I was searching for pictures of robot dogs when I stumbled upon Sony's Aibo. What a great, albeit expensive alternative for someone who wants a dog, but can't (allergies, no pets policy). He comes with a bone and ball he plays with. He will also dock himself into his charging unit and get up when he is recharged.

They also have a humanoid named Qrio (pronounced Curio). He is really amazing....he can walk up stairs, dance, recognize and talk and with you, access the internet for you. Maybe I have watched Robocop a few too many times, but he sorta scares me. What if he stares at you... brrrrr.

I think I would take the puppy first.

posted on 1/31/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Has anyone noticed this new genre of movie where a certain past time is overly dramatized and leads to two factions facing off with lots off jeering, threats and competitions? Movies like "Torque" and "You Got Served" are the most recent. Some past movies have been "The Fast and the Furious" and "Bring it On".

This is the general theme..."Oh you think you can drive/bike/cheer/breakdance?!! Well I can drive/bike/cheer/breakdance better than you!" "Oh yeah!? I don't think so! I am the best driver/biker/cheerleader/breakdancer!! Let's go!" Fast paced driving/biking/cheerleading/breakdancing then ensues. I really need to coin a term for these.

I would really love it if someone made a spoof film where chess players or polka dancers face off.

posted on 1/30/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I grew up with a weimaraner, so I really enjoy visiting Oliver Daily every day.

I especially got a kick out of the recent instructional "how to tell Hugo and Oliver apart." Almost makes me want to get another pug, so I can create just such a thing. Maybe I could do "how to tell Oscar and Aaron apart." Hah!

posted on 1/29/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I almost forgot about this picture I took with my phone a couple of weeks ago. Back story. Creme Brulee is a favorite dessert of Aaron and I. So when I ordered one at Hick's and McCarthy without him, I felt a mild twinge of guilt.

Imagine my surprise when it came out on a plate decorated with raspberry syrup "A's". Turn's out the dessert chef's boyfriend's name starts with an A... but still... it was freaky. I ate it all anyhow.

posted on 1/28/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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The Oscar nominations are out and I have about a half dozen movies to see to cover all the nominees (not including foreign and shorts). I'll have to start looking for movie themed food for my Fifth Annual Oscar's party. Stuff like "Master and Commander" fish and chips or cheese and garlic "Seabisquits".

Must also start trying to convince Oscar that the party is not all about him.

posted on 1/27/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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We had our fourth annual Cookiepalooza at work and I made Butter Toffee Cookie Lollipops. I got several votes for best looking cookies, but Tina's yummy little frosted animal sugar cookies took the prize.

The recipe I used was really easy, the recipe and pictures are on the Cookie Lollipop project page, but they took forever to make. I had to let the cookies cool completely to get them out of the pan. That leaves too much time for snacking on the finished cookies. Dangerous.

posted on 1/26/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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What a coincidence that right after I get bedtime lotion that I acquire a feather bed. I spotted this Ralph Lauren feather bed at Sam's Club for a very reasonable price and stuffed it into my cart immediately.

I couldn't wait to get it home and test it out. It's wonderfully fluffy. Even Oscar seemed to sleep better.

It's become one of those things that I don't understand how I got by without previously. My slumber ensemble is complete!

posted on 1/25/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I have been using Johnson's Baby Bedtime Bath for quite awhile. I find it to be very soothing for bubble baths right before I hit the sack.

Now they have Bedtime Lotion. I enjoy my sleep so much that I am instantly attracted to any bedtime accoutrements. I can attest that the lotion is just as soothing and sleep inducing as the bubble bath. No point in letting the babies have all the fun.

posted on 1/24/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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When I told Matt about the Dinosaur BBQ pulled pork that was waiting at home for me in the crock pot, he told me about a recipe for Root Beer pulled pork. I found this recipe....

Root Beer Pork: 1 (4 to 5 pound) pork loin, 1 (12 ounce) can root beer, 1 small onion, finely chopped, 1 clove garlic, minced, Root Beer Sauce: 1 (12 ounce) can root beer, 12 ounces chili sauce
Bake pork loin, root beer, onion and garlic in crock pot on LOW for 7 to 8 hours. Drain and shred meat.Combine sauce ingredients in saucepan and simmer until reduced by half. Serve with shredded pork.

I don't know why I am so fascinated by recipes that use soda. I really liked the coca-cola ham I did for Easter and I have a recipe for 7-up Cake somewhere. I also found recipes for Root Beer Cookies, Root Beer Bread and an entire Root Beer Cookbook. Mmmmm... cooking with soda pop!

posted on 1/23/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Have you seen the new Jack Johnson video, Taylor? It has Ben Stiller in it, trying to tell Jack how to act during the filming of the video and Jack completely ignoring him.

Then Ben has a daydream that he is the star of the video, surfing and hanging out on the beach. I imagine some people were annoyed that Ben interupts the song. I thought it was really funny, and if you are a Ben Stiller fan, you'll get a kick out of it.

posted on 1/22/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I know I have mentioned Dinosaur BBQ here before. It is the best BBQ place in Rochester. Well, tonight we made Dinosaur BBQ pulled pork in the crock pot. It was gewwwwd. Dinosaur sells it's BBQ sauce in bottles and you can get it at Wegmans.

All you do is buy shoulder roast pork, (the fatty stuff... the more expensive kind won't fall off the bone), let it simmer in the crock pot with a cup of water while you are at work, pour the water off the cooked pork, tear it up with a fork, add a bottle (or more if you like) of the Dinosaur BBQ sauce and let it simmer for a bit longer.

Slap some pork into a bun and yum! I love crock pot cooking!

posted on 1/21/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I had some Christmas money that I alloted for snowboots. Considering where I live, I decided I needed real snowboots. And I don't mean the hiking boot style or snow clogs. I have plenty of those. When there is three feet of snow on the ground, what good are those? I hate that yucky feeling of snow slipping into the top of your short boot or wet pant cuffs on the back of your legs. I wanted sturdy insulated boots that came up to my knees!

I didn't find any that came up to my knees, but I found some pretty good boots in the women's shoe section. Then I spotted nearly the same boots in the kid's section. I thought "I can fit in those!" And I could! In fact I needed one size smaller than their biggest kids size. And they were half the price. So I am now tromping around in a pair of kids Columbia snow boots.

Inspired by my success, I peeked into Gap kids during their big sale, and scored a striped Mr. Rogers sweater way marked down. This may be the beginning of a trend for me.

posted on 1/20/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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This evening I noticed a little box with a bow around it in Aaron's shirt pocket. It was my 9 year dating anniversary gift that had long last arrived. We have been waiting for Fed Ex to deliver it since December.

It was a little bunny charm for my Links of London charm bracelet. So cute! I wish they made little pug charms too.

posted on 1/19/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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This is Aaron in the backyard trying out the snowshoes I got him for Christmas. It seems as though it has been snowing non-stop since the holidays, so he had plenty of snow to work with. The little tan blob behind him is Oscar chasing him.

Getting Aaron snowshoes was somewhat devious. Obviously, I now need snowshoes. Heh heh. I want to hit the snowshoe trails at Mendon Ponds Park.

posted on 1/18/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I love the cute little patterned take out gift boxes from Marcel Schurman. I think it would be cool to make your own. I found this take out box template.

It might be hard to find thick paper that had a cool pattern, so you could glue a prettier paper to a thicker stock and cut the template out of that. Maybe use ribbon instead of wire handles. I was thinking about making these as favors for my wedding, but I picture myself up at three in the morning the day before furiously cutting and folding. So maybe not.

posted on 1/17/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I was flipping through a magazine when I saw what I thought was a row of sweaters hanging in a refridgerator. It was actually part of the new Whirlpool Family Studio. What I saw was a Dryaire drying station. Instead of draping your clothes over the shower rod you hang them in this and it will dry your stuff in a couple hours.

But to have a true Family Studio you also need the Duet washer and drier, SinkSpa jetted sink, Impress ironing station and Personal Valet clothes vitalizing station. Can you imagine? Someone would come to your house and comment, "Oh what a nice home office!" "Oh no... that's our laundry room."

My rusty washer is looking mighty sad down in the basement.

posted on 1/16/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Next Thursday is the Chinese New Year and it will be the year of the Green Wood Monkey. The anticipation of the event has caused a run on Funky Monkey underwear. Underwear has never been at the forefront of my mind at the turn of a new year, but this seems to be a common theme.

When Tina returned from her new years trip to Brazil two years ago she informed me that revelers in that country wear certain colored underwear on new years for certain fortunes. Yellow = money, red = passion, pink = love and white = peace. Seeing as how they also like to wear white clothes at new years I imagine it might come to your attention that your Uncle Ralph is hoping for some moolah in the coming year.

posted on 1/15/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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While I am on the subject of ingenious marketing ideas, check out these Bubble Nails. You snap them over your freshly polished wet nails and then go about your day, brushing your dog, reroofing the garage. These little pink plastic blobs will keep your manicure from smudging until it dries! Clev-ah!

Ok, so I saw these in my sister's YM magazine... I was reading it for the articles!

posted on 1/14/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Move over pet rocks... here is something fattier... My Pet Fat. The idea is that you tote this chunk of faux fat about with you to remind you that "A moment on the lips, a grueling, arduous, lifetime on the hips."

While a glob of fat sitting at your table may keep you from eating the bacon cheeseburger, it will probably upset the appetites of everyone else around you too. I think if I had a Pet Fat, Pet Fat would have a little accident and get backed over by Mr. Volkswagen.

posted on 1/13/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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The Oscars are by far my favorite award show. But the Golden Globes are not to be ignored, as they seem to be good indicators of what is to come for the Oscar nominations. The Golden Globes are on January 25 and this year the Oscars have been moved up to February 29, nearly a month early than usual. I thought that was strange.

From what I can gather from looking at the Golden Globe nominees and magazines... the movies to watch this year are... "Cold Mountain", "LOTR: The Return of the King", "Master and Commander", "Mystic River", "Big Fish" and "Lost in Translation". These movies turn up over and over again in each category.

As a side note, today is the last day to place nominations for "The Bloggies".

posted on 1/12/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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When we were going into the theatre to see Big Fish, I noticed there was a new paint-your-own-pottery shop a couple of doors down.

Color Me Mine looked bright and cheerful with a wall full of pottery choices. Ever since I had Aaron's birthday party at a p-y-o-p place a few years ago, I have come up with lots of ideas to go back and try out.

I might have to go in and do a few lightswitch covers soon.

posted on 1/11/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Today we went to a new restaurant by the canal called Simply Crepes.

They have any sort of crepe you can imagine! From strawberry crepes to beef stroganoff crepes.

I was in heaven. I had a breakfast crepe... eggs, bacon and cheese rolled up in a crepe. Then we split a caramel apple crepe with vanilla ice cream.

They will be seeing a lot of us there.

posted on 1/10/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Chuck and Tina came over for some cotton candy from my new Old Fashioned Cotton Candy maker. I have to admit, I didn't think it would work as well as it does. I keep exclaiming loudly..."It works! I really works!"

We have been using the sugar mixture that came in the kit, but you can also use regular sugar. You add kool-aid for color and flavor. That means we can experiment with a whole variety of flavors! Grape cotton candy here I come!

posted on 1/09/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I was going through my holiday pictures and found this one.

For Christmas I got my sister a pink striped sweater and insisted she wear it to Grandmas. Then I went and put on my green version.

Hah hah! Matchy, matchy! How sneaky am I? She underestimated my sneakiness and was powerless to resist. She is smiling on the outside, but inside she is overcome by the stripes. Hah hah!

posted on 1/08/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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My New Years resolution is to be better about staying in touch with friends and remembering birthdays. I was excited to find the Hallmark card organizer, reduced price if you buy three cards... an organizing junkies dream.

It also comes with point specials, another weakness of mine. I like to rack points up on my movie card, Aunt Annies pretzel card, DSW Shoe Card, Freshens Frozen Yogurt Card, Subway card.....

posted on 1/07/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Too cute! Illegally cute. I have been holding out on getting an iPod for all this time. I mess around with iTunes thinking... "mmmm if only I had an iPod". Well I don't think I can resist anymore. Look at the iPod Minis. Pink or green?! Pink or green?! How far off is Valentines Day?!

posted on 1/06/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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A new month, a new year, a new banner. For those of you who have wondered why Aaron never makes it into my banners, you will be pleased to note that he is in this one. See him? Heh heh.

posted on 1/06/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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We'rrrrre back! We were gone for two weeks and I am exhausted from all the visting and eating and traveling. Here are a few pics I took with my phone....

Aaron posing with a manequin outside of an army surplus store, making my first batch of cotton candy with the cotton candy machine Aaron got me for Christmas, winding embroidery thread onto cards with the thread spinner my grandma got me, me and a donkey named Hee at a local farm, Oscar soaking up holiday attention, oh and this last picture of Torty eating lunch was actually taken by Tina and sent to me... she and Chuck were tortoise sitting him while we were gone.

posted on 1/05/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Something appears to be wrong with my comments... it's not me but the blogback service... I can't get to the blogback website either. Ah well.

posted on 1/05/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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This years handmade mass quantity gift was a 2004 Oscar calendar from Cafe Press and little felt tree holders to hold them rolled up.

Ordering gifts online may reduce mall shopping stress, but it brings on a whole new stress. Shipping stress. I had ordered these calendars at the begining of the month, they shipped a week later, and then I spent three weeks nervously wondering where they were. They arrived in the nick of time.

I spent that time waiting for them, cutting felt and making the holders. More pictures on the 2004 Oscar Calendar project page.

posted on 1/04/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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I made Joel's kids the Martha towel capes for Hannukah this year.

All it took were some brightly colored towels and felt. Each girl has her initial superman style on the back.

I like how Hannah's is super purple... her favorite color.

They came out so cute, I think I need one to wear around the house.

More pictures on the towel cape project page.

posted on 1/03/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Since all presents should be handed out, I can go ahead and reveal the projects I had been working on.

This was a shirt I made for Tina as a Christmas gift.

I had seen a t-shirt in LA that had an initial sewed on in somewhat the same manner. (but it didn't have a square behind it)

See how I did it on the Heart Shirt project page.

posted on 1/02/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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Happy New Year everyone!

posted on 1/01/2004 :: link :: (0) comments

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