a trip to the vet

i love my cats. yes, i said it. i'm not ashamed to be a stereotypical lesbian cat owner. yes, i even have two cats. i strive to fit the stereotypes involved with being a lesbian at all times, but as many of you know, i fail. however, i pass this test with flying colors. (i have scheduled pool playing lessons next week and i am shopping for a 4X4 truck in the fall....so my license to practice lesbianism will not get revoked.)

yesterday at work, i get a call from sara. she said that cooper (shown above) had left a "present" on the bed and had been hiding under the bed all morning. and when she went to rub his stomach, he growled at her. this is unlike cooper. he's a very, very affectionate cat. he's in constant need of attention (which i love) and he never really growls or hisses. so she made an appointment and took him to the vet. and basically, i got no work done at all. i walked around the store helping customers and hanging out with the employees. and ran out the door right at five o'clock.

they took x-rays and a urine test. (how do you make a cat pee on demand? if you know, don't tell me) they found nothing. gave sara some medication and sent cooper home. i got home while they were still out and grace (our other cat) came up to me and was rubbing up all over me. very unusual. we began to realize that she was GLAD cooper was gone. she hissed at him all night long and we have still heard her hissing this morning. :) the photo above was taken yesterday when he got home. he sat with me like this for at least five minutes or so...very unlike him. i was VERY glad he was okay. i never had pets growing up and still not sure how i've become so attached. cooper is hard not to love.

i will be taking a brief break from posting due to computer trouble. i will be back as soon as humanly possible. please check back.

Blogs of the future : my cat is bulimic, short-term memory-where did it go?, and yes, i can whittle

i heart kevin smith

....and i love rosario dawson as well, but in an entirely different way. i have seen almost everything that this man has written and directed. the first, of course, was clerks. it was rough, (a tadbit over-the-edge) but i love his outlook on retail and customer service. anyway, he's done many a film since then and a sequel including the lovely lady above. i've been listening to his podcasts available on iTunes. they are not for everyone. he is REALLY graphic (and gross) and rambles with his producer/brother-in-law Scott Mosier. the reason i like kevin smith so much is that i can imagine myself sitting in a bar, drinking, smoking cigarettes and talking about randomness. he doesn't quite produce high brow stuff, but i like MOST of his films. at the end of the credits of his last movie, he actually listed all of his friends from myspace.

did i mention that i like rosario dawson? yeah, i thought so. hot.

singing while driving

this is my friend craig...this is my friend craig on crack...just kidding. he is actually karaokeing at new year's this year. please check out the kick in progress...yeah, he's got flair. anyhow, the title of the blog is singing while DRIVING. a crime that craig is most guilty of...much to todd's sadness and dismay.

i, too, partake of this activity, especially when i'm driving alone. i don't sing AS LOUDLY while others are in the car (except with craig). i even have a playlist on my iPod of songs i can't resist singing out loud. the reason i bring this up is that the other day i heard the song "Damn Wish I Was Your Lover" by Sophie B. Hawkins. this song always reminds me of craig because of how loudly we would sing it in the car during our infamous drives. so i immediately called him and left a message on his cell.

"yo craig, it's ann. i don't know if you can hear it in the background, but it's "damn wish i was your lover" by sophie b. hawkins. i just had to call. uh, but now that i think about it, the funny thing is that when we were singing this together...neither of us wanted the other. we wanted people of the same sex and not each other. hmm...funny. funny how life works, eh? just thinking of you, love you. bye" (paraphrasing the message)

some of you are used to me leaving random, rambling messages like that. apparently, it was just craig needed on a monday. i was just driving home from work yesterday with the window down, listening to "ice ice baby" by vanilla ice (thank you sara) and thinking...i love singing while driving. if you don't do this, you should.

too much music?

is it possible for me to actually acquire too much music? i never thought i would even entertain that thought, ever. for those of you that have known me for more than a few days, you know that i have at times left a music store with more than a handful of CDs without regret. good times, right?

in recent history since my financial recovery (claps to Sara), i have only acquired a CD or two at a time. that has changed upon my first steps into Borders. now i leave almost every other day with a new CD or two, if not three. (the limit, thank God) it truly is insane. i also have purchased some. oh yes. i am a consumer.

the video above is from one of my newly acquired CDs by lily allen. it's money. go out an get it. it's fun. as a co-worker ron describes it, "it's cheeky." my friend, india, saved it for me. it is the cd to drive to during good weather, good moods all around.

with the influx of so much music, i find that it is getting lost on the iPod. i've also discovered Kevin Smith's Smodcast on iTunes. (not for the faint of heart & only for a true Kevin Smith fan) and Sirius satellite radio? can their be too much entertainment?

heck no. not for Ann. too much music? no way. why'd i even bring this up? is this a problem? (Ann grins her evil grin)

well, better get back to loading CDs on the iPod. (More evil grinning) watching Tivo. reading the book i have on loan. and spending too much time on mySpace. did i mention blogging?

next blog: Ann on ADD Medication

jaclyn smith hosts....sheer genius

back in my youth, i discovered charlie's angels. i LOVED this show. although i was too young to put my finger on it, i wanted to BE kate jackson (on the right) and wanted to DATE jaclyn smith (on the left). when i saw a commercial on Bravo for their newest reality show hosted by jaclyn smith, i HAD to watch it. and i did.

i knew it was going to be better than their Top Design show...i mean, "See ya later, decorator?" C'mon seriously..no. i was afraid that i wouldn't be able to take the new show, but I LOVE IT. when i saw straw decorative balls and feathers in hair meant as ART, i was hooked. i love the judges...especially the judge that reminds me of "shane" from the L Word. jaclyn smith and her velvet voice back on television....hell to the yeah. this is camp at it's best. (click on the photo to get showtimes & read info about the show) i'm rooting for tabitha so far.

now that i have a few minutes, just wanted to say a word or two about my friend, danielle. although we didn't get to know each other in college, i'm glad that we were able to become friends since we've moved here. she has been there through quite a few hardships and has remained a faithful and non-judgemental friend. i feel like i can be completely wacky and she could handle it. and she has helped me embrace my scrapbooking by hosting a few get-togethers and inspiring me to by a paper cutter. i am honored that she considers me a friend. happy birthday, danielle!

what tivo taped for me

sara received a used tivo box from her father, who had received it from her (and family) on father's day last year. we received this box on christmas this year. THIS week is the first week that we have actually gotten any use out of it, while paying for the subscription since December. we even had a DVR from the cable company for a month while waiting to get this machine fixed.

getting tivo to work for us involved : 2 visits from the geek squad, 2 different cable purchases, 1 shipment of original machine back to tivo and 1 payment of a year's subscription that we missed cancelling by TWO days. has all this been worth it? have we cursed her father's name multiple times? have we decided never to accept gifts of USED electronic equipment? does ann love the tivo?

HECK YES!

not only does it solve the issue of ann getting to watch shows that sara NEVER would watch, it also finds shows for me to watch based on what i have chosen to record. i've decided to add a new section to my sidebar called "What Tivo Taped For ME." it has been hilarious and insulting so far. the first thing it taped that insulted me was, "the Tonight Show." i AM NOT a "Tonight Show" person at all..."Late Show" all the way. however, i am getting older...but i don't need my Tivo to remind me. Click on the Tivo box above to get more info on Tivo from Wikipedia. Now if you will pardon me, i'm going to watch my twelfth episode of "Ninja Warrior" this week.

Big ups to my friend, Danielle, who is celebrating her birthday today!!! (i'm late for work, will write more later) And to all those who might be celebrating 4/20 for another reason....peace out.

"we are virginia tech"

the video above is nikki giovanni closing the convocation that took place yesterday at two o'clock. she is a poet and a professor at virginia tech. she is amazing. i hope she holds the spirit that will keep the school going. right after this poem, the entire crowd starts a chant, "Let's go Hokies!" it was powerful.

growing up in virginia, this hits very close to home and touches many in my life. sara attended school there for two years. two of my closest friends from high school went to school there, mitsuko and yvette. one of my friends, kellee, her brother is a ph.d. student there, works in Norris Hall, and lost one of his collegues that day. i, myself, spent a summer there going to governor's school where i met my friend, jen, with whom i'm still close.

even only spending a summer, i had a lot of amazing memories there. sara can actually visualize being in those buildings, walking across the drill field and knows exactly how long that walk can take. i can only imagine how hard it is for the students who have spent even more time there and are still enrolled there. i think this has affected everyone in the country in different ways. it's scared me, it saddens me and overall, it confuses me. i am mourning the victims and praying for their families. i am hoping there is not a backlash toward asians or asian nationals, on campus or around the country. i hope there is not a lot of finger pointing and blame games. i hope that virginia tech can recover, along with the rest of the nation. in reality, "we are virginia tech," a large community, a nation, transformed by an event of incredible violence.

ethiopian bridal shower

these lovely ladies were three of the managers i worked with at my last store with brookstone. i'm sure you can figure out which of these ladies is ethiopian. the amazing lady on the right, orit, is one of the people that i miss the most. (joel is on the left and joy is in the middle) i am so glad that my path has crossed with hers in life. she invited me to her daughter's bridal shower. orit's family was meeting his family for the first time. i was one of two non-ethopians at the gathering. i felt for the first time like the non-filipino attending a filipino party. the party reminded me of growing up with my family. i didn't feel uncomfortable. they went out of their way to make me feel like a part of the family. THE FOOD WAS AMAZING!!! i wish i had more of a tolerance for spicy food. i should have followed orit's husband, fanuel's instructions and avoided the redder food. and despite their offering of knife and fork, i ate with my hands. :)

the minute i arrived, i was welcome with open arms and i felt like they were glad that i was there. i had to rush out before i really wanted to, but we had promised the new parents, carlos and diann, dinner. since i was running late, sara actually had to cook chicken...a big deal for the vegetarian. she did a great job. apparently, i missed the dancing at the party. hopefully, there will be a next time. if not, i was just glad to experience just a taste of ethopian culture.

sara - the peep thief

as many of you know, my favorite candy for a long time has been Peeps. yes, the super sugary marshmellows with chocolate dots for eyes shaped like animals.

generally, they only came out at easter time and that was good for me. now, they come in all shapes, sizes, and colors all year long. however, i try to only buy them at easter.

i prefer the bunny shape seen here in pink and blue. although, i will never refuse a Peep. i even enjoy them when they are stale...sometimes i prefer them that way.

anyhow, i call home after work and sara says, "can you buy some milk and uh, you may want to pick up some Peeps? i ate yours." i think i have created a monster....well, at least a thief. i thought it was the funniest thing ever.

"i get by with a little help from my friends...."

as promised, a photo of the new addition to the rocha family, augustin ramon. carlos and diann are definitely great parents already to alicia and will only get better with the addition of augustin. it's not clear in this photo, but augustin definitely inherited carlos' sideburns.

also, my friends, the delicio family, participated in a walk for autism awareness this past week. despite the temperature and the weather, they obviously had fun as you can tell in this photo. eddie had something stuffed into his shirt for warmth, i think. my guess is that he just wanted them all to laugh. i love that guy. nicholas is so cute and rocking the red hoodie.

lastly, my friend sharon (pictured on the far left) celebrated her birthday on the 12th. even though i haven't talked to her in awhile, i know that if i called her and needed to talk, she would listen. at some of the worst times and in some of the worst moments, she has been there for me. not many people have people like that in their lives, i admit to taking that for granted. i probably do that more often than not. hopefully, we will reconnect. i've been doing alot of that lately. happy birthday, sharon! hi craig! (on right)

big ups to my peeps, michelle and joy for coming to my new place of employment and treating me to lunch. i miss seeing them. i miss many from the stone.

blogs of the future: sara - the peep thief, ethiopian bridal shower & cake love with virginia

the riche$: monday nights on FX

i was informed by my lovely partner that the marathon of the riche$ is on FRIDAY night this week. thus, i decided to blog about the show today. my interest in the show was sparked mainly by eddie izzard's presence. he is truly brilliant in this show. minnie driver was not as strong at first, but has gotten better. the kids are pretty strong actors as well. i, especially, like the youngest who plays either a transgender or transvestite...it's not clear. however, i think it will be transvestite...since that is what eddie izzard is in real life.

i was introduced to eddie izzard awhile back by watching a stand up comedy special called dressed to kill. since then, i have tried to follow his career. i think he is brilliant. And i think that if you want to sit and laugh for at least two hours, grab a friend, get dressed to kill...watch it and spend the rest of the time quoting the lines from it. i know i did that the first time i watched it with sara AND when i watched it with craig. even now, at least two or three years later, we still will quote it. "Ciao!" "You f@ck my wife?!"

don't waste your time just renting it. go buy it.

birthdays galore

on April 4th, molly irene was born to my friends, jennie and mike. she was 8 lbs and 4 oz and 19.5 inches. she's pretty darn cute and her big brother, jacob was pretty excited.


also, our friends, carlos and diane welcomed augustin ramon into the world on April 8th. i don't have photos, but i'm sure some will be forthcoming. sadly for them, they are going to have to endure our cooking on sunday. :) say a prayer.

i was going to blog about a tv show i want people to catch, The Riches, starring one of my favorite comedians, Eddie Izzard. there's a marathon on FX on Sunday, in case anyone is interested. if you do catch it, the first episode is kinda rough...hang in there, it's worth it. eddie is amazing.

it seems this week is centered on my friends' kids. most of my friends have one or two, so who knows who's next.

happy easter

if this bunny reminds you of something, i wouldn't be surprised. if you have seen the movie Donnie Darko, then it remind you of the scary rabbit character in that movie. this bunny does not bring me happy images of easter. it scares me when it comes out every year for easter. we don't just have one of these. it's a set of THREE. however, they will proudly be on display each and every year in our home. these were given to us by sara's grandmother, dolly, who passed away three years and two days ago. and although, i never met the woman i am reminded in little ways how i am still affected by her. i was always amazed that even though her and her husband had so little; they gave so much to everyone that they touched. we have a picture of them on our fridge and it always makes me smile. i wish i had gotten the chance to meet them.

despite the fact that christmas is my birthday, i have had a strong attachment to easter since i went to college. easter always reminds me of father kelly and my friends from school. i always felt that i came closest to God through his suffering. i remember walking across campus with my friend as he carried a large wooden cross. i remember having my feet washed by father kelly and feeling completely humbled. this year, i celebrated easter merely today. i let the season of lent completely pass me by. i think i've forgotten that i can pray every single day and in any moment, not just at service. i don't go to mass anymore. i do go to metropolitan community church, a church that openly accepts gays and lesbians. i still feel as if i am and will always be Catholic, but i don't worship in that church at least for now.

this year, i sat next to one of my best friends here in maryland, jake and his boyfriend, david. behind me, kevin sang his heart out and in front of me, Pastor David sang with such amazing passion i was completely overwhelmed. as many know, i'm strongly affected by the music at church. and even though we only have twenty or so people there, we make a joyful noise. i've always gone to large churches. this one is small, but i really feel at home there. and i like that there is a growing mixture of people in attendance...straight, gay, white, black, young and old. easter, this year, was a reminder that God isn't just at church on Sundays and holidays. He's in the everyday and in everyone. i wish everyone a happy easter.

pop by carol ross

POP: A Celebration of Black Fatherhood by Carol Ross came out about a week or so ago. My friend, Mitsuko's husband, Munier and son, Mohammed are featured in this book of photography. There is a large photo and a descriptive paragraph about Munier and his relationship with Mohammed. I spent the whole day carrying around the book to my co-workers and pointing out the photo. THEN, yesterday, I noticed two ladies looking at it at the front of the store and showed them as well. Really, how cool is it that my friend's family is in the book AND that Samuel L. Jackson does the foreward and is photographed as well? I've been amazed by Mitsuko throughout our entire friendship. Obviously, that's not stopping now. Click on the photo above to order a copy from Borders. Yes, I'm shameless.

ice ice baby

my friend, vicki, sent me this photo on my cell the other day. it is robert matthew van winkle as known as, vanilla ice. i don't know the full story involving this photo. however, this is the second celebrity that she's gotten a photo of in her store at the airport. weird al was the first. it would seem that celebrities from the past love to take flights out of this particular airport & shop in brookstone. based on the way this photo looks, vanilla ice may be sitting on the ever famous igallop "exercise" machine. needless to say, i was pretty excited when i received this... just because that's how i am. now i'm off to download "ice ice baby" because i can't get it out of my head.

happy birthday, sara!

yes, sara turns fourteen times as old as she is in this photo. (imagine sara punching me in my shoulder) and yes, she was born the day after my dad. even though she's only been in my life for the past eight years, i feel as if she has been a part of my life forever. i don't know what i would do without her in my life. i probably would be even crazier than i already am and definitely, totally broke and in massive debt. i think what i love most about her is that i get to see a side of her that noone else sees. and that she dances around when i'm in a bad mood just to make me happy. and even though we can't be any more different from each other, it only makes things better. happy birthday, sunshine.

happy birthday, dad!

what can i say? my dad is a cute filipino man with a heart of gold. his sole purpose in life is to make me, my mom and my brother completely happy. he makes a point of remembering my friends' names and he never gave me phone messages from my male friends. :) he loves telling people that i'm in the bathroom when i call. every time i come home he makes my favorite filipino meal and makes sure i leave with leftovers. he buys ensemada for sara for me to bring back. and for years, all he needed for his birthday or christmas was a beer that wasn't budweiser. he works so hard and has NEVER complained about work one day of his life. he turns 67 today and will probably always have more energy than me. happy birthday, dad! i love you very much. (imagine filipino accent here.)