31 posts from June 2007

What movie cliché would you most like to live out in real life? 
Submitted by Wes.  

I would love to go on one of those makeover shopping sprees, like in teen movies such as She's All That. I'm a huge dork, so I need a fairy godmother to pay for a haircut, manicure, makeup lesson, and some new clothes.

My brother in law, a retired first sergeant from the Marine Corps, was struck by lightning this week while taking a business call on a landline during a North Carolina thunderstorm.

Incredibly, although the bolt knocked him to his knees, and his coworkers saw sparks emanating from his fingertips, he is fine. He said it hurt, and he felt weird for 20 minutes afterwards, but then he felt fine after that and just went about his business. He did not seek any medical attention. He does not seem to have any burns, paralysis, deafness, nothing. Amazing.

So here is what I blogged last night, as the first few sketchy scraps of information about the death of wrestler Chris Benoit and his wife and son first emerged:

"I've been lucky enough to experience a few pro wrestling 'house shows,' where you get to see the real athleticism of the performers up close and catch a glimpse of the real person behind each on-screen persona. Although I am not a huge pro wrestling fan, I loved those house shows because they put you in touch with the real people behind the characters, and I had the privilege of seeing Chris Benoit perform live at some of these events. He was one of my favorites because he played such a distinctive character, but he also seemed to possess some real character. It's shocking when a famous person you have watched perform live passes away, especially when they pass away so young, at the same age as your own husband. Chris, age 40, his wife Nancy, and his young 7-year-old son were found deceased today in Georgia, and it looks like homicide. It is too early yet to know what really happened. It is just sad. I wish them all peace, no matter what traumatic events may have transpired in their lives."

I'm quite shocked that someone so well loved by his friends and his fans for more than 20 years could suddenly turn into such a twisted monster. There is speculation that steroids are responsible for this terrible tragedy. If that is the case, then I hope this is a huge wake up call to all of the athletes out there who are using these drugs--stop using steroids right now before they change you and cause you to hurt someone or hurt yourself.

Benoit might have been one of my favorite performers in the ring in the past, but knowing what I know now, I have to completely re-evaluate my impressions of this person. I have to also completely re-evaluate my impressions of this form of entertainment: why do the pro wrestlers feel so strongly that they must do steroids to achieve a particular physical form? Isn't there a way for this type of entertainment to exist without steroids being involved?

At any rate, I still stand by two of my initial thoughts from last night:

1. This situation is sad. In fact, it is way sadder and more horrible than anything I could have imagined. Why do so many American families have to experience these murder-suicides? Why does this particular pattern repeat in our society?

2. I do wish the entire Benoit family--those both living and dead--peace.

Artist Tom Engeman of Brunswick, Maryland, is the creative genius behind the USA's new Liberty Bell-themed "Forever" stamp (buy them up now while you still can):

Liberty bell stamp

What's the longest boat ride you've ever been on?

A whalewatching trip off the coast of Massachusetts--several hours.

What do you absolutely refuse to eat?

Feet of any kind. No pig's feet, no chicken feet, no feet at all, period.

Who are the last five people you called on your cell phone?

My husband, my son, my boss, my mother, and my best friend from childhood.

We have 4 rescued cats. I have been trying to take entertaining photographs of them lately.

First, here we have Kahlua, the Tiffany cat (yes, she is actually a breed, even though we found her as a scraggly stray kitten in my parents' backyard. She was often to be found hiding in their grill.)

Kahlua

Kahlua, like most Tiffany cats, is temperamental. The only human she truly loves is my husband. She tolerates me, but often hisses when I pick her up. This hissing might seem to hint at dangerous things to come, but for the most part, all she has ever done is stomp her front paw at me in frustration. Her hiss is worse than her bite. 

Next we have Speckles, a tortoiseshell cat born in our backyard 3 years ago. Of her litter of 5 kittens, she was the friendliest, and adapted to humans most quickly. Lately she has learned that biting the fleshy part of my heel at 6 in the morning is a good way to get my attention.

Speckles

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Here, Speckles looks slightly disgusted at me because I disturbed her peace by photographing her.

Finally, here is Redbud, Speckles' sister. Hard to believe they are related--they are quite different, both in appearance and temperament. Of the litter of 5 kittens born in the yard in summer 2004, Red was always the most fearful of humans. To this day, it seems that the only human she does not fear is me (for example, she lets me pet her belly and pick her up--others cannot do those things). She fears my husband, except when he is naked and has just stepped out of the bath. I think it's because his shoes, pants, and wallet chains make him look large and scary and sound dangerous to her, and when he emerges from the bath, he seems smaller and quieter. When he is naked or wearing a towel, Red will let him scratch her.

Redbud

I don't have any current photographs of the fourth cat, Gabbi, because she likes to stay outside and she tries to avoid socializing with the other cats. She will slap them in the face and spit at them if they come too close.

While I never intended to have so many cats, I know they all belong here, because other households would not accept some of their odd behaviors. And I have to admit I love them all and think of them as family members.

Who's the most annoying person on TV?

Nancy Grace annoys me greatly. She might be a wonderful human being in person, but her inflammatory on-air persona drives me nuts.