Rubber Ducky....

Happy day after the Super Bowl! Two fabulous parties later, I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet day. Not really a big football fan, I usually mindlessly root for the team that has the coolest colored uniforms or the team that gives me the best odds in the pools. And I look horrible in green, so the Steelers were my team. But wait! With Troy Polamalu (that name is soooo fun to say!) and Clay Matthews, there is HAIR to consider! Whoo Hoo--now your talkin' my language! Grown men in spandex and flowing locks. Certainly a trend to consider..And the Black Eyed Peas rocked the half time. Finally a musical show not featuring an old, tired band. When I had the pleasure of attending the Super Bowl in Detroit, the Rolling Stones were the entertainment, and they have most definitely have gathered moss. I know. As usual, I am a waste of a ticket. The game did not disappoint and I won 150.00 smackeroos on the betting squares!! Never mind that it cost me 100.00 to do it!

Sooo, what a perfect day to prematurely indulge in the little known 'holiday' that is 'celebrated' on February 09, called "Reading in the Bathtub Day"! I was very chagrined when the jets on my Jacuzzi did not cooperate in making massive bubbles and foam. I had my heart set on a Mr. Bubbles soap beard and afro for my pic. Drat! But you get the drift..

Drifts! Survived the blizzard with very little effort. With the fireplace on and pets layin' on me, we snuggled in and watched the snow globe that was our backyard. Denzel Washington stayed snug in the garage till all was plowed the next day. I had a memories flashback when being reminded of blizzards up north as kids. I will tell of those times in a later post.

Have a warm, happy week and stay 'up' as these gray days of winter are upon us. You can always read a good book in the bathtub. Bubbles preferred. xxoo

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend...

"A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girls best friend......"

Me and my dollfriends, Kara and Mandy are pictured here at a cocktail party hosted by Kara's family recently. Had a wonderful time doin' what I do best--mixin' and minglin', seein' and bein' seen! These two darlings are the 'diamond girls' at Atlas Jewelers and I would like to recommend them for all your jewelry needs. They are knowledgeable, creative and very helpful in choosing or designing all things blingy. And, obviously, they look fabulous while doing it. Find their new store at 23 and Van Dyke and stop in. Tell 'em Jodi sent you. xx

Word on the street is that we are in for a major snowstorm sometime in the area of Tuesday. A foot more snow is possibly on the way, so you know what that means. Yep, a total pain in the ass for all on the roads and maybe more school closing. If I was up north, I would love to be skiing in the fresh powder, but that will not happen in the middle of the week. So, get your bread, milk, candles and such and be prepared to weather another one.

By the way, the Miami trip (all 28 hours of it) was a total success. Got most of what we needed all picked out. I must comment that the cabbies in Miami are the best! They are so helpful and informative when it comes to showing off their city. Downtown Miami is much like our own Detroit, with it's beauty and danger all at one time. The art and shopping are crazy cool and I will get back there when I have a larger time frame to enjoy it. Till then, it's winter wonderland and countin' the days until spring.

Happy Birthday to my nephew, Dylan, who turns 17 today. The best is yet to come, babe.. xoxo

Miami.....

Hello Dears. Witness here myself and Mark (The Walking Man) as I cajole him into a hug and a photo last week when we met for coffee. The frosty January day was made brighter as we shared joe and caught up on each others lives.

Mark has always got more writing going on than I do, and when I commented on a recent poem of his, he pulled it up and patiently went over it with me. His spoken word with it's purposeful inflection help me to understand it better. We also talked of his work with the children of Detroit, (don't remember what school) and his efforts to help them with their numbers and letters as they peck away on his laptop. I shared with him that I recently signed up for Big Brothers/Big Sisters in Detroit. After what proves to be a long, reference and background check, I hope to be placed with a child. I will keep y'all posted on that venture that will surely be as much for me as it is for the child..


Jetting off for a quick overnight trip to Miami on Monday. It's not as glam as it sounds, tho. Waking up at 5:00 with a quick coffee, skipping my workout and hauling it down to Detroit Airport in the early morning frost is just the start. The parking, shuttle and feel up by the TSA comes next. I abhor walking barefoot thru the check while getting scanned and patted down while possibly contracting a nasty fungus or something similar!! And the lines to get coffee will be crazy long. GRrrrrrr, it makes me CRABBY!


Remember when flying used to be glamorous? We would get kinda snazzed up and enjoy complimentary food AND cocktails. At DTW at 6:00 ayem it's more like 'Night of the Living Dead' with people--not just kids-schlubbing around in their pajamas as if the the early hour somehow deems this appropriate. GROSS. Now after being treated like common criminals, MAYBE we will get peanuts (just what I need to add to the inevitable bloat!) and a $10.00 cocktail made weak with cheap vodka. All paid on a credit card because they do not accept cash! WTF?..Anyways the trip is just overnight for business. The business of SHOPPING!!! We are embarking on a remodel project at the condo and if you ever have visited the Keys, you already know that it's a great place to buy t-shirts, fishing equipment, and hand blown pipes. So, Miami is where we will ferret out the deals we need to get the project movin'. Be back late Tuesday night where I hear a slight warm up is due. After 2 days of 78 degree weather, I sure hope so.

Still have one eye on the last football game that will determine who will join the Green Bay Packers at Superbowl. Took a long nap during the previous game because the sound of 'crowd noise' and only a passing interest tend to clunk me out. So, who's your pick and do you even give a fat fig? We have already been invited to 2 parties--and that's really my interest. Just need to know what team jersey I'll be sportin'.

That's all I have in the name of riveting triviality for y'all today. Have a great week and keep warm! xoxo

Detroit Thang....

Can you go to any further extremes than we did this weekend? Let me explain. On Friday night we were guests at the Black Tie Event at the Detroit Auto Show. Wined and dined on the 70Th floor of the Marriott, piano player and all. Then, cocktails in hand, we were escorted to a heated shuttle and delivered to Cobo for the big event. Another reception awaited us that included all the goodies AND complimentary foot massages for us dip shits who insist on crazy heels. Then the show itself with, yes, more champagne and lovely 'auto show models' looking gorgeous and bored. (made me think of our darling, Michelle, (Michelle's Spell) when back in the day she, too was the eye candy!) Anyways, the vehicles only moderately interest me with the fashion being waayyyy more exciting. And it did not disappoint. Detroit peeps can turn the shit out when it comes to seein' and bein' seen. And the madness continued back on the 70th. floor for desserts, the piano man, and, yup, more booze..

After recovering with coffee on Saturday morning and NOT seein' my face in the fashion 'don'ts' pages of the morning papers, I had to get it together for a 4:00 departure time back downtown for the 40Th birthday party of Detroit's own, Kid Rock. Thankfully most of the hard stuff, (massage, eyebrows threaded, haircolored, pedicure, etc.) survived from yesterdays prep. I told my Mom, when she called mid facial, that it now takes me twice as long to look half as good. She did not disagree..

Kid Rock did not dissappoint as he trotted out many of his besties to add to the entertainment. Lucky enough to have scored a suite--our view was great. Even if you don't appreciate his music, the spectacle was unmatched. Again the people watchin' was supreme. I love the energy and was treated to a steady contact high in addition to the vodka drinks! Whoo hoo, that's alot for this old chick...

As you can guess, today I'm movin' kinda slow at the junction. Newspapers, naps, crummy t.v. and Chinese takeout being on the agenda today. Oh yea, and maybe some internet shoppin'. Anyone know where I can find a lighted fur coat and hat?

Rock and Roll.....

Bye the grace of God, and some powerful drugs, I am FINALLY able to sit up and take nourishment. Yes, nine days total of suffering have left me weak but ready to join the land of the living. Lola thought it was probably the best week of her little, furry life with my availability as a snuggle partner moving from bed to sofa and back with very little action in between. I stupidly waited a week longer than I should have to get meds, stubbornly thinking I could kick the misery on my own. My doc rolled her eyes and wrote up the magic potion that gave me a reason to live after 24 hours of ingestion. Just want to say, if ya get started with this thing, run--don't walk to the doctors, as the symptoms can go on a month without treatment. Stubborn bravado doesn't lessen the damn thing....

So, it was on Saturday night that I went from rollin' to rockin'. Yeah, I know. Corny but true. I visited the Emerald Theatre for the second time in as many months. Friends got us interested in the E.T's 10 year anniversary party with 5 local bands doing a limited ticket, up close performance. I was a little nervous as the whole party wasn't starting UNTIL 9:00--an hour which I usually am starting to wind things down. I also am very impatient with no valet service and a long walk across a parking lot in pictured heels coupled with the lack of a coat check that makes you drag around the warm coat necessary for the frigid temps. Three hundred people crowding the main door while getting a cig break witnessed a crabby woman in a leopard fur coat bitchin' and elbowing my way to get thru. (You burn this coat and I will have to put my size 7 1/2 alongside of your head. The fact that there seemed to be one bartender for every 200 people does nothing to improve my mood although the lack of bathrooms is less tolerable with fewer cocktails. That being said...

The bands were great. Loud, but great. Altho the dude enjoying his opiate nap didn't seem to think so. We got up close and enjoyed everything from rap to hip hop to metal. Paradime's rapping was inspired even tho I do not particularly like that type genre. I enjoyed the bass guitar and drum segment of The Howling Diablos band. As usual, the people watching was superb with mohawks, tattoos and piercing galore. Lotsa skin was also on parade by chickies teetering around with giant platform shoes. At least 20 of said chickies were purported to be dating someone in Critical Bill. Ummm, interesting stats for a 5 man band.

At 1:30, as things wrapped up, I opted not to go out for breakfast, which was the next logical step after a rock n roll night such as this. Had a ball, but was ready for it all to go away. Nope, all partied out. So, home with heels off and eyeliner removed, the now logical plan was bed. So much for my rock experience. In ten years on their next anniversary I hope they have Tom Jones and I hope his set starts at 7:00! Cuz that's how I roll....xo

Blue Bayou.....

Happy New Year everybody. Note the lack of exclamation point which is highly unusual for me. I have been down with a virus for almost a week now and have no real enthusiasm for anything. I have an upper respiratory infection that moved into my larynx resulting in two days of voicelessness. No comments from the peanut gallery please. Back atch'all next week with something more in the way of a post. Till then please pray for my sick ass. Thanks and hugs. xo

It's All Good...

Tiger, tiger burning bright....Check out Lola's bright eyes, as they match the Christmas tree! By the grace of God, I still have a modicum of holiday spirit left to pose for this silly pic.

The last few days were the promised logistical nightmare with the whirlwind of travel and activities, but I survived-none too much worse for the wear. We had a wonderful holiday, despite, with family, food and fun. But of course, there is no place like home for this home girl.

So, today I planned a 'schedule' quite the opposite of the one I just wrapped up. Kinda like a little holiday detox. Please read and keep up if you can.

9:30 wake up without 'aid' and stretch luxuriously. Pinch more-than-an-inch on tummy and vow to hit my treadmill later. And lay off the cookies. Avoid bathroom scale like the black plague. Stumble down a put on coffee and head out to collect days worth of papers and mail. Sip and read for hours. Brunch on cookies.
12:30 reheat leftover lasagna from my sister's restaurant, followed by more cookies. Scrumptious!
1:00 snuggle with Lola and consider treadmill thing.
1:30 shower and nap in front of fireplace till 4:00. Upon waking, more stretching and then ordering 'Sex and the City II" on ppv. Zone out in chick flick heaven. Admire the muscle tone on the 'fabulous four'! Consider doing some crunches, later.
7:00 reheat more leftovers and dine with my family.
8:00 check computer sites and write blog.
9:00 eat more cookies while reading 'Shape' magazine and vow to actually get in shape.
10:00 prepare to call it a day and go to bed. My personal 12 step has me done with indulgence and ready to join reality. After about 10 more hours of sleep.

In case I haven't done it, let me say Merry Christmas to all of you. Rest well tonight--normalcy begins tomorrow. xoxo P.S. the weather promises a warm week with temps in the high 30's by Thursday. Whoo hoo!