... and I'm getting one -- all next week.

So, you can put away your shorts and sandals and get out your umbrellas and rain boots because I can't have both time off and good weather. (Oops...my pessimism is showing).

Seriously, though, I don't care what the weather brings next week because what next week won't bring is a 4:45 a.m. beeping from my alarm clock. And, regardless of the weather, the girls and I will have no trouble finding lots of fun things to do to fill our days (my husband doesn't get as much vacation as I do...so, it's just me and the girls).

The only concrete plans I have next week are to have the girls' birthday portraits taken and to go see "The Full Monty" at the Playhouse with a friend.

Other than that...we'll go wherever the wind (or our whims) take us. We'll probably reserve one day to stay at home and lounge around the pool (weather-providing) and we'll try to go to WaterWorld and Waldameer one day.

Some other things I'd like to do:

* I just heard about a place at the foot of Chestnut Street that rents paddle boats (that seat 5) for $10 an hour.

* I'd love to catch a SeaWolves game.

* I'd love to make it to Wednesday night's concert on the beach (we have YET to make it to one of those).

* I'd like to take the kids to Pymatuning.

* I'd like to camp-out in our backyard.

I could go on and on....

That's the thing about Erie, for all the whining that the people who live here do, you can't deny that this is a great place to raise kids.

And, it's a great place to spend a week-long summer vacation.

My week of vacation is fading fast, but we made the most of it yesterday.

First stop -- Beary Creative -- Erie's budget version of Build-A-Bear. I'm going to write a story about our experience in the next issue of Her Times so I hate to scoop myself, but suffice to say we had a great time. The girls each made an animal -- Lauren a pink unicorn, Kelly a pink bear and we bought pink ballerina outfits for both of them. Total cost? About $20 a bear. (Here's where I'd post a photo if I could).

The girls loved it and there were TONS of animal "skins" to choose from including lots of things for boys (dinosaurs, monsters, tigers, etc.). The store which had been located on Myrtle Street (near Saint Vincent's) has relocated to W. 8th & Pittsburgh Ave. Lee Rider, whose mom owns the store, said their business has increased 100% since the move.

The story behind the store is an inspiring one. Lee -- who was great with the kids, by the way -- told me that his mother started the business with a $200 investment after she had just gone bankrupt. She started Beary Creative and set up temporary shop at local fairs and festivals, craft shows and special events (you may have seen them at Discover Presque Isle last year).

After Beary Creative, we set off down the road to Presque Isle. I took the long drive to Beach 11 because it's a great beach for little kids. With the sandbars so high at Beach 11, I know they can walk 20 feet from shore and still be up to their bellies. When it turned dark and stormy-looking in the late afternoon, we headed home.

By the time we got home, it was all blue skies and sunshine again, so the husband and I decided to take the kids back to the beach for the Presque Isle Sunset Concert Series on Beach No. 1. It was our first time, but it won't be our last. The crowd was impressive, but it wasn't oppressive. There was plenty of room to spread out and we had no trouble parking (we did get there before 6:30 though). We brought dinner with us, so we spread out our blanket and ate while the band played on stage and the kids played at the shoreline and the sun sunk in the horizon.

It just doesn't get much better than that.

I am not the kind of woman who goes to Chippendale's shows or enjoys male strippers. The few times I've been at bachelorette parties and seen them it's been sort of, well, gross -- and kind of embarrassing. I mean, dude, get a real job.

So, when I found out I won tickets to see "The Full Monty" at the Erie Playhouse, I had mixed emotions. Sure, I love the Playhouse and I love live theater, but...a show about male strippers? One thing was for certain; I wasn't taking my mom...or my husband. Fortunately, I have a good working-mom friend who was in need of a girls' night out.

To be honest, I expected to feel uncomfortable and embarrassed for the guys on the stage. I couldn't have been more wrong. It was positively hysterical. I laughed to the point of tears on at least three occasions. Really, is there anything funnier than an obese man in a red "banana hammock" g-string?

Until yesterday I'd have said, "Yes...about a 10,000 things." But, now I've seen The Full Monty and I have a whole new respect for male strippers and -- to paraphrase the show's final song -- for letting go and having a little fun.

The Full Monty is playing at the Erie Playhouse through next weekend -- including a special "Ladies Night" on Thurs., June 21. Tickets are just $12. Be aware that the show is -- obviously -- adult themed and contains brief nudity and more than a few F-bombs.

I have an outgoing, friendly personality (98% of the time) that has led more than a few people here at the paper to tell me I should consider being a sales rep (selling advertising).

Forget for a moment that I am dangerous with numbers and that I can't even figure out our rate card. The real reason I'd never move to sales is that if my income depended on me selling something to someone, I'd starve to death.

I hate asking people for money. I'd rather just fork over the cash than ask someone else to. When I do a charity walk, I never collect donations -- I cover it myself.

When it comes to things I don't want anymore, I'd rather give my stuff away than sell it. And, yet last night found me preparing for a garage sale -- loading up the back of our pick-up truck with all manner of baby stuff and tons of preschool toys and household items we just don't need and/or want anymore.

There's just too much good stuff for me to just donate it, so tomorrow I will be laying all my crap out on my mother's front lawn in an effort to sell it to other people. Sure, I could list it on eBay, but...good Lord, who has that kind of time, energy or patience for all those trips to the post office to mail stuff (ugh...have you dealt with those people...what are they all so angry about anyway?).

I hate that I'm going to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon watching people paw through my stuff. I hate that I'm going to lay a truck-load of my personal possessions out for the world to see. I don't know why but I find it embarrassing. I hate when people try to "talk me down" -- it makes me uncomfortable, and I always give in.

The other thing I hate about garage sales is all the prep work. We spent all evening hauling stuff out of the house last night, I'll spend all of tonight marking it all and setting it all on tables and in boxes.

And, tomorrow, it's quite likely I'll be hauling half of it back home.

Which makes me wonder -- is it even worth it?

I guess I'll find out.

Ever tried to photograph fireworks? It's not easy, but I managed to get some decent pix last year using my digital camera. I was shooting them so I could use the photos in the girls' scrapbooks.

This article has some great tips for capturing fireworks with a digital camera.

BTW -- here's a tip for taking little kids to fireworks. They're often frightened by the noise -- a simple solution? Borrow a pair of rifle earmuffs from the hunter in your family. They'll muffle the noise and allow kids to enjoy the show. (sorry, I have no advice for the poor dogs who are terrified by the booms -- our Labrador used to hate the entire first week of July).

.. that people in Erie would actually be cursing the sunshine and praying for cooler temps and rain. Today, I actually had a conversation with my mother in which she said, "well, it was raining, but now it looks like the damn sun is trying to come out again." Never did I think I'd ever see the day we had too much sun in Erie.

... that our little corner of Northwestern PA would make national news THREE days in a row for bizarre news stories -- on Monday it was our lazy legislators shutting down our "crown jewel," yesterday it was the loose wrecking ball wreaking havoc in Meadville and today it's the federal government handing down indictments in the "pizza bomber case." Oy vey. How embarrassing all this is. I can almost hear the banjo music from Deliverance.

... that Nicole Richie could actually get pregnant? Don't most waifs lose the ability to ovulate when their body weight drops below 90 lbs.?

It's like "Wacky Wednesday" (one of my favorite childhood books) -- where everything is backwards and nothing is quite right.

I've been wandering through the camera department of every store and leafing through the advertising flyers every Sunday for the past six months lusting after the new digital cameras. I have a nice 5.0 megapixel one that I bought probably less than 2 years ago, but...I wanted an upgrade. Something with more megapixels and less bulk. A camera I can slip into my pocket or purse without looking like I'm packing heat. Something sexier than the bulky model I've been lugging around.

I noticed the Kodak C763 in this Sunday's Office Max advertising flyer and, on impulse, ordered the camera on-line on Monday. I justified the purchase with free shipping, a free gift and a recent "if you want one so badly, just buy it" comment from the husband.

I got the camera last night, charged it up and started snapping before work this morning. Here are some photos of my gorgeous hollyhocks that I got from a friend here at work. They grow about 6 feet tall and flower from top to bottom (when I spray them before the Japanese beetles devour them). I have them lining my pool fence in an area that gets complete sun. They, apparently,like it there because they have greatly multiplied over the years.

The only problem I have with my hollyhocks being planted there is that they attract bees. Lots and lots and lots of bees... to the pool area ...where there are lots of people running around barefoot and half-dressed. Though, in all honestly, no one has ever been stung by a honeybee at our pool (though people have been stung by yellowjackets a time or two).

If you've never grown hollyhocks, you just don't know what you're missing. These things are incredible. They do take up a lot of space, but...they put on quite a show.

Currently, in this small 8 foot bed, I have five or six large plants (and a few more trying to start in between) that range in color from salmon to pink to crimson to peach.

Here, are a few photos I took with the new camera:

A colleague at the paper sent me a link to this interesting story about bottled water.

FACT: "24% of the bottled water we buy is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi."

I've never bought into the bottled water phenomenon and never understood why people would pay good money for something that comes right out of the tap for free. And, I've always thought those individual bottles were recklessly wasteful -- all that plastic just made to be thrown away. Oh, sure, they recycle some of it, but you know darn well that there are tons of those bottles in lying in the landfills.

I confess to having bought bottled water occasionally -- in fact, I'm sipping on a Dasani bottle now (that I've been refilling with tap water for, well...far to long judging by the lipstick on the rim). I buy kid-size "sport" bottles of water for my kids -- but, truth be told, I buy for the bottle and we reuse again and again and again. I bought a 10-pack of their water sometime back in January and we still have two bottles left.

And, as long as I'm on the subject of people and their stupid drinking habits (or maybe it's the soft drink giants, Coca-Cola and Pepsi I should be bashing) -- what's with everyone drinking Gatorade all the time? It's become fashionable to carry around a sport drink. A sport drink that is FULL of calories, salt and sugar. A sport drink designed to be used by ATHLETES while they are working out. I scoff every time I see some schmuck walking around with a bottle of Gatorade -- surely it's so we all know they're a big-time athlete, right?

Whatever.

There's a really great story about the Presque Isle Inn -- the infamous P.I. nightclub on the shores of Lake Erie -- in the Erie Times-News today. If you missed the story, you can read it here.

Most importantly, you simply must watch the video -- if for no other reason than to laugh hysterically at the fashion and hairstyles.

I am too young to have ever experienced the P.I., but I used to hear great stories about it from the various people I babysat for (who were all out partying at the P.I.).

I was disappointed to read that the owners demolished the place to build condos. Part of me was happy to read it didn't turn out to be a successful venture for them.

I find it tremendously sad that the first view people now get of our peninsula is, in fact, of condos. I hate those condos. I still cannot believe they were ever given permission to build them there. I seethe every time we stop at Sara's and sit outside, licking our ice cream cones and admiring the view of stockade fencing and condos instead of Lake Erie.

All of nature -- and most of Erie -- will rejoice the day they finally bulldoze those suckers down.

When was the last time you watched Peter Pan? If you have small kids, it probably wasn't all that long ago -- say a month or so ago when they came out with the new "anniversary edition DVD." That's when a good friend of mine watched it with her daughter and said to me "you know, that's an awful movie. Tinkerbell is a witch (only she didn't say witch) ... and she has body issues."

I came across this article Download file when I was trolling the wires for special sections content and I have to share it because it is hysterical.

My favorite line: "When Jake started saying, "She scares me, Daddy," I thought, "You know what, son? Six-inch-tall bioluminescent fairies with dark powers and vengeful attitudes scare me too."

Tinkerbell is a jerk.

The Steelers 5K on Sunday (Sept. 2) sounded like a good idea when I registered my husband and kids for it in mid-August.

I was a little worried that it was a long drive on a Sunday morning the day after we were going to three -- count 'em three -- parties on Saturday, but I figured the kids could sleep on the way down. And, sleep they did for most of the ride. But, when they woke up, they woke up cranky and spent a good 1/2 hour fighting with each other in the back of the car (mental note: buy a bigger car or smaller car seats so I can fit between fighting sisters on future car rides).

This, combined with the fact that we were running late and still had to stop at Giant Eagle (outside Pittsburgh) to get breakfast bagels is what prompted me to tell my husband to get moving (i.e. speed up).

My husband is notorious for driving the speed limit. Dan...well, he's a man that just can't be rushed. He doesn't often get rattled. He doesn't do anything quickly and he cannot multi-task. He is the ying to my yang -- the calm in my storm.

But, in the face of squabbling children and a crabby wife who can't handle more than 90 minutes in a car, he sped up.

In the middle of turning around to yell at the girls, he blew by a state cop at 85 mph (in a 55 mph zone). Yeah...we were those people that you see go flying by the cop car on the highway and think..."what are they blind?" Yeah, sort of. Never saw him.

He saw us.

And, then what was a $35 5K ($15 for Dan, $10 for each kid) was now a $200 5K. The ticket, $167, was Dan's first speeding ticket ever. He was mortified.

And, of course, then we were really late.

Which turned out to be a good thing because there were no crowds at the registration tables by the time we got there at 9:15 a.m. (race started at 9:30).

All in all, the whole trip was a miserable experience. It was hotter than heck so I was sweltering in my sweatshirt and jean capris. We almost missed the kids race and I endured lots and lots and lots of whining from little girls were hot and tired and not the slightest bit impressed with Heinz Field.

On the drive home (at 65 mph, thank you), girls arguing and pinching each other all the way, Dan said "Just think, this is what it will be like for 7 days in Disney" (we're going to Disney in...gulp...10 days).

Which reminds me, I need to google a map to nearest liquor store to our Disney resort. They say when you are in Disney you should come back every afternoon and have the kids swim and take a nap. Dan & I are already referring to it as "Happy Hour."

At least we won't get any speeding tickets there. Nope, the fine folks at Disney will be handling all our transportation needs while we are their guests.

Here are a few photos from the race:

The girls with Steely McBeam -- the Steelers new mascot

My racers.

The closest we will ever get to the Heinz Field 50-yard-line again.

...or rather, I hadn't. Until today. Not counting the occasional crunch-time, gotta-get-this-done-to-meet-deadline Monday, today is the first Monday I've worked in...oh...about 6 years.

I'm not impressed.

It sort of puts a damper on one's weekend, doesn't it? ugh. How do you do this week in and week out? I suppose I'll get used to it.

Where have I been for the past 6 years? Well, when I had my first daughter, I worked at home twice a week -- on Mondays & Tuesdays. It worked out very well and, frankly, I often got more work at done at home than I did in the office, but...alas, when I moved into the newsroom, it was a different culture -- one that frowned upon working at home and that ended. I was, however, able to work a "flex" schedule that allowed me to compress the work week into four days, having Mondays off.

That ended last week (well, sort of because we had Labor Day off) when I returned back to a five-day schedule. I chose to return to a five-day work week so I could get my daughter on the bus every morning. Working a four-day, 10-hour schedule meant starting at 7:30 a.m. -- a time that didn't work for getting my daughter on the school bus each morning.

So, now I'm back to a normal work week -- five 8-hour (technically we work 7 3/4 hour days) a week and a real, honest-to-God lunch hour or half-hour, if I want it (when working 10 hours, I skipped the lunch lest I have to be stay even later at night).

The shorter work day is going to make for a more normal life. I can go to lunch with my friends. I can run errands on my lunch. Today, I can skip lunch and scoot out at 4:15 and actually make it to a friend's party at 5 -- something I never could've done before. And, we can have family dinners and evening walks now that I'm home at a reasonable time.

But, man, I will miss my Mondays off. It was always my cushion day... my day to catch up on all the things I let slide while I was out having fun all weekend. Now, there's no cushion, which is why I was rushing the husband and kids out of a friend's football party yesterday, "C'mon, tomorrow's a work & school day, I have things to do, clothes to lay out, lunches to pack....let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Plus, Mondays were my day to do fun things with the kids. Go to the library, go to the zoo, etc. And, sometimes not-so-fun things like going to the dentist or the doctor. But, both girls are in school now -- the younger in Preschool half days and the older at Kindergarten all day -- so I felt it was best arrange the schedule so I could be there each morning to see them off and in the evening to hear about their day.

In the summer, when school lets out, I plan to go back to the four-day-a-week compressed schedule and have Mondays off to spend with them again.

To me, that flexibility, is one of the biggest perks this company -- and my position -- offers.

I only wish more mothers (and fathers) could do the same -- I know that most can't. It really is such a short time that our children are young -- it's a shame that our culture doesn't value our future generation enough to realize that a little flexibility could go a long way to solving the breakdown of the American family.

Well, our first family trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando is now history and I have 328 photos to prove it (literally...it will cost me a fortune to have these prints made). I learned a few things along the way:

* September in Orlando is a lot like the end of July in Erie -- hazy, humid and hotter than hell. I definitely didn't need the jeans and sweatshirts I lugged all the way down there.

* It rains periodically and almost every day without warning. A dark sky doesn't mean it will rain and a sunny sky doesn't mean it won't...weirdest thing I've ever seen. And, even the coolest toughest guys will wear a plastic poncho with a Princess castle on it when the sky does open up because when it rains, it pours.

* Purchasing the Disney Dining Plan is the only way to go even if it is the most confusing system I have ever used in my life. Math is not my strong suit and neither, apparently, is figuring out the different between a table service, a quick service and a snack. Every day we bought the same breakfast and every day they calculated it differently. Didn't matter, in the end...we had so many "credits" left that we ended up stuffing our carry-on luggage full of Disney rice krispie snacks.

* We will never stay at any of the All-Star resorts again. The accommodations were OK, but you were obviously the lowest star on the Disney "guest" rung. Nowhere was that more apparent than after a long night at the Magic Kingdom when the "value resort" bus lines were a mile long and all the other resorts had two and three buses waiting to ferry them back to their hotel. Both nights we were at the Magic Kingdom we were left standing in a long line, holding sweaty, sleeping preschoolers for over an hour. It could have been worse, they could've been screaming, wailing and pitching a tired-kid fit like most of the other kids in line -- those of us with sleeping children were the lucky ones.

* With two children under 6, we should have traded our day at Epcot for the water park. We were left with only a few hours to spend at Blizzard Beach on Saturday and it wasn't nearly enough time -- it would've been great to spend the whole day there.

* September is the time to go if you want to spend the least amount of time waiting -- thanks to lower attendance (and fast passes) we didn't wait more than 10 minutes for any ride (except Dumbo). As we zipped through the lines all I could think was..."do you think these rooms ever fill with people waiting?"

* The Buzz Lightyear ride at the Magic Kingdom was a surprise hit. As were the 3-D movies at MGM and the Magic Kingdom and the "interactive" shows with Crush (the turtle from Nemo) at Epcot and the Laugh Floor with Mike and Roz from Monsters, Inc. at the Magic Kingdom.

I've got volumes more, but I've also got a volume of Her Times magazine to get off my desk today, so...I leave you with this...a picture of me and girls with Baloo and King Louie from my all-time favorite Disney movie ever -- The Jungle Book. (ugh..this is an awful picture of me, but don't Baloo and King Louie look great)?

I woke up this morning thinking I needed to delete yesterday's post. I forget I have lots of friend and family reading this blog and they may think my marriage is on the rocks. It's not. It has it's ups and downs just like everyone else's.

When I'm mad, I write. Actually, whatever intense emotion I'm feeling -- scared, happy, etc. -- I write about it. It's just that, now, I do it in a forum where I can share it with whoever the hell happens to find my life remotely interesting.

My temptation is to hit the delete key on yesterday's entry -- to just erase it all and pretend it never happened.

If only it were that easy to get rid of all our problems in life.

But, I know that it's never really gone. It resides in cyberspace forever. And, our history is our history. Sometimes I look at my previous posts and think "I can't believe I actually wrote that."

Hey, at least you know I'm honest. This is me -- warts and all.

Three cool web-related things I've learned recently (the first two in a meeting an hour ago):

1. You no longer have to register to view content at www.GoErie.com. So, you can now send anything you want to to anyone you want to and you (and the person you send the article too) will no longer be subjected to an inquisition and forced to enter the city you were born in. Hallelluia!

2. You can now comment on any story in the Erie Times-News at www.goerie.com. Yup, that's right, you can add your 2 cents. This is your chance to have your say -- and everyone else can read what you think, too. To comment on a story, simply click on the story (as if you wanted to read it) and click on "Post a comment" at the top of the story. Voila...your voice will be heard.

3. If you missed your favorite NBC TV show -- or, say, fell asleep -- you can watch the entire episode (sans the 15 minutes of commercials) online at www.nbc.com! Wait..don't get too excited...there is a "commercial" every few minutes, but it's short and there's just one. But, still....if, like me, you live in the stone ages and do not have DVR (let alone cable) and cannot figure out how to work your VCR (seriously, the thing hates me and my TV), this is only way to see an episode you missed unless you want to wait a year for the series on DVD. The best part -- most shows are posted at 5 a.m. on the day after they air. So...if you fall asleep before you see the end of the Office, you can watch it when you get to the office in the morning.

Use this information wisely (i.e. don't blame me if you get fired for watching TV all day). I don't know if other stations offer the same ability to watch shows, but I'd assume that if one is doing it, the other big two -- ABC and CBS -- are as well.

Well, my little jaunt down memory lane continues this week with a trip to Skate Way roller skating rink (forever in my heart known as the Skate Lodge) tonight. I'll be taking the girls to attend Kelly's very first school skating party -- the first of many, I'm sure.

As a pre-teen, I spent more than a few evenings rolling around that rink on my white skates with the sparkly blue wheels. As I teenager, I spent more than a few nights with my skates tied together and slung over my shoulder as I roamed the streets with my friends or snuck off with a boyfriend while my mom thought I was skating. It was the perfect cover -- parents would drop you off, you'd go in the crowded lobby...wait for the parents to leave and voila -- you had three or four hours to yourself and $5 in skating money. That money usually went up in smoke, literally, as I'd use it to buy a couple of packs of Newports (yes, you could get a couple of packs, a few even, with $5 back then).

I often run into people who hear my last name and say "Cass, eh? Are you related to...." Unless one of the people they mention is a close cousin or relative of my husbands, I usually say "More than likely. There are a ton of Cass' and I can't keep them all straight."

My husband's father's family were farmers -- dairy, mostly. His Uncle George (Dan's grandfather's brother) still farms dairy cows in Harborcreek. As you know, farming families of yore tended to have lots of children (to help out at the farm, of course). Dan's father is from a family of 10 or 12 -- all but a couple of them were boys and most of them are still living and they've all had kids who've had kids and ...well you can see why East county is rife with Cass'.

36 years I've lived in this city and I will never, ever get used to the overnight season changes. Here's the view from my upstairs office window right now:

10 years I have lived south of I-90 -- in the "snow belt" -- and today is the first time I have ever not made it to work because of the weather. The roads are simply horrendous here and I have YET to see a snowplow come down my road -- and it's noon. Kelly's bus got stuck this A.M. so she was picked up about 90 minutes late.

I took two trips down the road sideways and spun out twice (and I have four-wheel drive) before I decided that getting to work was not worth my life (and my kid's life). Luckily, my job is of the nature that I can do 80% of it at home -- thanks to technology that allows my co-worker to e-mail me all the files I need.

Wasn't it just fall yesterday?

In yesterday's entry I said,

Luckily, my job is of the nature that I can do 80% of it at home -- thanks to technology that allows my co-worker to e-mail me all the files I need.

Until the power goes out.

And, it did -- before noon yesterday and it has yet to come back on.

Fortunately, we learned our lesson in the March '06 storm that put us in the dark for three whole days and we bought a generator. It was not easy for us to fork over $650 for that thing, but when you live where we do and your power is out as often as our is -- you learn that a generator is nothing short of an investment.

Yesterday, that noisy sucker finally paid off. Soon as the hubby got home & hooked it up, we were able to operate the furnaces (one at a time), the fridge, the oven, the water pump (ah...the joy of a flushing toilet). We were able to make dinner, give the kids baths and go on with our normal nightly routine (albeit gathered in one room since we couldn't turn too much on or we'd overwhelm the generator).

Used to be when the power went out, we'd sit in our house, shivering and staring with envy at the all the neighbors' houses that had generators rumbling outside and lights on inside. "Oh, my God, Dan...I think their watching TV over there!"

Now, we're among the fortunate ones and for that, I am eternally grateful.

I've been trying to live a more grateful life, so every morning I've been making it a point to wake up and think of three things I am thankful for.

This morning's top three? Gasoline, generators and my master electrician husband who can get the lights on even when Penelec can't.

I'm loving this week:
1. Mike Tomlin & the boys in Black & Gold. (Though, I'm disturbed to find that coach is actually 6 months younger than me).

2. The Park Tavern -- for providing a smoke-free environment to watch football, drink beer and torment local Browns fans (again and again and again).

3. Kid Rock's newest CD -- Rock N Roll Jesus -- which is, in my personal opinion, some of his best work. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right Kid? Take that, Pam, you overinflated, overrated, underdressed "star." The best song? It's a toss-up between "All Summer Long" and "Roll on."

Things I'm hating this week:
1. Draft Labatt's -- Seriously, I know better. I've been burned by this beer before. Good thing I had Monday off.

2. Christmas shoppers -- All I wanted at Target were a few boxes of cheese crackers and granola bars for my daughters' snack days -- and there I was stuck behind people with carts and carts full of Christmas gifts. (But, then, maybe I'm just jealous because I can no longer plan beyond the next day or two ... let alone a month from now ... which would explain why I was standing at Target with a hangover and an armload of snacks yesterday afternoon).

3. Tights, which are oh, so appropriately named. I am a 5 foot 2 inch woman who wears a size 8, but I buy QUEEN size tights because I cannot stand to spend the day in bound up in a corset like a piece of sausage. To hell with skirts until spring.

Meet Butterscotch the guinea pig -- the newest member of the Cass Clan.

I've got plenty to blog about and not much time left to blog today. So, forgive the throw-up nature of this post:

* Thanksgiving: The Turkey Trot rocked. The rest of the day was, well ... several hours of my life I'll never get back. And, I'm leaving it there.

* I set a P.R. (personal record for those of you not versed in running jargo) on Black Friday. I shopped for 12 hours straight and I crossed 20+ people off my shopping list. And, I got some great deals, too. We didn't do the 5 a.m. thing, but I still got most of the bargain items I was looking for because the lines at Target were outrageous and people were dumping merchandise all over the store. I scavenged a whole cart full of great gifts just by wandering around the areas near the registers. The best part? By the time we were done shopping at the store at 10 a.m., there were no lines. I guess the early bird doesn't always get the worm, eh?

* Took the girls to see the Bee Movie on Saturday. It was cute...kept the girls entranced. I give it two thumbs up. And, yeah...I sprung for the expensive theater (but it was a matinee, of course).

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Extended shopping hours. The best thing about December is that area stores are open practically 24/7 and those that are never open on Sunday (like Wild Birds Unlimited), suddenly are. I love being able to go to the mall at 9 p.m. on Sunday or having the option to shop until midnight on a Friday or 6 a.m. on Saturday. I'd link you to the Millcreek Mall's holiday store hours, but...their Web site doesn't appear to be updated.

2. Polar fleece. Where has this fabric been all my life. As someone who is perpetually cold, fleece makes winter bearable for me. When I'm not at work, or anywhere else I have to look presentable, I am covered in polar fleece. I want to be buried in my Old Navy fleece PJ pants (if only they weren't in such stupid colors and designs). I can't stop buying fleece pullovers, jackets, gloves, blankets, jammie pants, socks... I wear so much fleece that I stick -- like velcro -- to the flannel sheets on my bed. You know, what I probably need are some polar fleece sheets ... .

3. John Mellencamp. Thursday is the day -- the big concert at the Erie Civic Center. I have loved John Mellencamp, well...since he was John Cougar and I can't wait to see him right here in Erie. My husband and I saw him in Pittsburgh (at the Post Gazette Pavilion) a couple of years ago. He was touring with John Fogerty (who rocked), but...for some reason, John Mellencamp just wasn't into it that night. Even sitting (well, dancing) 42 rows away, I could tell he was pissed off. He only did one encore -- consisting of two songs, I think. Here's hoping he's in a better mood Thursday.

Three things I'm hating this week:

Three things I'm loving this week:
1. Mabel's labels. I dutifully labeled all of Kelly's gear when school started, but come winter, there is more stuff (coats, hats, boots, mittens) to label. And, as we all know, if you don't label, you risk losing the stuff to the school's mountain of lost-and-found forever. My personal challenge -- I buy a lot of black (shows less dirt) and it is hard to label. Mabel's Labels offer washable, peel-and-stick labels that can be stuck right on clothing, coats, etc. I opted for the "School/Camp" pack for $30. I thought it was a bit pricey, but so is buying a new winter gear. P.S. If you've got a hard-to-buy for kid or new mom on your list -- these would make a great and useful gift.

2. Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Seriously, is there a more perfect warm-your-belly meal that is easier to prepare than grilled cheese and tomato soup (Campbell's only, of course). I swore off grilled cheese a decade ago -- too much fat in the cheese and the butter. I didn't touch one for years. Then there were serious advances in fat-free cheese (it melts these days) and I discovered fat-free butter spray, ah....I can enjoy grilled cheese again without the guilt.

3. Studded winter tires. We scored big last week when I spotted an advertisement in the classified for like-new studded winter tires that would fit my GMC Jimmy. Four tires for $220. Better than the $400 we were going to have to spend on cheap, new tires when, after the first big snowfall, it became apparent I wasn't going to make it through this winter without them. With four-wheel drive and four seriously studded tires, I don't have to take the long way to the sitter's to avoid the scary hill with a the one-lane bridge at the bottom that separates my neighborhood from hers.

Three things I'm hating this week:

It's a long story, but I ended up spending the evening at my parent's house last night from 8 to around 11 p.m. I had the gigantic television -- with 68 cable channels -- in the downstairs family room all to myself.

We don't have cable -- and that's a good thing because I would spend every night of my life doing what I spent last night doing -- watching five different shows -- flipping from channel to channel like some kind of addict -- 32, 38, 39, 52, 08.

I was like a kid in a candy store. I just didn't know what to settle on and I wanted to watch it all. So, I did...32, 38, 39, 52, 08 ... 32, 28, 29, 52, 08.

By far, the biggest train wreck -- that I just couldn't stop watching -- was A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila on MTV. Tila is a bi-sexual batchelorette looking for love. My jaw dropped at least 5 times when she met the final four contestants families. I had to flip away when she started lap dancing on Danny's granny.

If you find yourself with an ice-encrusted windshield and no ice scraper and/or snow brush in the car, do not use a Mag-Light flashlight or you will leave scratches all over your windshield.

Coincidentally, does anyone happen to know how to remove scratches from a windshield? Isn't there some miracle spray or something?

Oh...my husband's going to love this one.

Three things I'm loving this week:
1. My ultra-warm, but not bulky Land's End winter squall jacket which is similar to this one. I got my jacket last year though the Land's End overstock site so I paid about half what the new one is and I like mine better cause it's solid red -- color blocks are for boys Garanimals, aren't they? They have a great parka at the overstock sitenow. Be aware of two things if you order from Land's End:
A.) Their sizing runs big -- very big.
B.) You can return anything bought at LandsEnd.com to the Sears store in the mall (sweet).

2. Holiday greeting cards in a hour. Thank God for digital cameras, the internet and one-hour photo developing. I finally got a decent photo of the girls on Sunday. I uploaded the pix to www.walmart.com on my lunch hour yesterday, chose a card, sent to to the store and picked up 50 photo cards on my way home from work. Now, if only they could address and stamp them all, too...

3. My husband's boss -- Jim Foltz at Arrow Electric (Greenville, Pa.). Dan's worked for three different electrical companies and Jim is, by far, the most honest, genuine and fair of all the company owners he's ever worked for. He's good to his guys and they work hard for him. That's not to say he doesn't piss them -- and the wives -- off occasionally. Had I been doing this "Three things" list in the summer, there was a time when Dan was working 70-some hours a week that Jim might have been on the other side of my list. But, coming off a recent Christmas party at which he made numerous humble and heartfelt speeches, heaped praise on our guys and gave them generous Christmas gifts, well, I'm feeling the love.

... if you scroll through these. I'm not sure which is funnier...the 'toos or the comments below them.

Enjoy.

And, cover your keyboard.

Each year somebody at ETN (not sure who) creates great little calendars that fit on the top of our PC monitors. They're extremely handy -- checking a date requires only a glance up.

I haven't seen any of them floating around the building yet, but I did happen upon this site where they've already done the work for us.

You can print a set of calendars on regular 8.5-by-11 paper or you can opt for the bigger calendars that print on legal-size paper.

For a girl who claims not to watch TV, I sure see a lot, don't I? The thing is that I don't deliberately watch it most of the time, but in the winter -- it's cold, it's dark and I find myself on the couch intending to catch up on reading and paperwork and instead...end up slack-jawed, watching some TV show my husband turned on.

But, last night was bowling night...which means I could watch PBS. My husband rolls his eyes every time I try to sneak the TV onto PBS, but I like a lot of the evening programming. It's like the poor man's History and Discovery Channel.

Last night, I caught "Dr. Wayne Dyer: Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life" and it was exceptional. WQLN's description of the program probably sums it up best:
"Self-help expert Wayne Dyer with advice, adapted from the classic Chinese book "Tao Te Ching," by Lao Tzu, on how to lead a balanced life."

It should be required viewing for today's busy moms (and dads).

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. New Hampshire.

2. Carpoolers. This is a sitcom on ABC that I had happened to catch a few times whenever it was last on (earlier this year...late last season, I don't know) and it was hysterical. I love Fred Goss who plays the lead character, Gracen Brooker. ABC describes his character this way: Gracen is the Everyman who seeks fairness in an unfair world and fights the uphill battle of trying to please both his wife and his buddies" -- therein lie the laughs, dear TV viewers.

3. 60 degree days in January. The three mild days we've just enjoyed were nothing short of a gift and a preview of what we'll be rewarded with come April...or May....OK, OK, June.

I was never really into science and didn't understand why there were all kinds of space missions to launch satellites, repair satellites, blah, blah, blah. To be honest, I thought satellites were purely spy devices (no doubt ideas planted in my head by Hollywood) that had no impact on my life.

I didn't know they'd revolutionize the way I lived my life -- from how I get to Point A to Point B to how I rock out on the drive home.

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Air-popped popcorn with a little butter spray and lots of garlic salt. I could eat a giant bowl of this for dinner every night -- and often do. It's good and good for you. And, far as I know, sucking up hot air popped popcorn doesn't give you cancer.

2. Scrapbooking. Yes...I'm a member of the cut-and-paste cult. I have no patience for elaborate designs and page layouts -- you won't mistake my pages for works of art, but that's what I love about scrapbooking -- your books are as individual as you and are, ultimately, a reflection of self.

I knew it was just a matter of time before my husband started dropping hints about getting another dog. Cassie, our yellow lab, died a year and a half ago and I knew Dan was missing his girl (if for no other reason than to keep all the neighborhood cats out of our yard).

He says he has his heart set on another Labrador Retreiver, but I would like to try another breed -- preferably something smaller and more athletic that I can run with.

To be honest, I'm not a dog person. They're pushy, noisy, smelly, hairy, they poop all over the yard and they like to roll roadkill.

But, the reality is that my husband loves dogs and there will surely be another canine taking up residence in Casa Cass in the near future.

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Country Fair's new coffee cups. Finally, a Country Fair coffee cup with a sleek design that I'm not embarrassed to carry around. The new cups look more sophisticated and modern. I just hated those big, cheesy foam cups they used to have. Call me vain, but...truly, with women...little things do matter -- like stylish cups. As for the new Bold and Dark coffee blends -- eh. I still prefer the House blend. Now...if someone could just do something about their ugly Web site ...

2. SuperBowl Sunday. This game used to mean nothing more to me than a party and good commercials. Now, I know football. I love football. I can talk football. I understand the rules (most of them) and can decipher a good call & a bad call. It's fun to root for someone, it's even more fun to root against someone (like those snotty Pats and their smarmy coach). Oh...and I am LOVING that the game is on a reasonable hour this year -- 6:17 p.m.

3. Zen Habits blog. I'm all about finding more peace in my life. I've been finding ways to do that here.

Right-wing conservatives like Anne Coulter voting for a Democrat.

I'm sure it's all talk. When push comes to shove, they'll toe the party line.

Three things I'm LOVING this week:

1. Woman's Day magazine's Web site. I have long believed that very few people make the leap from print to web. You're either a print lover/reader or a web lover/reader. As evidence, I'd point to the fact that I subscribe to several magazines, but have never went to their Web sites...even if they heavily promote -- in the print product -- things you can "find on the web." Well...this week I made a lair out of myself and went to the Woman's Day magazine Web site to check out a story they promoted in the mag about the top kid-friendly vacation resorts. While I was looking at that story, I noticed about five other ones I wanted to read that were scrolling below it and spent a good 1/2 hour messing around on their site, looking at the slide shows -- including this one on cool things to do with digital photos. BTW -- if it's been awhile since you read Woman's Day, you might be surprised. It's now my favorite magazine.

2. The Hog Blog. I've always thought it would be cool to go to Punxy for all the Groundhog Day hoopla, BUT gas is $3 a gallon and standing in the freezing cold with thousands of other people at 5 a.m. doesn't sound like something I'd enjoy... This year, I got to go to Punxy thanks to laptops, wireless internet service and ETN reporter Sarah Weber who did all the driving, freezing and crowd shoving for me.

3. My new cell phone. Oooh...I can open it up and text, text, text. And, I added unlimited texting to my plan, so I'm positively dangerous now. BTW, dear readers, did you know that if you have Verizon Wireless you get the best deal if you shop for you phone online? My new phone cost me $40 because I have a $50 credit for the new-every-two-years thing and when you shop online you get a $50 credit (and free shipping). Go to the store and you will not get nearly as good of a price as you will online.

I bought a Valentine's Day card for my husband a week or two ago and I've been looking for it ever since.

I vaguely remember the card. I remember it was funny. I remember buying it. But, for the life of me, I cannot remember where I stashed it. It's not with the rest of the cards I keep on hand -- which, in hindsight, probably would've been the best place to store it.

I do remember that wherever I put it, I knew I'd run across it before Valentine's Day.

It's not tucked in the pages of my journal. It's not in the pile of school papers on the microwave or on the stack of reading next to the couch. It's not in my car or my underwear drawer or the top shelf of my closet (all occasional "hiding" places).

I am truly baffled.

And, I feel old as hell.

All I can do now is trust that I was right...and that I really will come across it before Thursday. Let go. Let the card come to me.

St. Valentine, St. Valentine, turn around. Something's lost and must be found!

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Holidays with kids. I've been married for...13 years now...so Valentine's Day hasn't been a big deal for awhile. But, when you live with small kids -- every holiday is a BIG deal. The girls could barely contain their excitement last night and couldn't wait for today to come (one couldn't sleep last night, the other was up at 6 a.m.). Nothing can bring life to a worn-out old holiday like two giddy girls hopped up on chocolate, clutching Valentine cards that say "Ilikeyoumom." View image

2. My mother. OK, I love her every week, but this week I'm truly appreciative for her because she's always there to rescue me in a crisis -- minor or major. This week, it was fairly minor -- a project I'd been putting off for weeks and just couldn't get started by myself. View image View image After days (weeks) of procrastinating, I decided I needed my mother to kick my ass into gear. She rode in the the rescue that afternoon, got things going and in four hours we had most of the spare bedroom cleaned out. You want something done, call a mom.

3. Hotcakes at McDonald's. I know the last thing you'd ever expect to see me say is that I like anything from McDonald's and the truth is, up until a couple of months ago I hadn't set foot in a McDonald's in probably 8 years or more (really, no lie). But, the girls love pancakes and I love getting up and out of the house quick on Saturday mornings (beat the crowd at the grocery store). We stop by Giant Eagle and I get my bagel and coffee and then we go to McDonald's and get hotcakes for the girls to split. Everyone's happy, fed and ready to shop in about 15 minutes.

Have you seen the videos of the cows being abused at the slaughterhouse in California? If you watch TV news at all...there's no avoiding them. They keep showing it -- over and over and over. And, much as I'd like them to stop -- because I do not have the stomach for it -- I want as many people to see them as possibly can.

And, yet, I can't bring myself to link to them here. So, let me just say -- for those who haven't seen them -- that they are disturbingly sad. They are "downer" cows (those too sick or old to walk into the slaughterhouse) being beaten, stabbed, pushed around with forklifts and God knows what else (I had to look away).

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Winter sunshine. Is there anything better than having the chance to wear sunglasses in Erie in February? Even if it is to shield your eyes from the glare of the sun bouncing off a freshly-fallen 8 inches of glittering white (freezing cold) snow.

2. Hump days. It's the only night of the work week I don't have something I have to do or some where I have to be after work.

3. Preschool politics. My 4-year-old came home from preschool on Monday (President's Day) all excited to tell me. "Hey...hey, mom...guess what? There's a white man, a black man and a woman running for president!" I asked her who she thought should win. She said, "Well, the mommy, of course. Mommies are always in charge." Ah...you've learned well my little grasshopper.

Just discovered that I posted this to the wrong blog last week:

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. Prince Harry. Oh...swoon...what red-blooded, heterosexual woman is not loving Diana's baby today (only it is kind of weird...it's like thinking your friend's teenage son is hot). Our little red-headed rabble-rousing bad boy had grown into a man with a moral conscious and strength of character that makes women weak in the knees. He's far too precious to be on the front lines and, yet, he insists on going. I'm sure his mum would be quite proud (worried to death, but proud).

2. Brussel sprouts. Where have these yummy little veggies been all of my life? My MIL made them for Christmas dinner and my BIL talked them up so much ("you have to try them with some apple cider vinegar on them!") that we all tried them and then fought over the rest of the bowl. At the time, I thought maybe I'd just had too much to drink (and, let's face it...everything tastes great when you're drunk), but...alas...I've eaten them stone cold sober a few times now and I love them.

3. Lipstick Jungle. I didn't have high hopes for this show or the other one that's just like it on ABC (which is not nearly as good). And, of course, both shows are criticized for being rip-offs of HBO's Sex in the City, but...whatever. All I know is that it's not another murder-death-crime-csi-law show in which another woman and/or child is brutally abused/raped/stalked/tortured/murdered and then dissected in the morgue right before our very eyes.

Three things I'm loving this week:

1. The Salvation Army thrift shop I don't think there's any more interesting (albeit peculiar smelling) place to shop than the local Sally's -- you just never know what you're going to find there. I was in need of some old dishware/houshold items for a story I'm doing in the April issue of Her Times, so I ran across the street to the 12th & Sass Salvation Army thrift shop and picked up everything I need for the photo shoot -- about 10 items -- for $12.09.

Sally's is intriguing and I find myself fingering items and wondering about their past lives. Why weren't they wanted? Who might want them now? And, just what is that lady with the cart full of mismatched silverware and candlesticks going to do with that stuff? Is she one of those pack rats whose house is so full of stuff that it's a fire hazard?

I think I could spend my whole day in that basement thrift shop people watching and contemplating the life cycle of a covered butter dish.

2. Hyacinths. One truly wonderful thing about a very early Easter this year is that my all-time favorite spring bulb can be found blooming in garden centers, floral shops and grocery store floral departments all over town. No matter how busy I am...or how fast I need to get through the store, I will always stop to smell the hyacinths. My kids even do it now.

3. A $20 Third Eye Blind Concert. And, it's on a Friday night and is just down the road from Cassa Cass. Hmmm...the only bad thing is that it's highly unlikely they'll be selling cups of beer I can raise above my head and spill all over everyone. That...and, at 36, I'll feel ancient there.

The phone has been ringing off the hook all day with cancelations -- Family Fun Day at the school, classes at the YMCA, my dad's trip to the Detroit Auto Show, Sunday School. Life is on hold while Mother Nature swirls around us and dumps inches upon inches of snow.

We Erieites are notoriously winter hardy. I actually tried to go out for a run when the snow slowed up for a bit this afternoon. I didn't make it a quarter of a mile before I turned back and decided maybe I should just take the day off.

Few storms slow us down, let alone shut us down. Six inches...are you serious?...we don't even turn on the 4x4s for that! Eighteen inches...we might leave a little early for work. Three feet?...whatever! But, today being a Saturday gives us all the opportunity to give in, hole up and wait the storm out. What a gift.

There is real beauty and joy in this forced day of rest. Admit it...it's kinda fun, isn't it?

Tomorrow, life will return to normal. The streets will be cleared, driveways will be snowblowed, and, we'll all be rushing here & there...going on with our lives.

Just for today, we stop rushing around -- on the orders of Mother Nature.

I knew I was getting sick on Saturday when I felt like I had just run 10 hard miles and I'd only managed to walk a few on the treadmill. Runners are notoriously in tune with their bodies -- we know when something's amiss and we know it quick (seriously, it's almost spooky).

My throat started to scratch. Then, it hurt. I hoped it was just from the sawdust my husband was creating as he worked on our renovation project.

By Sunday, it was clear it wasn't from the sawdust. I was pretty certain it was strep throat -- I've had it before. I knew it was highly contagious and would be until several doses of antibiotics.

If I'd have thought about it -- I'd have went for treatment somewhere on Sunday so I'd be ready to go to work today. I unwisely decided to call the Dr. 1st thing Monday morning (blame it on the pain).

Big mistake.