The World's Best Kitty

"Love is stronger then death, though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries, it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger then death."

-Unknown

The Song Of Jellicles
*Click to read the full poem*

Jellicle cats are white and black,
Jellicle cats are of moderate size;
Jellicles jump like a jumping-jack
Jellicle cats have moonlit eyes.
They're quiet enough in the morning hours
They're quiet enough in the afternoon
Reserving their terpsichorean powers
To dance by the light of the Jellicle Moon

-T.S Eliot, Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats

My little fella will slip away peacefully today. His appointment is scheduled for 11:30 am. We know the time is right. His quality of life has begun to diminish at an accelerated rate for the past week or so. His cancer was being so aggressive with him. It is time to let go. I loved him so deeply, so deeply that I didn't even know I could love something as much as I loved him. But I did. And Alan did too. And oddly enough, there is a huge comfort in the love we all shared. Elvis was an amazing cat, and my best friend. He will still be a big presence in my life. I will keep his heart shaped diabetes tag on my key chain, and his favorite little shirt on my desk. Alan will keep his Angel tag on a chain around his neck, so Elvis will always be close to his heart. Elvis is the one you don't get over. There are too many happy memories to forget what a gift he has been. It was an honor to be his mommy, and somehow I know he will be right by my side in spirit for as long as I need him. He always did take such good care of me.

Here Are Some Of Our Favorite Memories...






















"When I am lost, or maybe gone astray, my guardian angel will show me the way."

-From Elvis's Angel Tag

Thank You Dr. B, Mary and Donna, for taking such good, kind, and loving care of my boy. You are family to us.

-Carly & Alan

Note: I am taking a few days off, but the Monday Photo Shoot will go on as planned. Be sure to join us next Monday for this week's Linking List, and an all new subject!

Blogger's Community Photo Challenge: Change

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."

-Flora Whittmore

The subject for this round of the Blogger's Community Photo Challenge is "Change." What a great idea. We are in autumn now, and change is all around us. Last weekend, here in the Bay Area, we had a wonderful mixture of weather, as the transition to those shorter colder days inch their way in. The change in the weather leaves me with mixed emotions. I have come to enjoy those warm days, but those cool nights are great for cuddling. I guess in some ways it's the best of both worlds. And my favorite of all change, has to be the way the leaves on the trees turn such beautiful colors and then fall to the earth. Sigh. I love leaves. The way to this girl's heart isn't with a bouquet of flowers, it's with a bouquet of leaves.

-Carly
"The Old Blue Wheelbarrow"
Berkeley, California
October 5th, 2008
Late Afternoon

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #6: Fences And What's Behind Them

"A fence lasts three years, a dog lasts three fences, a horse lasts three dogs, and a man lasts three horses."

-German Proverb

Now Closed. Thanks For Playing!

EMPS #6: Fences And What's Behind Them.
I love photographing fences. I have been intrigued by them since I was a little girl. There is a big variety of them out there, and each one tells a different story. Sometimes they are large iron ones with big heavy gates, sometimes they are the little white picket kind, with sunflowers growing next to them, sometimes they are a simple chain link, while other times the fence you see might be a beautiful weather beaten fence, holding in the daisies. Good fences keep things out, but they also keep things in. The idea here is for you to find a fence, hopefully a photogenic one, and share with your photography not just the fence, but what's behind the fence as well.

**You have until next Sunday night at, 9:00 PM Eastern time, to post your EMPS entry and comeback here with the direct link to the post in your blog, journal or website. Remember, your link must be to the specific entry for this photo shoot.

Linking List for EMPS #5: Still Life Photography: Fruit (9/29/08)

NOW CLOSED!

Marie did a still life with grapes and wine. Lovely!

Jama shows us some fabulous Fiji apples that are so pretty, you can almost smell the apple scent!

Karen found some beautiful fruit at Safeway, and got psychedelic with it! Fun!

Wammy photographed a Honey Crisp apple, and a caramel apple also! YUM!

Connie chose frozen raspberries for her still life. YUM! A Great Treat!

Laura displays a double-decker of delicious fruit, just waiting to be eaten! :)

Tammy shows us some crisp, ripe autumn apples, still on the tree. Beautiful!

Martha photographed a variety of apples, and a pretty blue dish. Very, very nice!

Kiva rounded things up with that other fruit... the tomato! :) I was so pleased someone thought of that! Excellent!


As always, it was a tasty round-up of delicious photography! Good job! Ok, GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS, and GET THE PICTURE! Show me Fences And What's Behind Them! I will see you next Monday with an all new challenge!

-Carly

His Own Worst Enemy

"No man suffers injustice without learning vaguely, but surely, what justice is."

-Isaac Rosenfeld

I wonder, do you think O.J. Simpson is smirking today, as he was in this photo taken during his arrest in Las Vegas in the autumn of 2007? Last Friday, 13 years to the day of his acquittal for the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman, O.J. found himself in yet another courtroom, but this time the word on the moment was GUILTY! No one was killed this time around, thank goodness, but it didn't make his latest crimes any less repugnant. As a result of his actions, he could be sentenced to life in prison. I hope that is the exact sentence he gets. We will all be safer. It's a shame about the people he has hurt, most pointedly his children, who will always be hurt because of him. My heart goes out to them. O.J. Simpson is a selfish, and dangerous human being, and now he will have plenty of time to face that fact. I hope he uses his time well.

"The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making excuses, that's the day you start to the top."

-O.J. Simpson

-Carly

Round Robin Challenge: The End Of Summer

"The summer night is like a perfection of thought."

-Wallace Stevens

Ahhh... the end of summer. Some years I can't wait to see summer go, and other years it is so mild and sweet, that I almost mourn it's passing. I think the summer that just ended will fall somewhere in the middle. It wasn't very hot, which was a very good thing, especially for my boy Elvis, who, like his mommy, doesn't do well when it is too hot outside. Poor little fella nearly melted in the early part of the summer of 2006, when, during a two week heatwave, it reached 108 degrees in the Bay Area. I thought I might possibly lose him that year. I was worried for him this past spring when he was diagnosed with cancer, that the weather might play into how long he would survive, but the summer was quite kind to us. He did well, and so did I.

I like summers that are cool enough for me to wear my favorite sweater. I enjoyed the evenings, with the light breezes and the amazing sunsets. I took very few photos this summer, certainly a lot less then in previous years. I don't know why, but I have been struggling a bit lately with things. It's difficult to know I will be losing my best friend in the world soon. Elvis is my little kitty soul mate, and he loves me, so to know I will be losing that is sometimes more then I can take. On the other hand, he is such a joy every single day, and I will always be grateful that we had this past summer together, and that it was a mild one.

I took this series of photos at one of my favorite places on earth, Point Montara Lighthouse. If you ever make it to the Bay Area, you must stop by this gorgeous lighthouse and see it for yourself. I don't come close to doing it's beauty justice. I love this place, and its gentle ambiance. I feel at peace there. I took these photos in the evening, of the last Wednesday, of the summer of 2008. Enjoy.





Oh, the summer night
Has a smile of light
And she sits on a sapphire throne

-Barry Cornwall

I enjoyed this challenge, so thanks goes to Janet, who authors the blog, Fond of Snape. She submitted it our suggestion pool a while back, so be sure to pay her a visit and all the participating Robins, to see how they wanted to say goodbye to summer. By the way, we are always looking for new topics, so feel free to send your ideas to Steven, Karen and myself. Who knows, your idea could be our next challenge! Be sure to check the official Round Robin blog tomorrow, to find out what our next challenge will be!

1. Janet... Fond Of Snape
Posted!

2. Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

3. Wammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnati
Posted!

4. Ellen B. ... The Happy Wanderer **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

5. Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

6. Connie... Far Side Of Fifty
Posted!

7. Erin... Life Of A College Student
Posted!

8. Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

9. Nancy... Nancy Luvs Pix


10. Kiva... The Eclectic Granny
Posted!

11. Valerie... Soulfully Blond
Posted!

12. Sandra... Strong Chemistry
Posted!

13. Mary... Work of the Poet
Posted!

14. Jill... South Bay Soliloquy
Posted!

15. _rRose... WAIT-NOTYET-MOUNTAIN RIVER WHISPERS
Posted!

16. Jennifer Robin... Robin's Woods
Posted!

17. Teena... It's All About Me!
Posted!

18. Arti... Ripple Effects **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

19. Mary... Just A Hippie Gypsy
Posted!

20. Chrissie... Chris-seas Corner
Posted!

21. Abby... {Hello}
Posted!



-Carly
"The End Of Summer In Montara"
Point Montara Lighthouse
Point Montara, California
Summer, 2008
Twilight

Joe v Sarah

"Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge where there is no river."

-Nikita Khrushchev

Ok, I can admit it, last night's debate between Joe Biden and Sarah Palin wasn't the laugh out loud laugh fest event I had envisioned it would be, in fact, I have to admit I found it, at times, fascinating. Yes, fascinating. Sarah Paling was well rehearsed and on her game, while Joe Biden was restrained and personable. Sarah Palin displayed the kind of folksy humor and everyday appeal that turned republicans on to George Bush in 2000. Joe Biden is a sharp individual, who has 35 years experience in all the areas, that Sarah Palin is just learning about. And that was evident last night too.

As a democrat/liberal/woman there probably wasn't much that could have been said to change my mind at this point about who I will be voting for in November. I don't happen to think last night's debate will do much to change most people's opinions, in that nothing new was said. Last night's debate accomplished one thing. We got a better look at Sarah Palin. She came off extremely competent in the debate, but in that she was rehearsed, did we really get to see who she is on any given day? I would like to see more of her in interviews, as opposed to on a stage. Was she merely tired or uncomfortable when she was interviewed by Katie Couric and Charles Gibson? Or is she still somewhat lost without a script? She certainly showed last night that with the right amount of coaching, she can do very well, but what happens when she has to think on her feet? Will she know what to do?

As personable and folksy as she was last night, I found myself thinking about George Bush, and his every day guy persona. Honestly, he and Karl Rove managed to make Al Gore's accomplishments sound boorish and elitist. And it happened again with John Kerry, although Kerry, in my opinion lost a good bit of support by not fighting back against the lies and attacks. Fear was the theme for most of the Bush administration's time in the White House. If George Bush wasn't trying to scare us, he was patting us on the back and telling us everything will be ok. Which of course as we all know now, everything wasn't ok.

Granted, Sarah Palin isn't running for president, she will be the vice president, but she will be only a heartbeat away from the presidency, and I don't happen to think she is ready for that. It might be that her time hasn't quite come yet. Maybe she needs to consider a run for the senate when her governorship is up, but I just can't see her serving as vice president with any kind of real leadership. Joe Biden on the other hand is no push over. I don't think he would be as open to Washington manipulation quite the way Palin might. And before you call me sexist, think about what I am saying. Sometimes lack of Washington experience is a good thing, but sometimes it lends to being more pliable to the inner politics. The not so nice side of things.

To a certain degree that is what I think happened with George Bush. Looking back over the last 8 years, there are times when he seemed more like a wind up doll, rather then a real leader. Dick Cheney seems to be the one running the show. He didn't make a run for the presidency, because he has been the president for the last 8 years! A lot will be blamed on George Bush, and it should, but no real responsibility will ever happen. I am not interested in seeing that dynamic repeat.

So, when Sarah Palin, said last night, "Say it isn't so Joe, you are always looking back, we have to start looking forward," I wished I could say to her, "Sarah, we have to look back until we learn from those failures." Ignoring the past won't change the damage that has been done. The republican party wants to forget the failures that have taken place, and move on so that they can repair the damage done to the party, but along with it accountability gets lost, and to them, that might just be the sweetest part of their selective amnesia.

Opinions, opinions. Tell me, what did you think of last night's debate? Do you think more positively toward Sarah Palin then you did before the debate? Have you made a final decision as to who you will be voting for? Tell me everything.


-Carly

Weekend Assignmnet #235: Button Up

"It's not enough to have lived. We should be determined to live for something."

-Leo Buscaglia

Weekend Assignment #236: Design a button ( a badge, a pin...). It can say anything you like as long as it's clean and not defamatory. Or maybe you prefer a photo button. You can just describe it if you like, or tell us what it says - or you can actually create the complete design.

Extra Credit: Have you ever designed a button or other apparel before now?

-Karen Funk Blocher, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

Two things that mean a lot to me are coming up very soon, so I kinda got excited about this Weekend Assignment. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and of course with the election in November, it's a good time to remind folks to get out and vote on election day. Although, given the recent events with the on again, off again, she says bailout, he says relief package machinations, I think folks will be going to the polls in great numbers this election to make their feelings known. Oh well, I made the effort anyway. I never really know if my little voice is heard, but at least I know I put it out there, so I can feel good about that.

It disturbs me that we spend so little on cancer research, and yet money can always be found to fund this idiotic war in Iraq. Cancer is a very real threat to us, attacking someone new every day, and yet very little is being accomplished to get a comprehensive health care package together so that more folks will be able to afford the tests that can save their lives. Diabetes is on the rise, to an alarming rate, and because there are so few subtle symptoms to it, people are walking around not even realizing they have diabetes. So, here are the buttons I would distribute if I could, they are messages that ask folks to take some personal interest in the world, themselves, and those they love.




Extra Credit: Nope, I haven't designed any badges or buttons before, but I do design some graphics for my sidebar from time to time. Especially to bring awareness to certain causes and charities I feel particularly passionate about.

-Carly
"October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month"

AOL DOA WTF?

"A conclusion is simply a place where someone got tired of thinking."

-Unknown

Before the official AOL email arrived in my inbox yesterday, the word had already gotten around. AOL Journals is closing it's doors on October 31st of this year. You know, I wasn't terribly surprised. AOL announced over the summer, July actually, that they were doing away with AOL Pictures and so it crossed my mind that the Journals community probably wouldn't be far behind. It was just common sense in that it would make it more difficult to be creative with the journals. Still, when I heard the news yesterday, I felt sad to a degree. Not for me, but for all the folks who have shown such fervent loyalty to AOL over the years. A lot has happened, and I think that AOL has once again that they are dead last in terms of customer loyalty.

When the mad Exodus To Blogger happened, on November 15th 2005, some things changed. Pardon what I am about to say, but AOL (the corporation) displayed a FUCK YOU attitude toward their customers, and for many of us it was the last straw. A Journal or Blog is a very personal thing for most folks. It represents an important part of a person, and to not be given a choice in something as important as to who is advertising on one's blog, or even if someone is advertising on a blog is also a very important thing. To some folks it wasn't a big deal, but to others it represented selling of one's creativity to the highest bidder. AOL never got that. It was merely another place to sell advertisements. Period. Money, it seems, will always... always be the bottom line.

How AOL (the corporation) felt didn't make any difference to me, but how AOL (the people who made up the Journals Community) did. I was saddened by all the hard feelings that were expressed. I never stopped loving the community, but I didn't love AOL and somehow, at times, I felt like... well... I was some kind of turncoat for doing nothing more then changing my journal address. I stopped letting it hurt my feelings that some folks decided not to follow me over here. Folks were always welcome to come and visit, or join in the Round Robins any time they wanted. And eventually some of my dear friends did comeback to me. I am hoping when folks make the next big exodus, they will look me up, or send me their new links. There is a good chance we can repair whatever damage was done, by doing nothing more then extending our hands to each other and saying "Welcome Back Into My Life Old Friend, It's As If No Time Has Passed." At least that is my hope.

I imagine that most folks over on AOL are a bit shell shocked today. I know how they feel. It can't be easy to find out that you are being evicted, and you have 30 days to gather up your memories and get out! For some it will mean 5 years of memories. The part that makes me just heartsick, it the loss of Pam's journal, and Frank's journal. I loved those two people very much, and even after their deaths I would visit from time to time just to be close them. To read the words they wrote. At the end of the month, it will be like they never existed on AOL at all. I wish there was some way of bringing them along, but there isn't. And it probably wouldn't be right to. Sigh. I still miss Slomo It's going to be hard knowing that I will probably never hear from her again.

It's a very sad situation. However, it doesn't have to stay a sad situation. If you are about to become a new AOL refugee, please know how very welcome you are over here on Blogger. Please know you are more then invited to join us for the Round Robin Challenges, and the Monday Photo Shoot. It is the very same project John Scalzi ran for years, and as always, everyone is invited to play. I would like to see some wounds heal, and I am here to help in that. If you are going to be new to Blogger, and need some help, send me an email and I will do my best to help out. The neighborhood might be different, but the community is what's important... right?

-Carly

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #5: Still Life Photography: Fruit

"As I have practiced it, photography produces pleasure by simplicity. I see something special and show it to the camera. A picture is produced. The moment is held until someone sees it."

-Sam Abell

NOW CLOSED!

EMPS #5: Still Life Photography: Fruit.
I think it will be fun to do some Still Life Photography from time to time as an EMPS, and now seems like a great time to get started! I love doing Still Life photography, because it opens all kinds of possibilities, and gives me much more creative control. I can play with lighting, and props, and get really excited about taking what I can imagine, and transforming it into art. So, let's give it a try this week using Fruit.

**You have until next Sunday evening at, 9:00 PM Eastern time, to post your photo entry, and come back here with the direct link to your post. Please remember, I need the direct link to your EMPS entry, NOT your main blog or journal address.

Linking List for EMPS #4: Welcome To Autumn (9/22/08)

Now Closed!

Karen shows us autumn in Tucson, complete with time, temperature and sunset.

Greg reached into his archives to bring us the color.

Marie shows us some pumpkins, gourds and flowers.

Connie took a walk on an autumn lane, and found some Aster in bloom, with some colorful leaves around it.

Laura posted an early autumn recipe. YUM!

Vicki and Nancy share with us the autumn sights around their new homes.

Martha found a gorgeous red and yellow flower in the first week of autumn.

Wammy photographed a beautiful old barn, framed by a tree just beginning to transition into autumn.

Kiva's Wisteria plant has an autumny yellow glow to it.

Everyone did beautifully this week. It was a lovely way to welcome autumn for 2008!

Ok, you have your assignment, now, GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS! GET THE PICTURE! I will see you in one week with a new assignment and your Linking List for this week. :)

-Carly

The Plays The Thing

"Neither a borrower, nor a lender be, do not forget, stay out of debt. Think twice and take this good advice from me, guard that old solvency. There's just one other thing, you aught to do, to thy own self be true."

-Skipper Jonas Grumby (Alan Hale Jr.) Gilligan's Island

Tee Hee. My sense of humor has kicked in this afternoon. I know this to be true because just as the "Breaking News" about the new deal that was reached in Washington D.C., to bail out Wall Street was announced, I suddenly had the soundtrack from episode #72 of Gilligan's Island, in which the castaways produced and starred in their rendition of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. They set it to music, and one of the songs, sung by the Skipper, seems particularly timely right now. Have a watch and see if you agree with me. Go ahead... it's just fun!

So tell me, what to do think of the new deal to bailout Wall Street, and supposedly Main Street? Good idea? Bad idea? Tell me what you think.

Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008

-Carly

The Blues They Send To Meet Me Won't Defeat Me...

"Everytime I get a script it's a matter of knowing what I can do with it. I see colors, imagry. It has to have a smell. It's like falling in love, you can't give a reason why."

-Paul Newman

I couldn't let the weekend come to a close, without mentioning the passing of one of my favorite actors, Paul Newman. He was a wonderful man, on and off the screen. His acting touched so many, and his charity work even more. I had so many favorite Paul Newman movies, but out of all those films, my favorite scene comes from the 1969 film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I think the scene where he and Etta Place ride a bicycle together, in the early morning sun, is one of the sexiest moments in film... EVER! I loved it, and I loved them. When I watched for the first time, I was mesmerized. And the extraordinary thing was, there hadn't been a spoken word between the two. No dialog was needed. It was amazing eye sex! Watch the above YouTube clip, and see for yourself.

Thank You Paul Newman (1925 - 2008)

"...The blues the send to meet me, won't defeat me. It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me."

-Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Carly

Here A Lie, There A Lie

"Take our politicians: they're a bunch of yo-yos. The presidency is now a cross between a popularity contest and a high school debate, with an encyclopedia of cliches the first prize."

- Saul Bellows

I am not sure which politicians Saul Bellows is referring to with that quote, but it certainly seems to fit our current choices. I guess some things never change. Sigh.
So, did you watch last night's presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain? I did. In fact, I had been looking forward to it all week, as I sat glued to the news regarding the seemingly imminent Stock Market collapse, and the failure of our economic system.

In an effort to understand things better, I have been playing a little game with myself for the last couple weeks. I chose a stock that had been struggling, and invested a nominal amount of fantasy cash, $200.00, just to learn about what it must feel like to those men and woman who are standing at the brink of financial ruin. I chose the amount, based on a percentage of what we have been able to save lately. It's a fair amount for such an exercise I think. If nothing else, the recent financial mess we found ourselves in, with the California Budget stalemate, forced us to tighten our belts, and the result was a bit of a savings in the bank.

Every day, when I logged on, I checked the opening quote and then watched the stock periodically throughout the day. Some days it didn't move much, other days it did a great deal of moving, mostly in a downward motion. I read financial articles about the stock, and what was causing it's downturn, and I watched as it held on for dear life, and then finally fall into an irreversible coma late Thursday night. Yep, you guessed it, I was watching Washington Mutual. See, I felt I kinda had a stake in it already as a depositor there. I should have know it didn't have a chance when I bought the original stock a couple weeks ago for $2.10 per share. But I saw some possible light when a week later it had risen to about $3.60. Oooh, bliss.

I had some hope at that point, maybe, just maybe, if they could hold on and ride out the storm, it would work out for the troubled savings and loan. Alas... along came nervous investors, and the market fell off sharply, and Washington Mutual didn't have a chance. It might have survived if the bailout had been implemented as soon as Bush and Paulson requested it... but wouldn't that have been a scary proposition?As I watched the whole thing unfold last week, all the twists and turns and political maneuvering, I learned a lot more then I bargained for.

I learned that you can only cry WOLF so many times, after that you are pretty much left in the woods, some very dark and creepy woods, with your own devices for finding your way home again. If you don't believe me, just ask President Bush. Actually, I learned the moral of that story in kindergarten, from the story, The Boy Who Cried Wolf, but apparently not everyone has read that book, and as a result, Bush has lived his presidency crying wolf, and now he has learning the lesson.

He has lied, and demanded and generally gone about thinking he is king of the world his entire time in office, so, last Monday he and Paulson submit a 3 page report to Washington that basically said, there is a big, snarly, farty, mangy, drooling, flea infested, cross eyed, one lipped, 7,000 lb wolf in the forest behind the red houses and blue houses, and he is going to pounce if we don't get him NOW! We got to nip him in the bud. PRONTO! Otherwise, we will all be eaten up and farted out. To which Washington, said, wait a second... not so fast... maybe we don't have to nip him in the bud, maybe we can accomplish the same thing by starving the wolf to death, as opposed to nipping him in the bud... if indeed there is really a wolf.

Now with all that in mind, along comes the first presidential debate between John McCain and Barack Obama. I was looking forward to finally hearing something about what kind of future we are in for. Both men were asked about what they will do about the economy, how they felt about the proposed bailout of Wall street, and how we will dig ourselves out from the brink of disaster. Neither candidate could really say, because the bailout situation hasn't been decided upon, we did however, get some idea of what areas might be cut, due to the overwhelming deficit one of them will inherit. As I sat, listening to the two sniping at each other, and the never ending condescending "I don't think he understands" from McCain, it occurred to me, that I wasn't going to make up my mind until I read the analysis from Factcheck.org, that would be in my mailbox today when I woke up.

I wish Factcheck.org had been around years ago. I like knowing who is lying to me, and who is stretching the truth. When all was said and done last night, John McCain had lied again and again, and misrepresented Obama again and again. Don't get me wrong, there were misrepresentations on both sides throughout the night, but McCain has seemed to circulate more and more negativity since the very beginning, and even when he has been called on his lies, half truths, and misrepresentations, he has dug in again and again, rather then relying on the truth to make his case for the White House.

I used to have some respect for John McCain, but it has eroded greatly. As for Obama, while I haven't always believed he could deliver what he has promised, I do think he is more in touch with what's happening right now. By all accounts, when he attended the meeting at the White House this week regarding the bailout, he at least asked a series of questions about the package, and it's consequences for America. By some reports, McCain did little for the process, and indeed may have been more of hindrance, then any real help. Obama showed some strength and leadership to me.

So, while I am looking forward to upcoming debates, especially the Sarah Palin/Joe Biden face off next week, I think it will be more of an exercise in amusement, rather then anything that will affect my decision making come November. In truth, I have already decided how I will be voting. See, I will be voting for the candidate that lies to me less. It's just that simple. Go Read FactCheck.org's,Whoppers of 2008, and make up your own mind.

-OndineMonet
"Decision 2008"

Carly's Chicken Bella Gusto

"One of the very nicest things about life, is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

-Luciano Pavarotti & William Wright
Pavarotti, My Own Story

On my sidebar it says that, among other joys in my life, cooking is a passion for me, and Italian cooking is a specialty of mine. I like cooking, and concocting my own recipes is my favorite way to enjoy food. More so then even eating the food, I enjoy making the food. Taking all those fresh ingredients, and putting them into something delicious makes me feel like a success. Hey, I will take my successes where I can get them! LOL. Last night, in an effort to chase the blues away, I decided to make a new chicken recipe. I wasn't sure what I wanted to call it, but after I tasted it I chose simply... Carly's Chicken Bella Gusto, which means, Chicken Beautiful Taste. There are similar recipes out there, I am sure, but I put a few specific touches to it that makes it uniquely mine. :)

Carly's Chicken Bella Gusto

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (trimmed of fat)
1 jar Classico Cabernet Marinara sauce
3-4 cups, frozen chopped spinach
2 cups marinated, julienned cut sun dried tomatoes
2 cups chopped French Feta cheese
1 0z. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Heat oven to 375. Spray a medium sized baking dish with cooking spray. On a cutting board, lay open chicken breasts, and pound out to 1/14 inch thickness, and brush lightly with butter. Divide the spinach among the 4 chicken breasts, followed by the sun dried tomatoes and the feta cheese. Secure with tooth picks, and bake for 35 minutes in the oven. After 35 minutes, check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. If it registers at least 140 degrees. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese, return to oven and cook and additional 35 minutes, or when the temperature reaches 185 degrees and is no longer pink inside. Oven cooking times vary, so watch it carefully to avoid overcooking. Chicken is done when it reaches 185 degrees.

Enjoy.

-OndineMonet
Carly's Chicken Bella Gusto
Berkeley, California
September 25th, 2008
Evening

Lazy Days

"When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago."

-Friedrich Nietsche

Autumn always heals me. Along with it's cool mornings, and warm afternoons, comes my peace of mind. I have never been able to figure out what it is about this season that allows me to think so much clearer, and sleep so much sounder, and live so much better, but somehow it does. Have you stepped outside yet, for the sole purpose of looking at the how the autumn sun plays with the color of leaves and flowers, and of course the sunset? Here on the west coast, we are all about the sunsets, but I think next month, I will try for at least one sunrise. I think Alan and I will get up really early, or perhaps not got to bed at all, and head across the bay to San Francisco, to watch the sun rise over the bay. Maybe the view from Twin Peaks would be the best place to be, as the sun lights up all those amazing tall buildings. The view from up there is magnificent.

I haven't done as many photos this year as I have wanted to. There have been a ton of reasons. The price of gasoline, my diagnosis of degenerative arthritis, Elvis's cancer, the drama with the state budget. I get sad when I think about it all at one time, so I won't dwell on all the reasons, I will just say that sometimes life gets busy, and sometimes I have the energy of a toddler, and sometimes, not so much. That's just life... right? It just is what it is. The last few days I have been somewhere in the middle, but today I am really tired, and it is not even noon yet. I feel quiet, and a little bit unfocused. Not really uninspired, just maybe, well, little inside.

I am not taking my mood lightly. I am going to fight back. Later today I am going to ask Alan out on a date to Starbucks for a Venti/Shaken/Ice Tea/Lemonade/with Passion tea. YUM. If you haven't tried it yet... go get one now. It will hit the spot, trust me on that! (Insert BIG smile here). And for dinner tonight I am planning on whipping up a new recipe for stuffed chicken breast. Autumn always seems to inspire my cooking as well. But for now, however, I am going to bow to my mood, and be lazy for the next few hours. Cream of Tomato soup, and a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch, my Elvis by my side, a wonderful warm cropped sweater around my shoulders, and a good book in my hand. Lazy in the afternoon.

Lazy Days
By Robbie Williams

Lazy days calling to you
Come out to play
The future lies with you
Now you can be sure love is the cure
What we're searching for
Is to have a jolly good time

Crazy days, but you'll get me through
And here I'll stay, holding on to you
Now you can be sure
Our thoughts unpure
Will unlock the door
And we'll have a jolly good time

It can happen in any season
We don't need any reason
To sit around and wait
The world can change in a second so
I find the sunshine beckons me
To open up the gate
And dream and dream

Lazy days don't let the get you down
Where your smile
I don't to see you frown
Don't let them get you down

It can happen in any season
We don't need any reason
To sit around and wait
The world can change in a second so
I find the sunshine beckons me
To open up the gate
And dream and dream

The we will have... a jolly good time.

-OndineMonet
"Yellow Reflections"
Cull Canyon Park
Castro Valley, California
September, 2007

Fall Back

"The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible... he stood under the arch.

-Michael Armstrong

Lately, I have had an old saying on my mind. "Spring Forward... Fall back." As a small child, I thought it was nifty, just nifty. What a cool way to remember that the earth, at least here in the northern hemisphere, will soon be sinking into shorter, darker days. I guess I have had that quip on my mind lately, because of all the turmoil in the Stock Market. It is a perfect metaphor for the current situation. Think about it. The Bush administration has insisted for years that the very foundations of our economy were sound. We were a resourceful people, and therefore we would come out on top. We would survive. Well, I suppose everything does look much more alive in the spring... doesn't it? I suppose when we all closed our eyes, and tried to believe it, we were smack dab in the middle of our springtime mentality, but now the leaves are falling, and so is the economy.

The fact that the Bush administration has been given a free ride, in terms of accountability, has disturbed me for years. I am sure you have read my rantings over the years I have been blogging, but at every turn, Bush and company, have been written a blank check, and therefore we have found ourselves in yet another mess, and it will be you and I who clean it up. Bush will leave office, without taking responsibility for whatever damage is caused by the latest blunder... namely... the failed economy and his plan to save it. Not only is there no concrete guarantee that it will work, but if it indeed fails, we will be in roughly the same boat we are in now, and no one will have to answer for it.

When Nancy Pelosi sits down with the Bush administration to iron out the details of the current ""Bailout" proposal, she will ask for perhaps a second stimulus package, and food stamps, and caps on the retirement packages for the executives of the major banking institutions that allowed this situation to build into the catastrophe that is taking place before our eyes, but if she stops there, she will have let us all down once again. She needs to demand that the question of accountability for what happens next, not be a question at all. The Bush administration needs to finally have the buck stop with them. They need to be held responsible for what they have done, and will do in the coming weeks and months. I think it's about time the free ride stops. Demanding that accountability be written into the proposal must not be negotiable. It must become a fact of life. When all is said and done, I wonder who will actually take responsibility for this mess?

Winter 2008...

"I hope you're confident about our economy. I am. We've got some short-term issues to deal with. Fourth quarter growth slowed to .6 percent. In other words, there are signs that our economy are slowing."

-George W. Bush, January 30th, 2008, speaking at the Robinson Helicopter Co. in Torrance, California.

Spring 2008...

"In the long run, we can be confident that our economy will continue to grow, but in the short run, it is clear that growth has slowed."

-George W. Bush, March 15th. 2008 weekly radio address.

"One thing is for certain... we are in challenging times. But another thing is for certain... that we've taken strong and decisive action."

-George W. Bush, March 17th, 2008, after meeting with economic advisers.


So tell me, what do you think will happen? Will we avoid a full on financial depression, or will we fall completely? How much faith do you have in the Bush administration plan to bail out Wall Street? What is the biggest struggle your family is facing right now? How closely are you watching developments in the Stock Market? Will you be shopping more, or less, this upcoming holiday season?What was your "Back To School" shopping like?


Share your thoughts with me.

-OndineMonet
"Falling Leaves"
Oakland, California
September 21, 2008
Afternoon

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #4: Welcome To Autumn!

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree."

-Emily Bronte

This Photo Shoot Is Now Closed! :)

Autumn begins today, at 8:44 AM Pacific time, let's show it a good time, shall we?

EMPS #4: Welcome To Autumn!
I love autumn, simply love it, so, lets have a little fun with the earliest moments and days of my favorite season. Grab your cameras, and treat me to what the first few days of autumn look like in your neighborhood. The leaves, the sky, the autumn light, folks wearing sweaters, or still enjoying picnics outside among the falling leaves. If you customarily have warm autumns... show me that! If you are beginning to feel the chill... then show me that! In other words... show me what signs of autumn you are seeing this week in particular!

**You don't have to post your EMPS entry only on Monday! As always, you have until the following Sunday evening, at 9:00 PM Eastern time to submit an entry.

**After you post your entry, comeback here and leave me the complete link. Not a general link to your blog or journal. Please check your link carefully.

Linking List For EMPS #3: Cheese Please! 9/15/2008

NOW CLOSED!

Karen, shares a Monty Python cheese shop sketch, and her puppies bark "YES" to BabyBel Cheese!

Wammy, and her family, love cheese. In fact, they recently took some cheese along on a family adventure. Read all about it here.

Martha makes four different kinds of pizza, all delicious looking, and all featuring cheese. YUM!

Thanks everyone!

Ok, you know what to do! GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS, and GO GET THE PICTURE! See you back here in one week, with your links, and a brand new EMPS assignment!

-Carly

Photo Tip #4: Use The Sun.
Photograph your subjects with the sun to your back, so that the full light illuminates your subject, and you avoid washing out the picture with too much direct light.

A Night Safari For Two

"I cannot walk through the suburbs in the solitude of the night without thinking that the night pleases us because it suppresses idle details, just as our memory does."

-Jorge Luis Borges

Alan and I went on another date the other night, we decided to visit the Conservatory of Flowers in the evening, rather in the daytime when we usually do. The conservatory introduced something new this year, that goes along with it's display of butterflies. The Night Safari. For the same admission price, you come to the conservatory on the first and third Thursday of the month, with flashlight in hand, to view the large Luna, and Cecropia moths, which usually reside in the rafters.

The Night Safari's have been running since last April when the exhibit opened, but this was the first chance we had to get over to the city on a night. It was the second to last night safari that they have scheduled, so there wasn't many of the big moths to be seen, but it was also rather fun to hunt the usual suspects of Monarchs, Buckeye, Gulf Fritillary, and Crimson Longwing butterflies.

I wasn't too disappointed that there wasn't a glowing Luna moth fluttering about, and neither was Alan, we have just resigned ourselves to be more on top of things if the conservatory decides to bring the night safari's back. Hopefully they will stick to the schedule, of offering this exhibit every two years. My fingers are crossed! It was a delightful way to spend an evening, and wandering around in the conservatory at night was both spooky, and romantic at the same time! Alan is a fun date.

Afterwards we drove across town to Ghiradelli Square, for an ice cream. We took it to go, and ate it outside under the big Ghiradelli sign. Vanilla with warm caramel sauce for me, Java chip, with hot fudge for Alan. I don't indulge in ice cream very often, so it was a nice little treat. Somehow ice cream just tastes better when you haven't had it for a while. Still, I think we will be going back there soon. It was just too good to stay away! And besides, how many really good dates can you have for under $20.00!? :)



Buckeye



Crimson Longwing



Yellow Orchid

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-OndineMonet
Conservatory of Flowers
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, California
September 18th 2008
Evening

Round Robin Challenge: It's Not Easy Being Green

"The one had leaves of dark green, that beneath were shining silver, and from each of his countless flowers a dew of silver light was ever falling, and the earth beneath was dappled with the shadows of his fluttering leaves."

J.R.R. Tolkien

I have changed my mind, several times in my 46 years, about what my favorite color is. I love pink, especially if it is paired with yellow, and the funny thing about that is, I can't really wear either color successfully. Both colors, on me, look hideous. I like the color mauve, and I do a little better with it then pink, but if given a choice, I will simply take purple. Purple has been my favorite color for a while now, but the thing about purple is there is very little that can go with it, so I will tend to go back to the color I wear most often, which is black, because I can wear just a splash of any color I want. But even black gets old after a while. What to do? What to do? I know! I will go back to the color I always go back to when I feel like I am in some type of transition... Green.

I love the color green. It is one of those colors that put me at ease, no matter what turmoil might be going around. I like photographing different shades of green, and of course, what would and afternoon be, without my green tea fix? I hadn't realized how much green was actually in my life, until I began to do this entry. I have green sheets on my bed right now. My favorite autumn sweater is green. Life wouldn't be worth living, if I didn't have my nightly vegetable, especially a crisp green salad. When I set out to find the green in my life, I discovered it is absolutely everywhere in my world. Maybe that is why I have been feeling a little more centered lately. Heck, even the cover for my Yoga mat has a deep green background, with tiny multicolored (but mostly green) dragonflies on it.

The lighthouse you see above, is one of my very favorites. It is the Walton Lighthouse, which is in Santa Cruz, just a short hop from the boardwalk area. It had some controversy a while back, when there was a movement to paint the bands around the top red, and replace the lantern with a clear one. Public outcry saved the unique green colors of the lighthouse, and now you see it in all it's lovely green splendor!

Here are some more of my favorite green things...

Late summer in Berkeley, still a little green left to enjoy as the seasons prepare to hand off to each other.

The gorgeous green cliffs along Highway 1.

The Luna Moth. I think it kinda looks like a ballerina. What do you think?

Is there such a thing as a white/slightly green tarantula?

YES! Brussels Sprouts are a favorite vegetable of mine in autumn and winter.

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Where did the idea for this challenge come from? Glad you asked. Our friend Julie, who can be found at the blog, Julie's Web Journal, submitted the idea of a green challenge for us. Be sure to go by her place and see what green things she posted for this challenge! And after you do, pay a visit to all the participating Robins! Let's be sure to show our support of one another, by paying each other a visit, and commenting. It's a great way to get to know one another! If you haven't played yet, there is still time. Just visit the official Round Robin blog for all the details!

Linking List

Julie... Julie's Web Journal
Posted!

Karen... Outpost Mavarin
Posted!

Carly... Ellipsis
Posted!

Wammy... The Ellis Family Cincinnati
Posted!

Gattina... Keyhole Pictures
Posted!

Martha... Perception
Posted!

Maryt... Work of the Poet


Marie... Photographs & Memories
Posted!
And... Photographs & Memories Too
Posted!

Maria... Maria's Space **Welcome New Member**


Valerie... Soulfully Blond **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

Jennifer Robin... Robin's Woods
Posted!

Vicki... Maraca
Posted!

Erin... Life of a College Student **Welcome New Member**
Posted!

Gina... Gina's Space
Posted!

Momma... Sandcastle Momma
Posted!

Em Dy... Captured Beat
Posted!

Ourhomeschool... Our Home School in the Woods
Posted!

Kiva... Eclectic Granny
Posted!

Steven... (sometimes)blog
Posted!

Connie... Far Side Of Fifty
Posted! **Welcome New Member**

Greg... Photo Trek
Posted! 09/21/08

Jeni... Friendphotog
Posted! 09/21/08

Just a reminder, there is still time to play the Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot. The week the topic is "Cheese." You have until 9:00 PM eastern time Sunday night to post your photo, and leave me the link.

-OndineMonet

The Gates Of Heaven

"Sunsets are so beautiful that they seem as if we are looking through the gates of Heaven"

-John Lubbock

Here is my last summer sunset for 2008! We had an unusually mild summer this year, there were only few days that I can were summer like. Even yesterday, when I took this photo, I was wearing gloves. Strange summer. The sunsets this year have been magnificent, I didn't photograph as many as I should have, but I plan to rectify that. I am hoping to make autumn, all about the sunsets! Wish me luck, now that I have said my plans out loud... lol... you just know something will try to stand in my way! We'll see.

So tell me, how was your summer in terms of the weather? Are you looking forward to autumn arriving? Tell me everything.

-OndineMonet
"Gates Of Heaven"
Point Montara Lighthouse
Montara, California
September 18th, 2008
Twilight

Martha's A-Z Photo Challenge: "M" Is For Morning Glory

"I think it pisses God off, if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it."

-Alice Walker

I can't believe we have already arrived at the letter "M" in Martha's A-Z Photo Challenge! But we are indeed here, and I found it difficult to narrow things down to just one "M." I think I came across more items I could have used with this letter, then most of the other ones. If I hadn't narrowed things down, I would probably have a dozen or so pictures with this entry. Mountains, M&M's, Meat, Morning, Monkeys, Music, the possibilities were endless. In the end, I chose the Morning Glory that is growing in abundance along my garden fence this year. I am noticing it more, I think, because for my birthday we bought a really lovely garden swing, and I have been spending a lot of time out there reading. I love how the Morning Glory takes on a different appearance depending on what time of day you are enjoying it. And that color. I can understand why purple is a royal color!

Be sure to go by Martha's journal, "Perception" to see her "M" photo, and find the links to the other participants in her A-Z Photo Challenge. It's not too late to play along, so go ahead... go play! Its fun!

-OndineMonet
"Morning Glory"
Berkeley, California
September 15th, 2008
Morning

A Day Spent In The Surreal

"I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living."

-Dr. Seuss

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems quite right? Kind of like you are living in the same world as everyone else, and yet you are half a step behind the natural flow of things? It's during those times that coincidences tend to occur. When you experience deja vu, over and over again. It's when you might just glimpse a specter out of the corner of your eye, or a funny light in the sky, that could just be someone from some far off community in space about to pay you, specifically, a visit.. You trip over invisible objects, and misplace your keys, only to find them later in a place you looked a dozen times. On days like the one I am describing, you just know you are moving through time and space, and for all practical purposes, it's completely out of your control as to who, or what, might cross your path.

I was having that kind of day a while back. I was running into walls, and forgetting to shut doors. Twice I picked up the phone to call someone, only to hear them saying "Hello, Hello," into the receiver. I had picked up the phone, before it even rang! I found a box of old love letters, quite by accident, written to me by an old flame, who I had dreamed about the night before. I called and asked Alan what he wanted for dinner that night, and without saying a word to him about what I was hungry for, he said "Yankee Pot Roast." The very thing I had been hungry for all day. It seemed that during all this missteps, there was something serendipitous also occurring. I was experiencing a phenomena of sorts. I was in both the right place, and the wrong place at the same time.

I got through the day with only a few silly bruises to remind me of the day, and as twilight was approaching I was glad that the day was nearly through. Most of the day I had felt so uncomfortable, and out of place, that it had made me feel weary. It was all quite spooky, and at one point I realized that more then anything else, I had felt as if I wasn't gliding through time, so much as time was stuttering, and I was the only one who noticed it. That's not exactly something you want to say to the person next to you in line at the grocery store. "Excuse me stranger, do you feel like maybe we are hurling through time out of control, and by the way, did you just feel that stutter? I had a chance to ask the person behind me in line at Lucky's just that question, but I had been distracted by the fact that the total for my groceries came up to $106.90.

I was ready to be home after that. I was done with that day. So, in an effort to shake off the wiggins, I put on some nice music on my care stereo. I am tired of the mixed CD I made a while back, so instead opted for the KFRC (106.9) instead. Classic hits from the 60's, 70's and 80's. As I started to leave the parking lot of the store, Huey Lewis and the News began to play, "The Power Of Love." That was the favorite song of the boyfriend who had wrote me the love letters I had found earlier that day, and who I had dreamed about the previous night. I hadn't thought of him in years, and now he was solidly in my thoughts. It wasn't really love between us, but it was a solid infatuation to be sure. He took me to see the movie, "Back To The Future" which of course is the movie in which this song is featured.

About half way through the song, and about five miles from home, I saw a silver car pull out from a side street, and move in front of me, and it was... you guessed it... a DELOREAN! I had to smile. Neat! How weird had this day had been! Wonderfully quirky, with the exception of the running into walls, but now, this bit of fantasy, things seemed to going full circle. Hmmm... given all the coincidences, could it maybehaps be Marty McFly in that car? Is Doc Brown somewhere nearby? Maybe it was Doc Brown in the car! Or maybe it was simply a case of being in the right place, at the right time to see one of the only 6,500 Delorean's that are believed to still exist!

In any case, it was fun to follow that car, and maybe daydream for a bit that I could be caught in the wake of it's possible trip through time, even for just a moment or two. After all, I had been traveling through time all day! Alas, as the car pulled onto HWY 13, and out of my sight. I was back to the present again, and almost immediately, everything, including time, seemed to correct itself. For the rest of the evening, everything seemed back to normal, it seems my day of the surreal had ended. As weary as the day had left me, I would have experienced it all again for that little bit of fantastic distraction. Hmmm... I wonder if the old flame had thought about me too that day? I don't really want to know the answer to that question, it's much more fun to wonder. That's what fantasies are for... right?

-OndineMonet
"Back To The Future Of The Past"
Berkeley, California
Sometime In The Past

Ellipsis Monday Photo Shoot #3: Cheese Please!

"Many's the long night I've dreamed of cheese, toasted mostly."

-Robert Louis Stevenson

EMPS #3: Cheese Please! NOW CLOSED!
For this week's photo shoot assignment, I thought it would be fun to get creative with one of my favorite things... CHEESE! There are literally, hundreds of different kinds of cheese, and I am pretty sure I love them all, so this week, it's all about CHEESE PLEASE!

**After you post your photo shoot entry, come back here and leave me the direct link to your entry. NO HYPERLINKS PLEASE!

**Please check your link carefully. Keep in mind, that it is your responsibility to submit your link information correctly. The link you leave me, is the link I will post!

**You have until 9:00 PM Eastern time next Sunday to submit your entry. After that time this challenge will be closed!

LINKING LIST FOR EMPS #2: "Water In Motion" 9/8/08

NOW CLOSED!

1. Karen, shares a fond memory of her dog, Tuffy, playing "The Water Game" with a garden hose.

2. Greg, photographed water moving majestically in a stream.

3. T.J., gets artistic with droplets of water, while keeping up with her grandson.

4. Vicki, was "making a splash" with waves she photographed while out on her boat.

5. Steven, paid a visit to Longwood Gardens, and shows us water coming from a birdbath, that looks like a silver ribbons.

6. Jama, takes us back to the beach!

7. Ahh... Laura brings us water from a faucet. "Drip Drop, Drip Drop."

8. Sandcastle Momma, shows us a series of photos featuring some serious waves, and one in particular seems to be chasing a Heron.

9. Martha, displays three scenes of water in motion, one by way of a waterfall, and two at the beach!

10. Tammy posted two photographs of her favorite decorative sprinkler in her garden. Beautiful!

You guys submitted some really great photos this week, I enjoyed them very much. Now, as I said last week... "I am ready to see more!" GO BE PHOTOGRAPHERS, GO GET THE PHOTO, and I will see you back here on Ellipsis in one week with a brand new EMPS assignment!

Photo Tip #3: Look For Lines
Use shadows and natural lighting to create interesting lines within your photos.

-Carly

And The Emmy Goes To...

"To refuse awards is another way of accepting them with more noise than is normal."

-Peter Ustinov

Well, one week from tonight I will put on my high heels, my one evening dress, and I will pop some Pizza Rolls in the oven, then settle in to watch the 60th annual Emmy Awards. I miss the days of my friend June holding her silly awards parties. She didn't always hold an Emmy Award party, but she never missed the Academy Awards... not ever! I thought about holding a shindig, but in the end, I thought it would be fun to just watch the show with my favorite date, Elvis. Alan has to work, so it is just me and my elegant little friend for the evening. That's ok, how many ladies can say that they will be dining with a man in a tuxedo next Sunday night? Tee Hee. My boy never let's me down!

As for the show itself, I must admit to being somewhat bored in recent years. I think if asked to name my favorite moment from past shows, I would have to go all the way back to 2001, when Ellen DeGeneres hosted it, right after the terrorist strike on 9/11. She made me laugh... and laugh... and laugh again. We all needed that, but I haven't been really, truly entertained since then. Am I being too critical? Have you enjoyed the Emmy's the last few years? If so, sing out in the comments, tell me what you think!

As for the nominees this year, I am a bit amazed that more awards weren't offered to what I consider the best new show of the year last year, Pushing Daisies. It was new, creative, and beautifully filmed. Unfortunately, I think it was lost a good bit when the writer's strike hit, as were many other shows I think should have gotten a nod, such as Private Practice, and Big Bang Theory. As for the reality catagory, how could they have possibly overlooked, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, or Hell's Kitchen? Sigh. The unfairness of it all! :)

So tell me, in the following categories, who will you be rooting for? Here are my Picks...

Outstanding Comedy Series

30 Rock
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Entourage
The Office
Two And A Half Men - X

Outstanding Drama Series

Boston Legal
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost - X
Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series

Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Tony Shalhoub (Monk)
Steve Carrell (The Office)
Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) - X
Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

James Spader (Boston Legal) - X
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)
Michael C. Hall (Dexter)
Hugh Laurie (House)
Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment)
Jon Hamm (Mad Men)

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Tina Fey (30 Rock) - X
Julie Louie-Dreyfus (New Adventures Of Old Christine)
Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?)
America Ferrera (Ugly Betty)
Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)

Outstanding Actress In A Drama Series

Sall Field (Brothers And Sisters) - X
Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)
Glenn Close (Damages)
Mariska Hargitay (Law And Order: SVU)
Holly Hunter (Saving Grace)

Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series

The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with John Stewart
Late Show with David Letterman - X
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow
Dirty Jobs
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Intervention
Kathy Griffin: My Life On The D-List - X

Outstanding Reality Competition Program

The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing With The Stars - X
Project Runway
Top Chef

Outstanding Made For Television Movie

Bernard and Doris
Extras: The Extra Special Series Finale
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
A Raisin In The Sun
Recount - X

So tell me, what do you think? Will this be a good year for the Emmy Awards? Are your favorites among the contenders? If so, who are you rooting for? Will you be watching the show with me, or do you just hate awards shows? Tell me everything!

-OndineMonet