify my time spent on Facebook by noting the folks on that social network actually ARE my friends. People I see at work or play. It's a quick way to keep up with the happenings of others so when I actually do call or visit, I have an idea what's been happening in their lives. 

But bottom line is nothing compares to flesh and blood contact with flesh and blood people. 

I'm happy to report Geo and I spent quality time over the holiday weekend in the company of actual friends. And it was good!! 

We began our social splurge with a sumptuous sushi dinner in the company a wonderful couple, Marco and Amy, whom we've known for over a decade. Over those years, we got together sporadically due to the normal time constraints of life and living. Two months ago, after dining at an Indian buffet, we vowed to convene on a more regular basis to dine on the varied cuisines offered in our city. They're one of the few couples in our friend barn who are adventurous eaters, so these culinary exploits should be big fun. 

Marco's a fabulous freelance writer. He's extremely skilled and witty. I keep telling him he should post his own blog. So far he hasn't bit, mainly because he's, you know, busy freelance writing. Amy's a notable supervisor in the monsterous machine that is health care. They have three kids, 19, 17 and 10. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to spend time with a couple who truly dig each other. Sure they love each other, but they also really, REALLY like each other. After three kids and decades of marriage, they still hold hands while walking down the street. It's so sweet.

Anyway, after copious rolls of sushi and lively, varied conversation we took our act on a stroll down E. Carson Street in search of an outdoor table for coffee and dessert. We found our refuge at a diner midway along the road where the chatting continued over coffee (them), cocktails (me-surprise!) and coconut cream pie. 

The evening could not have been more perfect--mid 70s, low humidity, steady breeze. As we sat kibitzing, above the din of traffic rose an unexpected musical rift from across the road. A young waif of a girl was playing an accordion. I immediately got the sensation of being at a cafe in Paris on a movie set. The music created a beautiful layer of atmosphere which capped off the evening perfectly. An evening very well spent.

The rest of the weekend was played out as such: 

A) A spontaneous gathering replete with Chinese take-out and victorious Penguins hockey; 

B) An evening split between my always entertaining family--with or without limoncello (written about here) and old college friends lobbing wit and witticisms on their deck on another gorgeous summer-like eve. 

C) And finally finishing off with a Memorial Day gathering in the company of our next door neighbor and her family who has pretty much adopted us as one of their own. 

And get this... they served homemade pulled BEEF! Okay, so it's not as salacious sounding as pulled pork, but hmmmm..mmm! It was mighty tasty!!

In between all the social events, we managed to open our deck for the season. The grill's up, the deck's ready, the mint is in...can the Mojitos be far behind? 

Computer? What computer? Let the summer festivities begin. 

Let's Go Pens!!! 

or how could anyone not love hockey? 

Seriously. How could anyone NOT love hockey, especially this time of year. My beloved Penguins are entrenched in round two of playoff hockey against the Hurricanes, battling for a berth in the Stanley Cup--which will be held sometime in ... oh 2020. Yeah, it's a loooong season. I go through withdrawal when it's over.

Regular season hockey is the fastest, most exhilarating sport around, but playoff hockey is just MENTAL!! The first series went back and forth with several nail-biting, overtime endings, finishing off with a game seven blow out by the Burgh Boys. 

Whew! 

Playoff hockey is intense, but overtime playoff hockey is OFF. THE. FREAKING. CHARTS!! I swear it will be the death of me. Aaaah, but a happy death it will be.

Tonight was game two. Pens Captain Cutie, Sid (sporting a sad little, chin hugging beard--at least it's thicker than last year's) scored early only to have Carolina counter with a goal. We scored again, and again within minutes the Hurricanes tied it up. Back and forth it went until the third period when Geno Malkin blindly shot the puck backwards at the net to score a hat trick and put the Pens ahead by two! 

The hats were flying, my friend!! The crowd was euphoric... Malkin's parents were beaming in the stands... Mr. Malkin celebrated by molesting the sweet young thing seated in front of him... 

Wait. What?

Yes. Mr. Malkin loves dis country. Indeed. Anywho, Kennedy (Tyler, not Ted) sealed the deal with a late-game empty netter. There were even some relatively decent hockey fights towards the end. And I do loves me a good hockey fight. 

All in all it was a fabulous night for the fans inside the arena, outside the arena watching on the Jumbo Tron and for us here at home. The boys play their hearts out for every game. They get knocked down, elbowed in the face, slammed into the boards with enough force to knock a few teeth loose and yet they come back for more. Whether they're bruised, bloody or broken...they come back for more.

Now who wouldn't love that? Let's go Pens!!

I Realize The Real Estate Market Is Slow, but... 

or a new angle to lure prospective home buyers? 

Okay, so I'm watching this local real estate show last Sunday morning and I swear to you the announcer said:

"...and French whores open to the patio."

Now either my ears are failing me or perhaps this particular selling agent has stumbled upon a sure-fire way to spark renewed interest in home buying. Can't you just hear it now. 

"This lovely three bedroom Victorian has undergone numerous improvements, including French whores opening to the patio. These ladies are finely appointed with multiple upgrades to take care of your many needs. Trannies are extra."

Either way it gives a whole new meaning to "playroom".

Back To Reality 

or my fun in the abundant sun is O-V-E-R!

*Sigh*

Okay, so I spent last week in oh-so-sunny Marco Island, Florida carousing with my fabulous card club gal pals. Usually we fly to Florida in February or March, which is a much needed break from the wretched wench that is winter, only to return to cold and snow reducing our Southern bronze to Northern pale face in a matter of days. Being we travelled to the land of sun and surf in the Spring the hope was we'd head home to the warm, hospitable PA sunshine affording us the opportunity to finally show off our tan gams. No such luck. And so it goes.

No matter. Vacation was absolutely GREAT! Loads of laughing, lounging and liquor. You know, the Holy Trinity of a girl-fest vacation. And let's not forget about the gobs of chocolate and garbage-bag sized portions of junk foods. Because, really, it ain't a girl-fest unless you've strapped on the feed bag of salty snacks. Hey, a girl's gotta eat something to absorb the liquor. Otherwise thangs can getz ugly.

The week started out with a rowdy birthday celebration at a Mexican restaurant, replete with copious amounts of margaritas and ended with a foolish day of less than adequate sunscreen resulting in yours truly resembling a very well cooked, RED lobster.  

But back to the initial fun..

We celebrated Duckie's birthday first by trashing...er, decorating the condo with streamers, hanging twirly thingies (technical name) and strings of photos depicting past shenanigans. 

She was pleasantly surprised. Di even made a Peep sunflower cake which was lovely en fuego. Okay, so Peeps have two uses... as cake decoration 

...and blowing up real good in the microwave.  

Come on. You knew we'd have to blow them up. It's too awesome!

We headed to a nearby festive piazza to continue our birthday festivities dining al fresco at a terrific Mexican restaurant. Being girls, we ordered pitchers of Margaritas and a variety of delectable appetizer chasers to share because that's how chicks role. 

Two pitchers in, the sun set quietly while the decibel level at our table rose exponentially. I mean it was loud. Seriously LOUD! So much so that our happiness actually made one couple move far away from us. I contend they were weak and needed to be thinned from the herd. Surprisingly, we were not asked to leave. In the midst of all the chaos, I managed to drunk-dial Geo, treating him to a slurry, detailed account of our antics concluding with an "I love you, Man" proclamation. Isn't he lucky.

Okay, so one of the many things we ordered to munch on that night was a basket of jalapeno poppers. We got this. It looked like a popper...golden fried crunchy outside, red(?) pepper with cream cheese inside and, what's this ...shrimp? That's right. Shrimp. In a jalapeno popper. A "Shropper", if you will. A bit startling when you aren't expecting it, but mighty tasty nonetheless. Of course, what isn't good deep-fried and slathered with melty cream cheese? Seriously.

Later in the week we returned to the piazza of the crime to partake of the Oh-So-Happy Hour,  two-for-one special at an adjacent bistro. Because honestly, the cocktail bell BOGO is just too compelling a vacation Siren's Song to ignore--no matter how embarrassing our behavior the prior visit. So, what started as a sunny, breezy evening full of promise...

turned into this

The deluge lasted just long enough to force us inside to dine...and order another round. Forty-five minutes of rain over nine days. I'll take it. (I don't know why, but this picture reminds me of the lovely time Geo and I spent in Florence, Italy. *sigh* Some day we shall return...)

All in all it was a fantastic week of walks on the beach, lounging pool side, late nights watching movies and playing games, binging and bonding and 11am cocktails. 

"She loves the Sunset. She loves the cocktail bell.." Indeed. Until next time. 

Friday Photo #22 

or O!M!G! Corn rows? Wtf were they thinking?!? 

Okay, so last night was the live streaming listening party of Rhett Miller's new self-titled CD over at Hitbyatrain.com. I'd never partook of such an event before. (Baby's first live online event!!) It was ginormous FUN filled with lively conversation, witty commentary, videos of Rhett talking about each track, the CD in its entirety and... the piece de resistance (add your own French accent marks since, clearly I have no idea how to access them on the keyboard)... several uber embarrassing promotion shots from his early, early career. 

This one is by far the most amusing. 

There is so much going on in this photo that is just ...wrong. The checkered jacket clashing with the striped shirt clashing with the polka dot tie accented by the saucer-sized, 80s glasses topped off with ...corn rows? CORN ROWS!? Seriously...corn rows? Sure. Every white boy in the 80s sported corn rows, right?

I guess some occasions just call for fancy.

And yet, he's still adorable. Not that I'm biased or anything. Nope. Not me. A huge thank you to Frank Early over at Hitbyatrain for orchestrating the evening's entertainment from a hotel room, nonetheless. You rock, Frank!!

The Amazing Bonding Power of Dirty Talk 

or how to melt the ice-storm of moody people 

Okay, so I was relegated to the afternoon shift this week through no choice of my own. The Universe conspired against me just to punk me for its own amusement, but I'm not bitter. 

Well not much anyway. 

Anywho, even though I did NOT dig the hours I have to admit it was nice to work with folks I haven't seen for a long time. It was great to be with my dear friends Jude, K-Schnikes, Zippy, Mrs. Zippy (not to be confused with Miss Issippi), Joey and the night side talent. They were all so sweet and welcoming--like a big warm, fuzzy, Snuggie hug. Not to mention there were lots of actual big, warm hugs, to boot. You know what a huge hug whore I am. I felt like the proverbial Prodigal Child. 

The talent were (was?) refreshingly animated and fun, too. Even the one Dude who usually is a royal TOOL was jovial and joking around. There's one anchor in particular...let's call him Guy Smiley, who's let's say ... a bit moody. He's one of those types of people for which you have to lick your finger and hold it up to test which way the wind's blowing that day. Sometimes he's happy and upbeat. Sometimes he's quiet and introspective, hanging out his "Do Not Disturb" sign. 

It's not a slam. It's not a criticism. It's just a fact. 

One cannot take his demeanor personally. His mood shifts happen with everyone. He's a really terrific guy. I'm not kidding. He's one of those extremely sharp, witty, creative people who, sadly, is not allowed any outlet at work for his abundant skills. Plus, I really respect how he stays out of all the gossip and backbiting that's prevalent in any newsroom. 

So, seems I may have stumbled upon the secret to cracking the crusty outer shell of Mr. Smiley. Turns out he's a big fan of the dirty-name game and off-color, that's-what-she-said kinda humor. 

Who knew? 

The ice breaker was me sharing our (and by "our" I mean me and Beets) latest dirty names, Howie Felthersnatch and his girlfriend Erin McCooter. He roared. He absolutely ROARED with laughter. Then he proceeded to introduce me to his Greek fishing tycoon friend, Harry Pairatestes and his lovely wife Fonda Peters. 

At that point he launched into a joke which was generously sprinkled with the f-bomb. 

(Dude, I swear I have NEVER heard him say that satisfying swear...EVER. And I've known him for over 15 years!)

Again, who knew?

Always up to share a good guffaw, I spouted off my two favorites:

What do you have if you have nuts on a wall? Walnuts

What do you have if you have nuts on a chest? Chestnuts

What do you have if you have nuts on your chin? 

A d*ck in your mouth.

What did Cinderella say when she got to the ball?

Aagagaahahagag 

You know, I've never written that out before. How does one spell one gagging on a trouser snake?

Anyway the atmosphere was lightened in the studio for three days thanks to the irresistible power of off-colored humor. Even the Tool joined in the fun by using a suggestive gesture after this sound bite crossed the airwaves:

"There was nothing left for us to do except pull out our jugs..."

That's what she said.

Fun Websites I've Recently Stumbled Upon 

or space fillers because I've sucked lately at this blog 'o sphere thang 

Okay, so I've been working the evening shift this week--long story involving disabled lists, vacations, Mercury entering Uranus (ouch!). Anyway I haven't been able to concentrate very well lately (could be that whole distracting Uranus thing-she said hole AND Ur-anus) so I thought I'd share a few fun websites I've stumbled on. And by "I've" I mean Geo and David Dye from the most excellent World Cafe radio show. 

Geo was introduced to this hi-larious site via Thrillist. It's Unnecessaryquotes.com where people send in photos of signage with ... unnecessary quotation marks. I don't know what's funnier, the signs or the commentary.

The caption reads and I'm using quotation marks here:

"James got this pizza in Hatfield, England. He says the pizza wasn't that great. And they are sarcastic about the existence of an environment, apparently."

Or how about this one:

"That's right kids, imaginary security starts when you pretend to lock things."

There are pages and pages of this stuff. Enjoy!

You may remember I wrote about Easter candy and my hatred of all things Peeps. Well someone more clever than I has put together a website dedicated to depicting the death of the dreaded and much maligned marshmallow Peeps, one hundred fold. The address is 100waystokillapeep.com. Warning. It does get a little graphic... and it is fabulously sick and twisted!! This one is called "Beating Heart". (again with the quotation marks)

The last site I want to share has nothing to do with violence or stupidity. David Dye from the World Cafe posted this in his daily newsletter. It's a site featuring younger artists like Julianna Hatfield, Josh Ritter, The Avett Brothers, Pete Yorn  and Tegan & Sarah covering Bruce Springsteen songs recorded in various settings. Here's the link.

Here are two of my favorites. Birdmonster playing "Promised Land" in what appears to be their living room and Bouncing Souls performing one of my favorites "Growing Up" in front of a packed concert.

The Avett Brothers performing a more traditional "Glory Days" in their garage is really stellar, too. Apparently there is talk of putting out a CD of these covers. Sign me up!!

One more thing before I sign off and finally take a shower to get ready for work... 

RHETT ALERT!! RHETT ALERT!!

That's right. You knew I couldn't go too long without some sort of Miller mention. My fantasy husband will be a guest on tomorrow night's season finale of 30 Rock. Rumor has it he's playing himself. I'm betting he nails it. :D 

Then after Rhett's network acting debut, at 10pm you can tune your computer to Hit By A Train to listen to a live streaming of his new CD in its entirety. The link is here. You know I'll be tuned in with my full-on obsession. Poor Geo. 

NPR has a great track-by-track interview in which Rhett talks about the origin of/inspiration for each song. Just to illustrate what a talented wordsmith he is, there's a song in which he incorporates the phrase "she's the sum of the tchotchkes she keeps".  Tchotchkes. I love that word. 

Anyway the link to the NPR interview is here. 

That is all for now. Cheers!