* * *
I bought some extra mushrooms at the grocery store earlier this week – they were on sale – and I’ve got two trays of mushrooms dehydrating, and HOLY GOD do they stink.
Not a pleasant stink, either. Like mud with a soupcon of cat poop stirred in for good measure.
* * *
So I never did mention it yesterday, what with the motherfucking internet being all intermittent and shit, but Fred did go ahead and buy the Hyundai Accent. It’s an adorable car and I like it a lot; it’s just very odd to see Fred driving a small car.
When we went to the dealership to sign the paperwork and turn over the keys to Fred’s old car, I drove a sky blue Accent. I liked it a lot and Fred was okay with the idea of trading my car in for that one, but in the end I decided to be an adult and ignore the “Want! Want! Want!” screams of my id and decided to keep the car I have.
Being an adult SUCKS sometimes, for the record.
It just would be idiotic at this point, when we’re trying to replenish our savings – unnervingly depleted by the months of paying two mortgages, redo this house, and insure a teenage driver – to add a car payment to the monthly bills. The Reno’s paid off, and though I’m sure they’d give me a good price for the trade-in, it wouldn’t cover the entire price of the new car. Besides, it’s not like I commute hours every day or anything, I don’t spend all that much time in the car, so it’s not necessary to love it. I can deal with it for a few more years.
Who knows what adorable little cars they’ll come out with in the next few years after all, right?
It’s funny to see my car and Fred’s sitting in the driveway, side by side. His is narrower and taller, mine’s shorter and wider.
“My car has child-bearing hips,” I told him. He thinks that’s one of the funnier things I’ve said lately.
* * *
The other thing I said lately that still cracks him up (though I can’t take credit for it – I read it somewhere (I don’t remember where) and just repeated it to him) regards the new Holly Hunter series,
Saving Grace.
“Someone said it looks like Touched By a Cranky Angel,” I reported. Now every time we watch TNT and fast-forward through the commercials for Saving Grace, he laughs and repeats it.
I love Holly Hunter – I’m looking forward to checking out the series. I’m also looking forward to
Damages over on FX.
* * *
How did I not realize that the new Harry Potter was coming out this weekend? Books and DVDs almost always come out on Tuesdays, so that’s when I expected it to come out.
I know there are spoilers on the internet about the book, so I’ve been careful in my surfing. I’ve actually seriously considered going off the grid until after I’ve read the book (it’ll be here Saturday, promises Amazon, and I intend to immediately sit down and read it so I don’t have to worry about getting spoilered), but that might be a bit over the top.
Don’t any of you motherfuckers try to spoil it for me, or I’ll kick your asses.
* * *
WARNING: UGLY BUG PICTURES IN THIS SECTION; SKIP IT IF YOU’RE A SCAREDY CAT.
Several of you have directed me to
What’s That Bug, since I’ve been putting up so many bug pictures lately and demanding y’all tell me what the bug is. I tell you what, that’s a fascinating site, but if I spend too much time on it, my skin actually crawls right off my body and goes to find a more hospitable host who doesn’t spend time looking at creepy bug pictures.
Last week I was going out to my car to run an errand, and I looked over at the fence as I walked by. There was a HUGE bug toward the bottom, attempting to climb the fence. It was there – though higher on the fence – when I got back, and it spent the entire afternoon climbing the fence.
When Fred got home, I took him out to the fence and asked him what the hell what that bug was. He looked at it and said he thought it might be a stinkbug.
And while we were standing there, the goddamn thing reached the top of the fence and FLEW RIGHT AT MY FACE. I ducked, covered, screamed in a hooting manner, and ran inside where Fred spent the next few minutes mocking me.
Anyway, I got some pictures of it (before it flew at me with the intention of chewing my face off), and I have to say – it does resemble a stinkbug, but if it is a stinkbug, it’s the biggest goddamn stinkbug I’ve ever seen. I thought it might be a
wheel bug, but it doesn’t have that distinctive “half wheel” thing on its back, so I don’t know and I’m not able to tell by the stinkbug pictures I see on What’s That Bug.
What do y’all think?
* * *
A few days ago I was taking tomatoes out of a box, and I realized that one of the tomatoes had gotten overripe and in the process pooped its guts out all over the inside of the box. So I put the box on the side stoop with the intention of taking it over to the garage to store it until I got a chance to take boxes to the recycling center.
Only I forgot that, country cat or city cat, they definitely have one thing in common.
“I sure would like a nice air-conditioned home to live in, but that’s okay. I have a box. A box that’s almost big enough to lay comfortably in. I’m sure I’ll be fine out here with the bugs and the no food and everything.”
“No, really. You run along and have a good time, running your errands in your little air-conditioned car. I’ll just stay here in my box and keep an eye on things. If I can squish myself down small enough, I might take a nap. You have fun. I’ll make sure no one steals YOUR house.”
* * *
Previously
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: No entry.
2003: If I were Jennifer Lopez, I would be VERY frightened at the thought of birthing an Affleck baby, if noggins like that run in the family.
2002: I mean, an online journal. Have you ever heard of such a silly thing?
2001: No entry.
2000: Okay, I just really don’t have anything to say today. ]]>
Cat in a Box never fails, does it? LOVE the captions you put to the pix!
Am I the only one on earth who didn’t so much care for Harry Potter part one, and didn’t read beyond them?
I think the mystery bug might be a leaf-footed bug.
Man, that was some seriously ugly bug. Ugh!
Deeje, you are not the only one. I never did finish the first Harry Potter. Just not my cup of tea.
DEEJE,
I felt the same way. It took me three times before I could get into the HP books. Once I was halfway through though, I was hooked. 🙂
Love kitty in a box by the way! 😛
I think it’s been firmly established that the country cats are now your cats – but the latest proof is that you end the entry with a picture of them. In the past we got a picture of them, but then you finished with a picture of the already established kitties.
I LOVE the cat in the box captions. What a cutie!
Isn’t that one of the bugs from Starship Troopers?
As a HP fan myself- I’m being VERY careful. The LA Times released the spoilers today and livejournal is abuzz with information in communities and new LJ names with spoilers in the title.
I’m quite pissed that people feel the need to ruin it for everyone. They’re all ass-holes if you ask me.
Happy reading!
It may be a squash bug. They look similar to stink bugs but they are longer. Check out your cukes/squash and zucchini out real good. Under the leaves may be small red or brown eggs, depending on where they are in development. If it is those fuckers, seven dust them to hell and hope for the best. Once I get them, I can never get rid of the bastards.
So, Harry knocks up Hermoine because she forgot to do the “conceptionalus nottis” spell (AKA birth control spell) but then she ends up getting killed by Valdemort. So Harry tries to avenge her death, and that of his unborn child. He and Valdemort end up battling each other in a speeding convertible, which plummets over a cliff, presumably killing both of them.
Oops! Sorry! It just slipped out.
My kitty boyfriend is so stoic.
OK, I’d be loads more convincing if I knew how to spell Voldemort. duh.
Hey Robyn – when I was 16 I really did go to the movies in Italy – you haven’t lived till you’ve seen Kung Fu dubbed in Italian!!!
Also, Hermione.
Jesus, I should just read the damn books already so I can keep up with you HP fans.
Whoever designed the Jack in the Box had it wrong. It definitely should have been Cat in the Box. It sounds pretty good, too.
I did not ready Harry Potter, either. I’m not into tha type of book either. I am curious thou – since both kids and adults just love them. Maybe I’ll try the first one (checking it out at the library, of course).
Bought the first 3 books in paperback for my niece and nephew hoping they would be drawn into the love of reading. I read the first one, and it was good, but not grippingly good like I’d hoped. I didn’t read the other ones. I didn’t like the movie of it, either, I didn’t “care” about the kids like I did in the book. The trailer for The Golden Compass (another movie based on a young adult/adult book) looks fantastic, however, so I ran out and got the book last night and hope I like it.
I finished the 4th book last night. I’m rereading them since I’ve forgotten quite a bit. Watching the movies over again just doesn’t cut it. So anyhoo, I too will have to watch what I read very carefully over the next few weeks since it’ll be at least until this time next week that I’m done with 5 & 6.
Love kittis in boxes, so damn cute.
i’ve yet to see a bug bigger or more strange than a fly since moving here two years ago (but san francisco has other pesky nuisances. like crackheads), but if i saw ANY of the bugs that you’ve posted, i think i might die. the photos alone cause me to curl into the fetal position.
I’ve always tried to sell the “Cat-in-a-Box” idea to replace jackintheboxes (I say it fast because clowns are scary). But it never took off…
thanks for the warning. I looked anyway but was PREPARED to!
Rose, you should be boiled alive!!! LOL!
Boxed kitty is the “bomb!”
With all the toys those cats have, they are like little spoiled children, who would rather play with a low tech box!!!
Sammi
I’ve never read any of the HP books, but I avoid spoilers anyway in the outside chance I do decide to pick one up.
It sure looks like every stink bug (other than the two legged, talking kind) I’ve ever seen. The heat, the humidity, the bugs, the rednecks – how does Alabama keep any population at all???
Holy Crap… that bug looks like something they would make them eat on Survivor!
Could you point me in the direction of the link to the pressure cooker you guys bought? I’m sure I saw it, but can’t find it now. My MIL came to town this past weekend with hers (kind of like this one) to show us how to can stuff (it wasn’t that scary – we just kept it at around 10 lbs while doing the green beans), so we need to get one of our own. Like you, I’m being sucked into this canning crap.
Is it 7/8″ long? red markings on the legs? red tips on the antennae? Releases a foul smelling secretion when disturbed? (taken directly from my Audubon guild, lol ) If so, it is a Florida Leaf-footed bug aka Acanthocephala femorata. It sucks plant juices. Lovely, eh? If not, gotta say it is a relative in the true bug order. I just love my field guide. I don’t have a million readers like you do to help me play guessing games.
I will be carryng my happy ass to the local Books-A-Million at midnight. I’ll be clutching my pre-paid ticket (opens hand quickly, shows grubby, yet clearly well-loved ticket, closes hand quickly) and skipping up to the counter.
Because I am an unashamed grown ass Harry Potter fan.
I actually had a dream that I opened the book and it said: They all die. HA! Got you, ya fucker!
Which would actually be quite funny, once I wore myself out sobbing and kicking the floor.
Jeebus Christ, that bug makes me want to move to the city!
Like a deeluxe apartment in the sky-y-y…
I say beat that bug’s nose in with a shoe. If it stinks, it’s a Stink Bug.
HP fan(actic) here too. And I also think those jack asses with their spoiler fuckery should be shot.
What concerns me, though, is that the 21rst is a Saturday and does UPS deliver on that day if it’s not one of the premium/price-hiked delivery options?
Maybe UPS will put extra drivers on that day to alleviate the crush. Fingers crossed.
Jennifer cracked me up with the “Starship Troopers” comparison. Good thing you have fast reflexes and ducked when it flew at you, Robyn! Did you SEE what those bugs did in “Starship Troopers”? (By the way, I was dragged to that movie by a BOY, but then, I probably didn’t need to say that.)
The Harry Potter books got progressively better, in my opinion. The first one was so-so, although I enjoyed reading it to my son. After the second one, I was hooked. I’m counting the minutes until Saturday, geek that I am.
Thanks for the heads up on the icky bug pics (I skipped right over them to the adorable kitty pics). Yes, I am a HUGE scaredy cat and I am not one bit embarrassed by that fact.
I just had to leave a comment to say: a BUG with a WHEEL TYPE thingy on it’s BACK!!!?? WTF! I need to go lie down now…
I luurrrvvee me some Harry Potter Books! I waited until many years after the series started, to read like Book 1, 2, 3 and 4 in quick succession. I did not trust the hype — but much to my delight, I found that They Are Awesome! And I am a lifetime book reader (I swear I was born with the latest hardcover attached to my hands in the womb). My dream car is a Jeep Wrangler — but DH says it is “too unsafe”. Harumph.
One more thing to add….
I just got this email from Amazon!! “Your Amazon.com order is being prepared for shipping” Woo Hoo just a few days till it arrives on Saturday. And yes, even tho it is a Saturday, Barnes and Noble/Amazon is guaranteeing delivery!
yeah, stinkbug. I had a wheel bug IN MY CAR the other day. I had already left and was driving, when I noticed him. About three feet from my face, staring at me. I didn’t think he could fly, but man, I was keeping a close eye on him. Then when I stopped to shoo him out, he DID fly. And I was so thankful I hadn’t had to wreck my car earlier… O_o