Who's Going to Argue with Him...

(From motleydogs.com)

Humiliation

(from motleydogs.com)

Monday Stuff On the Way to Other Stuff: Happy President's Day

Usually the heaviest snow hits in the mountains -- but we spent the weekend in Rifle, complete with tan grass, dry as a bone. A half-hour on the way home, near the Continental Divide, the snow hit...and hit...and hit. No one was going very fast, thankfully, but it took us twice as long to get home. We found more snow here, but the chickies were warm and dry, and the dogs were very happy to see us.
     Daughter #1 picked up the Mama at the airport this morning. She came to celebrate the Brick's birthday on Friday -- more about that later. We made it home through slow traffic, made even slower by accidents and spinouts every ten miles or so. I think we may be staying home tomorrow, until the ice melts some. Meanwhile:


Odd secrets taken to the grave.

An ultra-easy snowman cake. (From Who Needs A Cape?)

French dressing (the orangey kind) -- gluten-free and delicious. (From Penniless Parenting)

21 lottery winners who lost it all -- or nearly all. In weird ways, too.

Some of the strangest hotel room guest requests -- including penguins in the room (with Morgan Freeman narrating), wild goat's milk (for a bath) and pictures of Nicolas Cage. (Ok, after viewing Moonstruck recently, maybe photos of Nic aren't tooo strange.)

Chop a table in half and mount it to the wall -- less space taken up, and an intriguing look! (From Apartment Therapy, via Wonideen)

(Am I the only one thinking of Willy Wonka?)

The body in the basement -- an anthropological murder mystery.

This filmmaker says goodbye to his dying dog. Oh, my heart hurts.

A big stash of diamonds -- found in an old jewelry store!

Spending $4 for a romantic Valentine's Day dinner?? (From Brent Vosa) And in honor of Valentine's Day...a George Clooney cover from Vanity Fair that practically has steam rising off the page. So much effect with just a light touch and what Cher would call "those eyes like a wolf."

A lake suddenly appears in the Tunisian desert...and no one knows why. (But they're enjoying having it there.)

A pendant light that's a real beauty. Easy to make, too. (From Sugar and Cloth)

Spaghetti Carbonara...yet another pasta dish in the Bare Bones II series of our Holiday Goodies blog.

And from Midlife Finance, yours truly weighs in on finding the best hotel, as well as a potpourri of updates. 

Have a grand, snowy week.

Passionate Kisses

Vanity Fair picked out what they call the 20 best kisses in TV history. (Go here for multiple smooches.)

But they pale next to these:

George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer in One Fine Day:

(some other nice ones here, too)

And Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank in P.S. I Love You -- twice:

(Ooh, that man makes my blood boil. Throw a little Ireland in, and you've got a perfect match.)

Better call up the Brick and tell him to forget about the office today...he's the best kisser of them all!

Be My Valentine?

Getting ready to go away with the Brick for a few days... he is more apt than I am to spend money, and he made the arrangements. So we're headed to a Hampton Inn to luxuriate in fancy pillows, hot breakfast and movies viewed at all hours of the night.  (Our staffer will stay over to watch the dogs and chickens.)

     Bear in mind that in Hollander terms, this is big-time splurging. If it had been me making the reservations, we probably would have ended up in a Motel 6. Which is just fine for me -- but the sheets do tend to be a bit scratchy.
     The Brick only spent a few bucks more per day to book us into luxury. I keep reminding myself of that. (Oh, and we won't have to shell out extra for breakfast or evening snacks, either.)

We'll also head to Glenwood Springs for some hot springs soaking. Colorado's Western Slope is full of hot springs spots. If you have any aches and pains, these take care of matters -- pronto.
    Ahhhhhh...

So as far as Valentine's Day tonight goes, it will be pretty minimal. A steak by the fireside, a glass of wine, a few chocolates out of his fancy heart (sshh, don't tell)...a movie. We usually watch one on Friday nights -- I'm hoping for Moonstruck. Soooo romantic.

     I know. Valentine's Day is tomorrow. But romance for the Brick means driving in the backcountry for hours, scouting for deer or elk. (Did I say that the Hampton Inn is in Rifle?) And we both hate standing in line at restaurants. It's bound to be crowded at the fahncy places. (Did I say I hate to spend that money?)

     It's okay -- I love being with him, wherever we go. 

Truer Words Were Never Spoken...

Not that I know anyone who does this...

Something to Savor