Serial Cereal People

You are what you eat…and we are a huge cereal family…actually serial cereal people. Our pantry has more boxes than the Octomom has children…line ‘em up.

Before everyone got Home for the Holidays…I went to the Stop and Shop and rounded up the usual suspects: Cocoa Puffs, Cocoa Krispies, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, Grape Nut Flakes, Rice Krispies, and Honey Bunches of Oats…to add to the 5 half empty boxes already in the pantry. Breakfast cereals are not just for breakfast in this family. They make a good lunch, occasional dinner, or according to Colinboy...a 2 am snack.

What I have always loved about cereal is the cardboard box…not it’s ingestion…it’s impression. Growing up, the box had massive appeal with colorful cartoons of Toucan Sam, Sonny the Cuckoo Bird, and Snap, Crackle, Pop, along with word puzzles, and pictures of toy offers. And when I lined the boxes up side-by-side…it was the Great Wall of China…between my brother and sisters. Keep Out…Kat’s Kingdom. And just 3 boxes made the perfect cave. Keep Out…Kat’s Cavern.

Ahhh…the cereal box. Where else can you get a box of nostalgia for only $3.59?

It was cute to see my kids do the same as they grew up….collecting the special surprises…spoons, wind-up toys, and 3-D glasses…and putting up their own cardboard walls. And I never insisted they eat whole grain, non-sugary, healthy cereals. How could I…when I was (and am) shoveling 85 grams of sugar with every spoonful of Cocoa Puffs?

With breakfast being my favorite meal, the one meal I can not go without…and the reason I get out of bed…it was always important for me to have the kids eat before they left for school. I just couldn’t imagine starting my day without it.

Colinboy was never interested in eating in the morning. I remember worrying about him. How will he do in school? Will he get into college? Will he be successful in life? What will become of the Colinboy? Why doesn’t he realize…when you put Tony the Tiger in your tank…there is nothing you can’t accomplish?

BAMA BCS Bowl Champs

In case you live in the Land of Clueless (or the Land of Uninterested)…the College Football BCS Bowl Championship was played last night in Pasadena, California. And let’s just say: Bama is Back.

They say that in the South, “Football is more of a religion…than a game”…of goons knocking each other to the ground. Sing with me, Alleluia.

Ever since Big C attended the University of Alabama, we have become BIG BAMA football fans. We’ve religiously watched every televised game and feverishly cheered them on. Her sophomore year we were lucky to attend a game on the sacred ground of Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. And that, my friends, is a religious experience. We joined 92,000 people all following the almighty brown prolate spheroid with pointed ends.

The BSC Championship Game result: Alabama 37 – Texas 21. The big story was that Texas quarterback, Colt McCoy, exited the game with a shoulder injury in the first quarter. After that there was some offense and some defense, tackles, throws, catches and misses, snaps, kicks, penalties, interceptions, field goals, hits, incomplete passes and touchdowns…not necessarily in that order.

Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Heisman Trophy winner, and offensive MVP, was quoted as saying “We Back.” I would never list "Grammar Guru" to his list of titles…but Ingram does have part of it right…BAMA IS BACK……resurrected to win a National Championship.

Roll Tide.......ya'all.

PS….Happy 75th Birthday to Elvis…but more importantly...Happy Birthday to my Bro! Rock On!

The Digital Cleanse

If you follow John Mayer on Twitter you would know that he is undergoing a digital cleanse. Not to be confused with a colonic cleanse…but I’m thinking it’s probably just as freeing …to not be weighed down by binary material.

He challenged people to take his self-prescribed and described “One Week Digital Cleanse” with him on January 1st until January 8th. When I first read his proposal, I thought it was a spoof…because under J. Mayer’s ‘guidelines’ you can use cell phones, laptops, and desktop computers. The rules are: send email only from laptops and desktop computers, NO texting (or emailing) from cell phones or blackberrys…ONLY phone calls, and NO social networking sites, like Twitter, or Facebook or entertainment/gossip sites.

My first reaction was: “Huh, this is a digital cleanse?” But because the blackberry is now as commonplace as the blueberry, this could be difficult for some. He is making the point that fragments of conversation on social networking sites and the use of texting is becoming a substitute for making phone calls. He’s going back to basics…communicating through emails on the computer and actually talking on the cell phone. For him...the old fashioned way.

For me...the old fashioned way was…the phone attached to the kitchen wall. 1 phone: 6 family members. And when it rang we all ran for it. Today when our house phone rings no one makes a move. But the phone rarely rings…the only incoming calls are automated calls from computers with a lame offer. Heck, our door bell doesn’t even ring. If someone comes over they’ll text and say “I’m here” and one of the kids will meet them at the door.

I could have easily done the digital cleanse. (Nothing like a purge to start the New Year.) It would have been a snap, because I'm not a Twitterer or Facebooker, and I mainly text with my kids, because for them…Texting is The Preferred Method of keeping in touch with ‘rents.’ That way, they can keep the convo to a bare minimum… “Doing fine. School’s fine. Roommate fine. Fine. Fine.”

It will be interesting to find out how easy…or difficult it was for John Mayer and those who took the digital cleanse with him. Will a week without digital toxins work as a laxative and get real conversations flowing again?

Maybe a cleanse is a good idea, every so often…Or maybe the cleanse is just a poopy idea.

Nobel Peace Prize

I couldn’t resist reprinting this blog…especially with the irony of Obama receiving his Peace Prize on December 10th…after ordering a massive troop surge to Afghanistan…AND seeing…I came across this great photo. Here it goes:

Nobel Peace Prize

Did you hear the collective gasp from Oslo? There was an audible gasp in the room when the announcement was made that President Barack Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize. Wow…amazing. And he didn’t even have to sit on the floor and smoke a peace pipe.

Many people (especially the Republicans) are saying that this award was premature. That Obama hasn’t really done anything to deserve it. Hey, I have to agree with that. It seems like the Committee is diluting the award by giving it to him for actions and promises for the future. To me it felt like a bartender giving me a shot of 50% proof vodka…when I was expecting full strength.

So now is Obama under pressure to fulfill promises and policy he can’t follow through with? Maybe circumstances will have changed and he is unable to perform them, or he shouldn’t. Will winning the award change his policy? Stay tuned.

Obama is the recipient of a very coveted award won by individuals such as Mother Teresa, Desmond TuTu, Linus Pauling, and Martin Luther King, Jr. I’d like to get my name on that list.

Maybe I could earn the Nobel Peace Prize. But I’m not going to smoke the peace pipe...I would do it the Obama way and talk about my intentions. Let’s see. Here’s what I propose to do....

I propose to get the Hatfields and the McCoys from fighting each other. I mean…I propose to get the Palestinians and Israelis, who have been fighting each other for all of eternity…to let bygones, be bygones…and smoke the peace pipe.

I hear you skeptics out there doubting my ability to complete this seemingly impossible task…you’re wondering how this could be done. Easy. I invite the leaders of Palestine and Israel to a sock-hop in Oslo…get the DJ to play the Electric Slide…and before you know it…there will be peace in the Middle East. Who can resist joining in on the Electric Slide? It’s electric. Boogie woogie, woogie.

Could someone please nominate me for next year’s Nobel Peace Prize?

In One Year, Out Another

Do you have a New Year’s resolution? Something special or unique…that you resolve to do in 2010? Actually, it’s hard to be unique, because we all pretty much have the same resolutions. They usually fall into these categories:

Lose weight

Get in shape

Get out of debt

Get organized

Stop drinking

Stop smoking

Stop blogging

Help others

Learn Chinese

I saw a great quote that I wish I could take credit for…but alas, I have to give credit to ‘Anonymous.’ (Darn Anonymous has all the best sayings.) Anyway, it goes: “A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.”

We all start the New Year with good intentions about resolving to stick to our resolutions. Heck, anonymous could be YOU or ME. On the First of January, you wake up and think, “Yep, today is the day. Today is the day I tackle my resolutions”….

But you move ever so slowly because you only stopped celebrating 5 hours ago…and you need to find a hair of the dog to add to your OJ…and a smoke, because they go together. You sit down to do bills, but your papers are all disorganized, and all the numbers blur together to look like Chinese, and you haven’t yet registered for the course. Helping others is totally out of the question, when you can barely help yourself. You think about losing weight, but you think more about eating a greasy burger from McDonald's while you watch people working out on the exercise channel. Then you sit down to write a blog about it.

It’s only been a few hours and you have already blown 9 resolutions…you'll have to start over tomorrow.

But don’t confuse this Anonymous with Kat. There is a big difference between us. You would never find ‘stop blogging’ on my list of resolutions.

Good Luck, folks. Resolutions have a way of sticking with us…In one year and out another.

Mug for the Camera

I have come to the conclusion that it is very difficult to take a good looking mug shot.

Check out the close-up of Charlie Sheen. Proof Positive…NOT GOOD…very Mugly. Think about it...when have you seen a good looking mug shot? A shot when someone would say… “Damn, that’s a great pic.”

Sheen’s defiant mug was taken after he was arrested for domestic assault for going after his wife with a knife on Christmas Day. This is “alleged”…and Sheen claims he was defending himself. Good thing he was a good Boy Scout and always prepared with a kitchen knife. Merry cut-throat Christmas, Charlie.

These images have a way of sticking with the celeb…remember Nick Nolte’s mug in his shot? He was wearing wild and crazy hair…and expression…in a Hawaiian shirt (that no true Hawaiian would ever wear.) And remember the unattractive mugs of Mickey Rourke…(was he ever attractive?), Robert Downey, Jr., and the Godfather of Soul, James Brown? Even pretty boy Hugh Grant didn’t look the romantic lead part when his mug was taken.

Usually celebs are THE beautiful people…but that’s because they have “people” to make them look better than most people. The mug shot is the great equalizer.

I do have a little compassion for them. I think these characters should be given a little time to freshen up...maybe call someone in to do their hair and make-up. After all, this photo will be flashed all over the internet and Entertainment Tonight……and Kat’s blog.

“All right, Mr. DeMille…I’m ready for my close-up.”

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!
I hope you had a safe and fun New Year’s Eve. 2009 was so last year…so last decade. Today is a NEW day, NEW dawn, NEW Year…2010!

Tis the day for………………

Resolutions
Absolutions

Lists
Sub-lists
Actions
Transactions
Organization
Preparation
Plan A
Plan B

And going back to bed…….

I like to think of January 2nd as the new First of the Year…

PS…….rabbit, rabbit, rabbit…….Good Luck in 2010.