Today Is A Sports Wrap-up - Sorry ... Not Sorry - LOL

It was a relaxing Sunday filled with football and hockey. The Minnesota Vikings (football) are of course, long out of the run, but after Saturday and Sunday's games, we're down to four teams for the Conference Finals. Those will be held this weekend, then we'll have two weeks until SuperBowl. So, victorious and moving into the Final Four are the Ravens, the 49er's (in a VERY tight game against Green Bay), the Lions,and Kansas City (in a squeaker over the Buffalo Bills). It was an awesome day of football. 

So, the Conference Finals are next weekend. the AFC 
and the NFC champions will then play each other in 
the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 11th. Right now, 
The Detroit Lions will Play San Francisco for the NFC 
Championship, and Kansas City will play Baltimore 
for the AFC. Kansas won a squeaker last night, and I 
was SO hoping they would lose. But, now it's up to 
the Ravens to stop KC from getting another step closer 
to another Super Bowl win. 

In ice hockey, Minnesota totally crushed the Carolina Hurricanes and Karil Kaprisov had a hat trick (that's three goals in a single game for those of you who don't follow hockey). That was fantastic, so pleased for him. It seems he's finally getting his skates under him once again, and it's about time! In other games, the Senators beat Philadelphia, Detroit pulled out a squeaker over the Lightning, and the Islanders beat the Dallas Stars. Add in the Rangers trouncing the Ducks and the Maple Leafs crushing the Kraken and it was a totally satisfying weekend of ice hockey too. We have one more week of regular season games before settling down for a minor break while All-Star Weekend takes place February 1-3. The week following that will be Super Bowl weekend, and then I'll be relying on hockey only for a while until the great sports desert of the summer months. 

Karill Kaprisov scored his second career "hat trick" for the 
Minnesota Wild yesterday. For those of you not familiar 
with ice hockey terminology, a "hat trick" means scoring 
three goals in a single game. They're rare, and always 
worth celebrating. The Wild went on to win that game. 

Yes, there's something called the Olympics that will be going on in Paris from July 26 - August 11, and I'm quite sure I'll be watching it because I enjoy the Olympics, and because I'll be sports starved by that time. LOL But that's just a bridge until football and hockey seasons pick up again. I'm not a baseball fan (there's just not enough action to interest me), but I'm quite sure DH will be watching whatever baseball he can. He's a fan of the sport. We're both watching whether Joe Mauer will be elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame or not. It's looking good for the former Cretin High School alumni. DH also attended Cretin, although Joe was a few years ahead of him - I think he shared his class with DH's older brother, if I remember correctly. Still, it would be a great honor and well deserved - Mauer was an awesome player for many years with the Minnesota Twins organization. 

Joe Mauer was a three-sport athlete when he was in High 
School and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins at the same 
time that he was the #1 quarterback recruit in the country, 
and he was pretty darned good with basketball too. But, 
he signed with the Minnesota Twins in the 2001 draft 
and stayed with them throughout his career. Local Boy 
Makes Good could easily be the headline if he is 
elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. 

So, today's post has turned into a sports recap. Sorry about that, for those of you who don't do sports. I don't populate my blog with sports news that often, but we're getting down to Super Bowl in football, and it's time for All-Star Weekend in ice hockey, and the Hall of Fame for Joe Mauer ... well, they are all things that deserve their place in the sun. So, today was a sports wrap, and I'm not sorry. LOL Have an excellent Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. Slava Ukraini and חיים למען ישראל.

A Hodge-Podge of Thoughts and Now It's DH's Turn for the Dentist

First off, congratulations to the Atlanta Braves baseball team for their World Series win. I didn't watch (I'm not much of a baseball fan), but it was a good series, hard fought, and the victory will mean a lot to Atlanta. I do wish they would change their name and have something less of a trigger than "Braves", but I assume eventually they will get on board and do that. 

I'm not much of a baseball fan (although if the Twins played 
better, I'd enjoy it more). However, winning the World 
Series is long, and difficult. Congratulations to the 
Atlanta Braves for their accomplishment this year. 

Last night, while watching the premier of Season 9 of Oak Island, DH popped a crown off one of his back teeth. I'll be calling the dentist today to see when he can get in to see her (he now has an appointment for 3:00 pm tomorrow). He has the crown (it's a gold one), and with luck, she'll be able to do a bit of cleaning and just reglue it back into position. 

He lost it from a back tooth, possibly similar to my own 
crown issue from a month ago. With luck, they'll be able 
to glue it back into place. 

I've been very happy with my AfterShokz Xtrainer bone conduction headphones and have been using them every day. I finished my latest book yesterday and wanted to download the next one in the series. I'm having nothing but problems with my conversion program. The headphones work fine and the book is downloaded appropriately, but to get it from Point A to Point B, it actually needs one more step - a conversion from one format to another. I have a program that does that conversion, and it seems to be working properly, but for some reason, I can't get the converted files loaded onto my headphones. I'm MORE than frustrated. Today's swim was made in silence - something I hate while I'm swimming. It's not the end of the world, but I want this resolved quickly. 

I'm not sure what's wrong with Rodney's car. He 
has an older model car that has plenty of room 
for his two Huskie Dogs as well as camping or 
day-tripping gear. Hopefully he can get it fixed 
soon and not expensively. Tattoo artists aren't 
rolling in the dough, so to speak. 

I was supposed to meet with my tattoo artist, Rodney, for a photo shoot today, but he had to cancel because of auto problems which are forcing him to take public transportation or Uber/Lyft rides. We'll get together once his auto problems have been resolved and deal with photos then. It's not the end of the world, my tattoo isn't going anywhere - LOL. 

I enjoy Spotify and use it a lot. Since I can't listen 
to my next book, I'll probably switch it on and enjoy 
dancing around the kitchen while prepping veggies. 

Today is a shopping day (Target, Whole Foods, my local grocery store) and a day in the kitchen. Since I won't have a book loaded, I'll use a set of earbuds and Spotify and have fun dancing my way around the kitchen. I only need to be careful around the knives. Hopefully I'll get in touch with Tech Support about my conversion program and get that resolved so that I can load my next book. I guess I'll have to take step-by-step notes for the next time. 

I'm not really a fan of winter - I don't mind the cold, but 
I do mind the extra work required by our snow. I'm also 
not fond of driving in the snow, or cleaning my car off  
after work before I can get back home. The occasional 
blizzard really sucks, too. Snow is beautiful, and when 
I don't have to be at work every day, I'll enjoy it, but 
right now, it's just a PITA. 

Have a totally excellent day. Anytime I'm in November and there's not a spec of snow in my area, it's a good day - LOL. Today we're too warm for snow, so we've dodged a bullet once again. I'll be back tomorrow. Please, be kind, stay positive, and if possible, do a random act of kindness for someone today. 

Call Out For Cards - #1

This is my first call-out for cards. As many of you already know, I hand-make original Solstice/Holiday cards for the Christmas season and mail them to friends and e-friends all around the world. I do not expect or require a card back in return, although they are always appreciated, displayed and enjoyed. How do you get this year's card (which I have diligently been working on since the beginning of October)?

This card that Curious Wombat sent to me in 2013 has always been one of
my favorites. It's elegant and beautifully staged. 

Message me with your address and I'll add you to the list. Yes, it's that easy. But if you don't message me, you don't get a card. That's easy too. My quantity is 50 and I have a large family which pulls some out of the mix immediately. I also keep one for my personal records. So if you want to be one of the few, the proud, the ... oh wait ... that's the saying for the Marines. Let's try once more.

My friend Shruti in India sent this Mandala that she drew
for her 2015 holiday card. It's one of my favorites because it
echoes her love of life and color so beautifully. 

So, if you want to be one of the few added to my holiday list and receive a Winter Solstice card from me, you actually have to get in touch with me. Then you'll be added to the list and when they are complete, one will be entrusted to the Postal Service in the hopes it will be delivered to your door. I make no absolute guarantee about how prompt they will be, I only promise that I will have the cards in the mail no later than the morning of Winter Solstice.

My long-time friend Jenybeth sent this hand-made card
to me last holiday. It was simple, elegant, and really lovely.  

Yesterday was a beautiful day here in the Frozen Northlands, with temperatures warm enough that I shed my jacket by mid-morning and just had on my long-sleeved t-shirt for my grocery shopping. The afternoon was spent working on the next phase of my cards (see above call-out) to see what might work and what wouldn't. As often happens, when a door closes a window opens. I'll still have some serious labor involved for the cover, but the second phase of the design will go faster because of a piece of equipment I used for my Snowman cards two years ago. I had completely forgotten I had the Xyron Sticker Maker in the craft side of my closet. Voila! Problems cut in half and easier application now available.

The Xyron Sticker Maker may look like a toy, but
it's going to cut a 20-hour step down to 2-4 hours.
That's no toy, that's a serious tool! 

The Chicago Cubs won the World Series, their first time
winning since 1908!!! Bravo for the Cubbies! 

So have a wonderful Thursday. Tonight is Project Runway and I'll be fighting to keep my eyes open after watching the Chicago Cubs win the World Series in the 10th inning, 8-7. If you were a Cleveland fan, so sorry, but I was rooting for the Cubbies all the way and couldn't be happier. Yippee!

A Busy Night - Sports and Project Runway

Thursday nights usually find me parked in front of my computer working while listening (and often turning around to view) "Project Runway". I keep the TV on a single channel. DH, on the other hand, channel flips because Thursdays are often very busy nights. Last night was no exception. He was flipping between the Minnesota Wild (ice hockey - we won 3-2 against the Maple Leafs).

I love the Minnesota Wild logo, even have it on the back
of my car. It's one of the prettiest in hockey. I also happen
to love ice hockey, and treasure my Minnesota Wild
jersey that I got on sale earlier this summer. Yahoo! 

On a different channel he watched the Chicago Cubs vs the LA Dodgers (they won 8-4). The winner of this series goes on to play the Cleveland Indians in the World Series and I REALLY want a Cubs/Indians matchup.

The Chicago Cubs vs the Cleveland Indians would be a dream
World Series for me. I'm not that fond of baseball, but in that
match either team could win and I'd be happy for them. It's been
a very long span of years for either team to play for the pennant. 

Also, the Minnesota Lynx, in a hard-fought battle, lost their season to the LA Sparks 77-76, a nail-biter for sure. It was a great season, but it finally ended *sigh*. I think there was a fourth sports battle that he was switching back and forth from, but I really can't remember. At least he got to see some good ones, though, while exercising his thumb on the remote and running down the battery.

The season came to an end for the Minnesota Lynx women's
basketball team last night with a hard-fought battle
against LA. 

Project Runway Spoilers below - you've been warned!!!!

Meanwhile, I was happily watching Project Runway. The challenge this time started with a cocktail party for the designers and their judges and mentor at the very exclusive Absolut Elyx house, a lush cocktail lounge with speakeasy decor and roots. Copper pineapples and decor abounded, along with sparkling chandeliers, flamingo paintings in the bathrooms, and tufted Chesterfield-style leather sofas. Everyone had an opportunity to drink and chat before the challenge was announced - make a cocktail dress in a one-day challenge with a budget of $300 (a very high amount which should have resulted in a lot of very luxurious designs).

What a mess. The brocade was actually really nice, but
the ostrich fathers? Really? Erin lost her way this week
and was in the bottom. But there were worse, so she's
safe for another week. 

Even the great can fall, and there were some really bad designs walking the runway this week. Erin fell flat with a really lovely brocade framed by a flock of ostrich feathers. Now, I may be prejudiced against feathers because I sell them and I absolutely hate packing them, but this just looked like a mess. The judges were NOT impressed.

Jenni embellished a copper-colored dress with
lots of gold embellishments. It actually looked wonderful
on the runway, and she chose well in both her
fabric and her trim. Nobody has a lock on technique,
so her using Erin's technique for her own piece really
shouldn't be a problem. 

They were, however, impressed by copycat Jenni who used Erin's embellishment technique/style to make a simple dress very lux. She "borrowed" Erin's technique and complained about all of the hand stitching she was doing with long fingernails. Really? If the nails are getting in your way, get rid of them. Idiot. She won with this, but I don't think she deserved it.

I adored Laurence's dress. The folded leather yoke and
the incredible sculptured and tufted sleeves were the
focal of a perfectly fitted black dress. The judges
called it the "Bentley of black dresses" and they weren't
far off the mark. 

Laurence was my personal choice for the winner because of her beautiful leatherwork on the yoke and sleeves of a basic black dress that was impeccably styled and shaped. Really wonderful work that she based on the Chesterfield couches of Elyx. I think if she had chosen a different color of leather she might have pulled off the win but the judges were looking for glam.

Tasha was sent home with this contribution and it was
easy to see why. There really wasn't any design to it,
it was just thrown together and it looked like it. Tasha
added a sparkling tie at the waist, a band of gold at
the hem, and dressed it up with earrings and tassled
shoes. Poor choices. She's a very nice person, but not
a great designer. But she does street wear so she'll
probably do just fine in her comfort zone. 

Finally, Tasha was sent home after putting a black dress with a sparkling waist tie onto the runway. Her original choices in fabric had been total day wear, not cocktail, and on the advise of Tim Gunn (who gave the same advise to more than half of the designers in his critique), she scrapped her original design and pulled this out in four hours. Unfortunately, there was nothing either street or chic in this and Tasha packed up her things and left.

Have a great Friday, all. I'll be swimming in less than an hour and a day in the pool is always a great day. LOL.

Baseball, a Truck and a Tribute

It's opening day for the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Although the season opened last week, today is our first home game. Yes, we had eight inches of snow late last week, but the field is ready, the temperatures will be in the 40's and 50's and it's perfect weather to play ball. Whoo hoo!

Our opening game was last week in Chicago (we lost). It's one
of the first signs of Spring - baseball is being played again.
Play Ball! 

We want a small truck. We don't want an SUV, we don't want a van and we don't want a full-sized pickup truck, we want a smaller one. Ford used to make the Ranger which was just about perfect, but they discontinued it. The few small trucks available in the marketplace have very poor reviews, We're stymied. So, I guess we'll switch our focus from a new truck to something used, although small trucks still don't come up often. It's frustrating, though.

The Mazda CX-5 is a good looking car, but not exceptional. *sigh* I don't
think any other car will ever match up to my PT Cruiser...

At the same time we're looking for a truck for DH, we're checking out new crossovers for me. Although I adore my PT Cruiser, it does have almost 120,000 miles on it and the maintenance is getting more and more expensive. It's time to look at buying a new car for me. My cars tend to be our major method of transport, so choosing a good one will be important. I'm looking for good gas mileage - although I'd love an electric, it just wouldn't really work for us right now - and something where I can easily haul things. I'm thinking about possibly getting a Mazda CX-5, although the Subaru Forester is also in the running along with the Toyota CR-V. But I need to take a much closer look at these before I get any closer to a decision.

The Kia Soul is a bit more unique looking and has a great and fun
interior, but it's a bit small for what I want. 

I really loved the Kia Soul - cute, peppy, a little stiff to drive, but well within my budget. These other crossovers are more expensive, but also a bit larger and probably better for our needs. But new transport is becoming important. My DH drives a 1992 Saturn that I inherited from my mother upon her death, and my PT Cruiser is an original 2000/2001 model, so also has some serious years. We need reliable transportation so looking at things realistically, a new car or two is becoming mandatory.

Our only hope will be buying a smaller truck used - if we can even find one. 

I think what is bothering me the most about the car selection is the lack of fun design. The cars are all looking similar, changes are minimal, and they are all rather boring. I'm hoping that I can at least get a decent paint color - LOL.

Mickey Rooney had a long career in the entertainment industry. I enjoy
the classic films he was in during the "Golden Age" of  Hollywood the most. 

And in news from yesterday is the death of Mickey Rooney at age 93. He was such a fun actor, always quick with a smile and a quip. Your next curtain is rising for you, Mister Rooney.