It's official...The Foos will be in Philly on Thursday, February 21, 2008!

Labels: concerts, Foo Fighters, good news, local news, music, Philadelphia

Taken from Towpath Park, East Coventry Twp.


From Black Rock Sanctuary, Upper Providence Twp.


River birch at Black Rock boat launch


From Towpath Park


From Black Rock boat launch

Pennsylvania really is a gorgeous state.

Labels: nature, Philly burbs, weekends

Mom and I went over to the new Philadelphia Premium Outlets this morning. Here are the highlights of our visit, in photos:




Not so crowded at 9:30 a.m.


Having this store only a four-minute drive from my house spells "trouble" for me.


The Huz is fearing for our checkbook...


I'm doomed. Doomed, I tell you!




People in line waiting to get a VIP Shoppers card.


First-ever sighting for me of a "manbag!" Sidenote: Mom yelled at me afterwards for taking his picture.


We left just before noon and this is what the entrance to the outlets looked like...

All in all, a very good day. The outlets are beautiful and I will definitely be spending time there, once the initial hubbub dies down.

Labels: local news, Philadelphia, Philly burbs, shopping, weekends

Just a few things I want to point out to the very sweet German girls who've been following this blog and emailing me about The Lovely Bones filming schedule:

1. I don't know Mark Wahlberg or any of his handlers.

2. From what I understand, the movie is shooting on-and-off in Hatfield, PA, not in downtown Philadelphia, for the next few weeks.

3. Hatfield, PA is not really close to downtown Philadelphia at all.

4. The movie set is closed, meaning you won't be able to watch any filming and that you may very well be chased away by security and/or local police.

Viel Glück, Maedchen!

Labels: local news, Mark Wahlberg, movies, Philadelphia, Philly burbs, technology, The Lovely Bones, writing

Tomorrow is the grand opening of the Philadelphia Premium Outlets, located about a five-minute drive from my house in Limerick.

(OK, technically it's in Sanatoga, PA).

Of course, being the completely insane person that I am, I'll be checking it out on Saturday morning. And I'm bringing my camera!

I'm a bit befuddled by the Chelsea Group's naming of this place, though. Limerick is thirty-five miles northwest of Philadelphia, so I think that identifying it as the Philadelphia Premium Outlets is a little misleading. But I suppose that Sanatoga Premium Outlets just doesn't have the same sort of cachet.

Labels: local news, Philadelphia, Philly burbs, shopping, weekends

In the past couple of days, I've started planning our annual holiday open house. I love entertaining but it's so hard to get everyone together in one place at the same time. This year, instead of trying to do it in the crazy few weeks before Christmas, I've decided to wait until the Saturday between Christmas and New Year's, when the big holiday rush has died down a bit.

Last year's party was a big success, although I had been miserably sick, recovering from strep throat with a fever that I just couldn't shake. We had about forty relatives, some neighbors and very close friends at the house. I made mini bacon-and-cheese quiches, hot crab dip, and shrimp cocktail, some baked ziti, and bought some catered food too...hot roast beef, green beans Amandine, roasted red bliss potatoes, and--undoubtedly the MOST popular item on the buffet line--Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets! Man, those things just about disappeared right before my eyes.

For dessert, I made a few trays of brownies and dozens of different kinds of Christmas cookies. The other big hit of the party was the electric, multi-tiered chocolate fountain that I won from my office's holiday gift exchange. I cranked that sucker up and put out long wooden skewers and yellow cake cubes, pretzels, and marshmallows for dipping.

This year the invite list has gotten bigger...I'm a little afraid that everyone is actually going to RSVP "yes!" Oh well, the more, the merrier, right?

Next steps: print the invites, mail them, and test some new recipes.

Any good recipe suggestions for a buffet?

Labels: decisions, family, friends, holidays

It seems the Foos have rediscovered their sense of humor with this video for the next single Long Road to Ruin.

Dave plays an overly-sensitive actor on a 70s' hospital soap opera. Love the hair!

Labels: Foo Fighters, funny stuff, music, TV

So this is what's going to take the place of the now-defunct Valley Forge Country Club that is bordered by 422, North Gulph Road, and 202.

Just one more reason I'd never venture down to KoP.

Ugh.

Aerial view of the site plans

Labels: bad news, bitching, local news, Philly burbs

I just found the most (unintentionally) hilarious website. If you enter any zipcode in the box on the upper right side of the homepage, you can look at all the entries in various towns by clicking on any of the little red houses that pop up on the map.

I guess that not many people in the metro Philly area know about this site, because there aren't a whole lot of postings yet. But most of the ones that are there are pretty damn amusing.

Enjoy!

Labels: funny stuff, FYI, neighborhood stuff, technology

Some women collect shoes.

Others covet designer handbags.

My passion is perfume. I adore scent! I wear a different fragrance every day, depending on my mood.

Here are the perfumes that are currently in heavy rotation at my dressing table, in no particular order:

-Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Divine
-Ralph Lauren Blue
-Ralph Lauren Glamorous
-Perry Ellis f
-Armani Mania
-Liz Claiborne Realities (the new version, not the one from the 80s)
-Christian Dior J’Adore
-Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue
-Glow by J. Lo (I know! I can’t help it, though…it smells fresh and clean, and I get SOOOO many compliments when I wear it!)

On my Christmas list:
-Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Desire
-Marc Jacobs Daisy

The one scent I hate? That's gotta be patchouli. Yuck. Reminds me of the kid whose locker was a few down from mine in high school. He was a hippie-wannabe who never washed his hair and was perpetually stoned.

What are your favorite fragrances?

Labels: fashion, holidays, memories, school

I was so caught up in the excitement of the Foo Fighters concert a few weeks ago that I neglected to post a few pictures I'd taken the following day in Wildwood, NJ.

Our friends were kind enough to invite us to spend the night at their condo in North Wildwood with them after the concert, so we wouldn't have to make the long drive home so late at night.

I spent my childhood summers here and I loved it. I still do. When I was a kid, going "down the shore," as we Philadelphians say, was a magical time. My extended family owned a few houses throughout North Wildwood, on the bayside, and it was always so beautiful and peaceful there.

I was never much of a beach person, but I would've spent our entire vacations on the boardwalk if I'd had my way. For as long as I can remember, the loud dance music blasting out of the speakers from the amusements, the screaming sirens and bells of the many arcades, and the smell of the sea and funnel cake and french fries mesmerized me. I loved roller coasters--still do, in fact--and I would ride them over and over again until I was dizzy. I loved the log flume, the fun house, the ferris wheel, the Gravitron. There wasn't a single ride I didn't like there. And during the day, I'd beg my mom to take me and my cousins to the waterpark on the end of Morey's Pier. We'd spend hours riding down the waterslides and tubing through the lazy river pool that ran the perimeter of the park.

As I got older, the boardwalk became a place for me to meet and hook up with guys, although the amusement rides never lost any of their appeal for me, either. I remember the painstaking process of getting ready to go out to the boardwalk at night: slapping on as much eyeshadow and lipgloss as possible, teasing up my hair and practically shellacking it with Aqua Net, and picking out just the right outfit in the hopes of finding a cute guy on the boards. I always despaired over my super-curly hair that went wild with frizz from the humidity of the coastal air.

Eventually, we stopped going to Wildwood, though I can't quite remember why. I guess I just grew out of it. Hard to believe I could outgrow something I loved so much, but that's life, I guess.

Until earlier this month, I hadn't been there in many years. I was happy to see that the boardwalk hasn't changed much, although it was much less crowded off-season. Gateway 26, my favorite arcade, is still there. Somewhere in my parents' attic, there is a Tupperware container with upwards of 20,000 Gateway 26 Skee-ball tickets. Too bad I didn't have them with me then! Sam's Pizza is still there. Kohr Brothers ice cream and Curley's Fries are still there, as is Douglas Fudge, of course.

The overwhelming number of new condominiums throughout Anglesea and North Wildwood did surprise me, though. It seemed like almost everything there was new construction. And expensive!

Here are a few pics. Enjoy!

Labels: childhood, family, friends, jersey shore, memories, nostalgia

I'm thinking of getting another tattoo.

I never thought I'd be adding to the collection at this point in my life. But I've been contemplating it for the past few weeks...and what I'm thinking of getting is a small double-F script tattoo (the Foo Fighters logo) somewhere on my back.



Much like the one shown here on Dave Grohl's neck, only smaller. This picture is from the cover of their album There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

So...am I crazy? Be honest.

Labels: decisions, Foo Fighters, premature mid-life crisis, tattoos

This cracks me up every time I see it...reminds me of how I was as a kid.

Labels: childhood, family guy, funny stuff, memories

He just took Ryan Gosling's place in Peter Jackson's adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones.

They'll be filming in the Philly burbs for the next six weeks.

Other big names in this film include Rachel Weisz (love her!), Susan Sarandon, and Stanley Tucci.

This week they're filming in the Paoli/Malvern area on a residential street. Not very far at all from where The Huz works.

Hmmm...I have off from work on Friday. Methinks I'll be doing some more Marky Mark stalking...

Labels: celebrities, local news, Mark Wahlberg, movies, The Lovely Bones

In a manner of speaking...



I installed it all by myself in my car last night. My parents also got me the optional Home Kit, but I haven't messed around with that yet.

Besides my iPod, this is the BEST thing ever!

How did I manage for so long without it???

Labels: life events, technology

OK.

I realize that what I’m about to say could be considered heresy by many, but I just can’t keep this thought to myself any longer:

How can anyone possibly enjoy listening to Bruce Springsteen? Especially 1970s-era Springsteen?

I’ve tried so hard for years to appreciate, if not truly like, his music. Really, I have. You know, since he’s a Jersey boy and all. I know people who wax endlessly poetic about him, that he’s an icon, blahblahblah.

But man, whenever I hear his voice, I just want to slit my wrists. To me, his singing resembles that of a drunken bricklayer’s who has commandeered the mike at Friday night karaoke in some dive bar. Tuneless, without any dynamics whatsoever, and just plain shitty.

If Hell exists, my own personal concept of it would be a place that plays an endless loop of The Boss.

Sorry, folks.

Labels: deep thoughts, music

I had to post this because Dave and Taylor are featured in it. Foo Fighters were last week's musical guest on SNL.

The synthesized theme song will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day, unfortunately.

People getting nailed in the face (even if it's not real)...just NEVER gets old for me!

Labels: Foo Fighters, funny stuff, TV

Since this is my blog and I get to call the shots, I'm declaring this next week "National Delurking Week!"

I know there are TONS of you who come across my little piece of the net...I can see you on my Statcounter.

In fact, I know that several of you Google "Poke a badger with a spoon blogger." Which means that you're not just "happening" onto my page, but specifically looking for it!

So please, don't be shy...say HELLO in my comments!

Labels: technology

Saw this on the highway recently.

It's moments like this that make me glad I keep my camera with me at all times.

Labels: funny stuff

It occurred to me today that I never did finish posting about our vacation.

After spending three nights in fabulous Las Vegas, we checked out of the Luxor and took a cab to the airport, where we rented a car and then started the three-hour drive to Yucca, Arizona.

Our drive took us past Lake Mead and over the Hoover Dam. We stopped for a quick lunch in Kingman, AZ, which is famous for being the heart of Route 66.

After getting off the highway and slowly driving over eleven miles of unpaved roads, we reached Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch.

The next four days went very quickly. We ate, relaxed, rode horses for several hours each day, and went sightseeing in nearby Oatman, AZ, an old mining-town-turned-tourist-trap, and Lake Havasu, which was gorgeous and is the new home of the London Bridge (yes, that London Bridge). It's also apparently the third most popular spring-break destination in the world. Who knew? We even managed to sneak off to California for a bit.

I can't say enough good stuff about Stagecoach Trails. The food was plentiful and delicious, and our three daily meals were included in the price of the vacation. All the guests ate together in the large dining room, along with the family who owns the ranch and the staff and horsewranglers. We were actually the only American guests there; most of the guests were British, and there were some Germans, an Italian couple, a Scottish couple, and a Welsh couple. It definitely made for interesting conversations. Did you know that most Europeans get at least six weeks' paid vacation each year?

One more thing: the night sky in the desert was incredible. We were so far away from any other sources of artificial light that it seemed like I could see half of the Milky Way!

We also got two horseback rides per day, one very early in the morning (6:30-ish) and one before dinner in the evening. I cannot describe how peaceful and beautiful the desert is, especially at sunrise.

I had a few reservations about riding a horse, but the wranglers at the ranch were awesome. Honestly, though, we didn't really get any heavy instruction on how to do it. The morning of our first ride, I mounted my horse and the wrangler told me, "If you want to stop, pull back firmly on the reins. If you want to go, give him a little heel in his ribs."

Then he walked away.

"Wait!" I called back to him. "Is that all?"

Just then, my horse came alive underneath me and I gasped. I was terrified on our first ride, but I quickly overcame my fear and then just fell in love with riding.

By the evening ride, we were trotting through the desert. And by the following morning, we were loping (not quite a gallop, but much faster than a trot) through the sandy washes. What a thrill! It was like flying. Actually, my first impression was that it was like riding a living, breathing, eight-foot-high motorcycle with a mind of its own. Just thrilling.

On Wednesday morning, the two of us went on a sunrise ride with just our wrangler Donald. He asked us if we wanted to lope, and we said absolutely! So we walked about a mile into the desert to a sandy wash and started running. We ran for a good bit, then slowed to a walk to cool the horses off.

Then Donald asked us if we wanted to lope some more, and we were off.

Unfortunately, this part of the sandy wash had some pretty thorny bushes and some sharp turns. Donald went first, then the Huz, and I took up the rear.

I watched Donald lean to the right in his saddle to avoid getting hit in the face by a thorn bush, then he disappeared around a corner.

Then I watched the Huz approach the same bush and turn. As he leaned to the right in his saddle, I suddenly saw him shift in his seat and realized that his saddle was coming loose!

He must've felt it too, because he started yelling for Donald to stop running. But Donald couldn't hear him.

Meanwhile, I was screaming hysterically, "Pull back on the reins! Pull back on the reins! Stop your horse!"

What happened next was both hilarious and incredibly frightening: the Huz was riding almost entirely on the right side of the horse because his saddle had shifted so far. Donald the wrangler was so far ahead of us that he didn't hear us yelling to stop.

Then the Huz decided to bail off the horse altogether. He slipped his feet from the stirrups and leapt off the right side of the horse, landing on his ass and then rolling several times in the deep sand.

Meanwhile, I was still running on my horse behind him. I watched him jump from the horse and immediately feared that my horse would trample him. So I pulled back on my horse's reins as hard as I could.

My horse stopped...but I kept on going! I flew up over the saddlehorn and sailed almost all the way over my horse's head. At the very last possible moment, I somehow managed to grab the horse's neck tightly enough to stop myself from going face-first into the sand. I wrapped both my arms and legs around the horse's neck and landed with my chin resting nearly between his ears.

Shocked, I looked over at the Huz, who was laying on his side in the sand and rubbing his elbows, coughing from the huge clouds of dust and sand that had been kicked up into the air from his sudden landing.

Then I started laughing.

I laughed so damn hard that my grip on my horse's neck loosened, and I wound up flipping over so that I was now hanging underneath my horse's neck. Still, I just could not stop cracking up!

Finally, between my sweaty palms and my uncontrollable laughter, I completely lost my grip on the horse and dropped flat on my back in the sand.

I laid in the sand for a few minutes, giggling helplessly. The Huz stood up and helped me up.

Looking around, I asked him, "Uh...where's your horse?"

Turns out the horse got so spooked by the ordeal that he just kept on going, and galloped right back to the ranch by himself, his saddle still hanging off him sideways.

At this point, Donald returned to us and asked us what had happened. We related the whole story to him and he asked us to stay put with my horse while he went to find the other one. Then he gave his horse a good firm kick and off he went.

A minute later, we were standing the middle of 85,000 acres of desert, all alone. My horse started pawing at the ground and making little grunting noises.

"Do you think we should start walking back to the ranch?" the Huz asked me.

"No way! He told us to stay right here and I'm listening to him. Besides, the desert trails all look the same. Our luck, we'd wind up getting totally lost and dying of heatstroke or something."

Twenty minutes passed and we could hear hoofbeats approaching. Donald appeared a few moments later, holding the reins of the runaway horse.

We remounted and walked back to the ranch just in time for breakfast. We were bruised and sore, but it made for such a great story! I only wish someone had captured it on video. We definitely would've won AFV's prize for it!


High noon gunfight in Oatman


Sunrise in the Mohave Desert


Sadly, Needles was more like South Central L.A.


Heading out on a ride


Tedd and Donald, two of the wranglers


Riding up Route 66 to Oatman


Lake Mead


Hoover Dam

Labels: memories, vacations

I will be watching these guys extremely up-close and personal!!!!



Can't wait, can't wait!

I so totally need this. My coworker was fired on Friday afternoon, somewhat unexpectedly, and now my workload has doubled. I've already been putting in some seriously long hours anyway. Now I might as well keep my pj's and slippers there.

Ugh.

Labels: concerts, Foo Fighters, music

Whew...that last post was pretty heavy, huh?

Moving right along, I figured I'd post what I think are the top ten worst album covers of all time. They speak for themselves.

Labels: funny stuff