July 31, 2007 | BlogHer, Other Bloggers, Pictures

I will try to get around to telling you more about my trip to Chicago (aka the obligatory BlogHer recap post) but in the meantime this picture goes out to all of you bloggers that chose going to see The Police at Fenway instead of going to BlogHer.

(If you can’t read it, Mrs. Chicky and I are holding a sign that says “Way Better than Sting”. And while it may not be true, it sure is funny.)

July 28, 2007 | BlogHer

Even though I still have great animosity towards Mary and I am still peeved about the cancelled flight and non-apologetic tone of the people at the gate when they did cancel my flight, American Airlines does have some kind and responsible employees.

I got a call yesterday from the pilot that flew me from D.C. to St. Louis. (I assuming he is a pilot. He referred to himself as “The Captain”. I guess he could just be a flight attendant with a really funny nickname that speaks about himself in third person.)

The Captain said that he found my drivers license on the plane.

I wish I had written down his name. I would tell you how wonderful he was.

He is sending me my drivers license.

Customer service is not dead. I mean - it is in the customer service industry, but some professionals still care.

(ps - I am sitting next to Bossy as I write this, and you are not. Well, unless you are Jessica and then you are too, but the rest of you aren’t.)

July 27, 2007 | BlogHer, Proof of My Immaturity, Questions For You

Guess who lost her drivers license on an airplane in Missouri yesterday?

That’s right. You heard me. I left my i.d. on an airplane in St. Louis (I blame the Rams).

What kind of idiot loses her drivers license when she knows she has to fly home?

Me and her.

While I openly admit that I am a moron, and I should have put my id away but I am still going to complain. Today I will complain in letter form.

Dear Mary at American Airlines in St. Louis,

Yes. It is my fault that I am too stupid to keep track of my picture identification, however you don’t have to be a dick about it.

I mean - thanks for looking in the seat I ended up in. But you couldn’t check the other seat? It isn’t as if I were playing Chinese fire drill. Your company is the one who cancelled my first flight, that is the whole reason I was in St. Louis in the first place. I was supposed to have a direct non-stop flight to Chicago.

So don’t be a jerk to me.  You know the TSA rules. Why do you think it is a totally reasonable to send my only form of photo id to my house by regular mail when YOU KNOW FOR A FACT I AM FLYING TO CHICAGO? You don’t have to roll your eyes at me, you don’t have to ask in your especially sarcastic voice who is going to pay to overnight you license to your hotel?

Because you know what? I am on my way to a blogging conference. I know your job is tough. I know that people come to you with their problems all day long, but your company (American Airlines) is the one who is cancelling all the flights and losing everyone’s luggage.

And I can see your name tag, Mary. Mary at the American Airlines gate in St. Louis. And I am going to tell the whole interweb that you were a jerk to me yesterday.

Suck it, Your Nemesis, Sincerely,

Sarah

July 25, 2007 | All Me All Day, BlogHer

I have been running around the house like a maniac all day long. We haven’t gone anywhere, I’ve just been running aournd the house.

And I can’t get anything done.

The kids are finally napping, but since Ian fell asleep in his bed and Claudia fell asleep in my bed I can’t pack for me OR for them.

I have to have all of this done by the morning.

Who else thinks I’ll be throwing in one extra load of laundry at 5:00 am?

July 24, 2007 | Questions For You, TV

Gabe and I are suckers for all those reality cooking shows. We watch Top Chef and Who Wants to Be the Next Food Network Star and Hell’s Kitchen.

We were watching Hell’s Kitchen last week and we started talking about how Gordon Ramsay used to play professional soccer.

Naturally this became a conversation about who would win a pick up game between Ramsay and King Diamond.

Who would win if it was Gordon Ramsay verses Bruce Dickinson (yes, that Bruce Dickinson)?

Well, now we have three guys, so they could play on teams, except we were having trouble coming up with a fourth ex-professional soccer player that would be equally hilarious.

We discussed Vinnie Jones or Sylvester Stallone (in Victory) but neither of them really seemed to round out one of the teams.

Hi. My name is Sarah and I stayed up until one o’clock in the morning trying to find a better picture of Bruce Dickinson. This was the best I could find. So please help us figure out another soccer player so that King Diamond, Gordon Ramsay and Bruce Dickinson will not have uneven teams.

Clearly we need help.

July 23, 2007 | I Love Beer, Questions For You, Uncategorized

My friend Lori has some question for you about cameras. I promised her that I would ask you a long time ago and then I completely forgot.

I do things like that a lot.

But first - FIRST THE COOLEST THING EVER. BEHOLD:

My swag came. My swag came. My swag came.

[jumping up and down like a lunatic]

The best part?

My key chains open beer.  

This is crucial, people. Sierra Nevada no longer has twist off caps.

Okay. Back to what I was saying before. Lori is getting ready to invest in a new camera. Now for her questions. Take it away, Lori.

Questions:

1.  What’s the difference between the Nikon D40X (NOT THE D40) and the Nikon D80? (other than the lens that is packaged with it?)

2.  Being a complete amateur, which would you buy? - considering I’m interested in becoming better and the videographer in the house is wanting to try his hand at it.

3.  Any input from Canon lovers?  Convince me why Canon is better, aside from the price.

4.  I see there are other manufacturers of lenses, other than Canon/Nikon, (ie. Sigma, Mercury) any thoughts here? Is it worth buying the real deal or are the cheaper manufacturers just as good? 

Let us know if you have any advice on cameras. Oh what? What was that? You need to see my superfly SATGS key chain bottle opener again? No problem.

You all know you want one.

If there are any left after BlogHer there may be some contests where you can win one. Then you can think of me every time you open your beer.

Parenting, TV, The Blue One, The Goon Squad

Ian: Woah! Mommy! You are driving so fast!

Me: No I’m not. I am driving 35 miles per hour. That isn’t fast at all. We go twice this fast on the interstate.

Ian: You are driving moderato.

Thanks Leo and Quincy. I didn’t learn the word moderato until college.

Who says tv isn’t good for kids?

It would be cool if The Little Einsteins could try explaining the cirle of fifths next. I never could quite grasp that concept.

July 21, 2007 | Randomness

For your viewing pleasure:

Don’t put him down as arrogant. (Thanks Frank Sucks)

I can’t get two people to smile at the camera at the same time and somehow they got 1500 inmates to do the Thriller dance. (Thanks Jeff)

You are going to think I’m insane, but I think I like Victoria Beckham. If you missed the special (as I did) and be charmed (as I was) by someone who you thought was just a stupid Spice Girl (like we all did).

If you don’t want to watch the whole thing just watch this part with Perez Hilton.

July 20, 2007 | Parenting

On Monday I went to the dentist and got three fillings.

This afternoon I took The Goon Squad to the grocery store.

Guess which one was more pleasant.

(I’ll give you a hint. I’m going back to the dentist on August 6th. I have no immediate plans to take my kids anywhere ever again.)

Parenting, Potty Training, The Pink One

Another day of potty training, another pair of Dora underpants with poop in them.

(sigh)

(How gross would it be if I posted a picture of that? Ick.)

On a much happier note, Ian peed in the potty yesterday. He was standing up and everything. We clapped and yelled and cheered. It was lovely.

Stickers work for Claudia. Candy works for Ian.

He wanted circle candy. The kind that Grandpa got for him. I assumed he meant Hershey’s Kisses. The bottom is a circle and when we were in Tampa earlier this month, my Dad was bribing The Squad to drink milk by offering them Hershey’s Kisses.

I gave Ian a chocolate kiss and he totally lost his mind.

NO! THE CIRCLE KIND LIKE GRANDPA GIVED ME!

The freakshow wanted gelt.

Maybe a year and a half ago my father gave my children some gelt. I don’t even know how he remembered it. He is only three years old. I’m guessing he wasn’t even two yet the last time he had gelt.

Plus, it tastes pretty gross.

My boy, who knows almost nothing about any religion is after Chanukah candy in the middle of July.

Grocery shopping today is going to rule.

You know. As strange as it is, if it works I’ll do it. I am beginning to get desperate with this whole potty training thing. School starts in September and I just know that Ian is going to be the only kid in his class still wearing pull ups.

Except maybe his sister. She is doing a great job with the peeing, but the pooping isn’t going as well. I know if she ever gets constipated all I will have to do is put her in a pair of Dora the Explorer underpants and within 15 minutes Dora and Boots will be befouled.

I guess that is something.

Okay, we’re off to the store to buy bananas, gelt, pull ups and beer. Lots and lots of beer.