On Assignment

Or in other words,  Grandma J got her ticket drawn and she won first prize in "who's going to babysit while mommy goes to Napa for a week".

So off she goes to California.  First she has to take a puddle jumper to Dallas, then she gets to go on a real big plane to Orange County.   It's an all day event because why would anyone syncronize flights to coincide with each other.  We all know four hour layovers are preferred by most travelers.

One nice thing about catching a plane from Texas before the rooster crows, is arriving at your desination while it's still daylight.   Grandma J  spent her whole life never paying much attention to palm trees.  Now when she visits they make her smile because vultures don't live in palm trees. Did Grandma J ever mention that the Turkey Vulture is the Texas State Bird?   Well, if she didn't mention it, it's because it's not, but should be.

A little bit of rain, like twenty inches   is all it takes to make everything green again in January.

Even though Grandma J's main purpose for coming to CA to hang out with three kiddos while mom is away, she did have another more important reason to show up.

Beauty turned seven!   And the one thing Beauty loves more than anything is shopping.   She does not take after her grandma because her grandma hates to shop.   Well, that's unless she takes Beauty to buy new clothes and shoes.   Did I mention shoes?   Because if I didn't, Beauty made sure I got her new shoes in the picture. 

And while we are on the subject of shoes.....Beauty told Grandma J that Nordstroms has the best shoes in the whole wide world!   Really?  No sh*t kidding!

Nothing says,  look at me, I'm seven, like a nice pedicure.   Of course that's what she asked for at age four! 

And yes, her Grandma took her for her first pedi at age four.   Did Grandma J ever tell you she had her first pedi after she turned 50?

That capped off Grandma J's first day in California.  

I have been catching up on my fellow bloggers, but haven't had the time to comment yet.  I will, but until then I will say four Hail Mary's and an Act of Contrition.......amen!

Is It Just Me?

It's been extremely hectic around The Spa lately.    Between physical therapy, cleaning my floors (that happen to all be wood lamanent), doing laundry, packing for a trip, writing the State of The Union Speech checks for my February bills that can't be paid on line, and porking out on Hagen Daz, Grandma J hasn't had much time to play Bejeweled Blitz goof off.

Dispite all that, there are some things that she refuses to put on the back burner.  One of them is taking JJ for car rides whenever she's in his neck of the woods....because he still lives with his wicked step-mother and not Grandma J.

On our rides we always pass this yard coming up in front of us.   Like every other lawn this time of year here in Central Texas it's brown.  Well except for some of the crab grass and weeds.  They always seem to survive and stay green.  Grandma J has never taken the time to slow down and get a good look at those things growning around that tree.

Today she did.   Her suspicions were right.   They are artificial.....just stuck in the ground.  Is it just me, or is this crazy?  Do people in your neighborhood do this?

Do you want to know something else that's crazy?   Pinky promise not to laugh, and if you're related to me, do NOT sign the papers to have me committed. 

The only time Grandma J folds, or in this case rolls her undies is when she packs them in a piece of luggage.

Otherwise, they get thrown in a drawer in her dresser all in a bunch......nothing orderly.  Once again I ask you, Is it just me?

** Don't wait, don't hesitate! ** 

You have until noon PST tomorrow to get on the mailing list for a free Aba Zaba candy bar, email your address to grandma J at: jannieret@hotmail.com

A to Z Mondays.....
......the food edition

That's right!  A to Z Mondays is back,  with a twist.   This time around, Jen at unglazed decided to make it more difficult exciting by giving it a theme!  

This is A week, which means we are just getting started, so why not join in?   Of course it's recommended that you don't wait until the day is almost over to post.  Just sayn'.

Grandma J would like to start of with a candy bar that she featured in a previous post. 

Aba Zaba Candy Bar

This candy bar is white chewy taffy with a peanut butter center.   That's all you need to know.
 
What was shocking to Grandma J was the fact that so many people had never heard of Aba Zaba candy bars!  Being from California it never occurred to her that it was a west coast thing. 

You know just because the  Annabelle Candy Company  is located in California doesn't mean they can't share the sweetness.

Just to show you that Grandma J has a warm and generous heart.....and just because she's heading to
So CA soon, she's decided to treat you to an Aba Zaba Candy Bar.

  If you want me to send you one, just let me know in the comment section by Wednesday at noon PST Grandma J needs to know how many Aba Zaba bars she'll need.


That's right, she's gonna stop in at the local 7-11 and buy them out of their Aba Zabas.  She may have to hit up two 7-11s.

Now, please go check out all the other interesting A ingestables over at Jen's blog, unglazed.  Please join in....the more the merrier.  Hurry, it's getting late!

** To get on the mailing list for a free Aba Zaba candy bar, email your address to grandma J at:     jannieret@hotmail.com

A New Tradition?

 or water on the brain

Southern California is recovering from several days of torrential rain and high winds.   Streets flooded, trees toppled, mud slid down hills and some people went stir crazy.

Once the sun came out, and it was safe to hit the bars go out and about, some folks went bananas. Yes, they did. Instead of going to CVS to stock up on Wet 'n Wild eyeliner pencils, they did this.......

This Saturday in my old home town of Huntington Beach, was the first annual Snuggie Pub Crawl.

People wearing their Snuggies signed up and were given lanyards and placards to wear proclaiming their participation. 

Then, starting right smack dab at the foot of the Huntington Beach Pier, they made their way, going  from bar to bar celebrating this new happy hour tradition.  Some wore Snuggies with a theme...you know, like animal prints........

and Ninjas....

Some dressed alike as they chugged their brewski........

Ummmm, yeah.  This gal got all decked out in her pink Snuggie, coordinated with her jeweled accessories, only to end up babysitting Pooh.  

I guess the old saying "everyone looks good at closing time", might apply here.

Things just aren't the same in my old home town.

Does your home town have any whacky traditions?

Youth in Revolt

the review...which is late because the only showing in town was at 10:00 a.m.  

(Click to enlarge)

So, Grandma J had to drive to a neighboring town forty miles away to see it.  then she came home and had four martinis took a nap.

Michael Cera stars Nick Twisp in his usual role as a virgin nerd.  He's a teenager whose love for Sinatra music and such makes him a bit more sophisticated than the average dweeb. 

 

Nick is less than thrilled when he has to go on vacation with his trailer trash mother, Estelle (Jean Smart who played the First Lady on 24), and her crude disgusting boyfriend., Jerry ( Zach Galifianakis, "The Hangover") to his broken down trailer at his summer camp  on a lake.

Things lighten up for Nick at the lake when he  meets Sheeni, (Portia Doubleday) the girl of his dreams  and he falls head over heals for her.  

Sheena is bright and shares Nick's love of  foreign films and older music.   There's a hitch or two....Sheeni's parents and her boyfriend....an older handsome, athletic boyfriend named Trent (Jonathan Bradford Wright of  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist  fame). 

 

Sheeni lives 200 miles away from Nick, so he moves in with his father, George, who has a younger girlfriend Lacey. 

Nick invents an alter ego for himself, Francois, who is debonair, cool, suave (with a moustache) and a smoker....everything that Nick isn't.

This alter ego advises Nick to break out and do things he would never dare to do as Nick.  His escapades, along with his one and only friend, Vijay, (Adhir Kalyan) get him involved in criminal shinanigans and other stuff like creating fiery traffic hazards.

Youth in Revolt is a cute boy meets girl, loses girl, boy goes after girl movie.  It's one of those coming of age movies with some cute, funny and new twists.  It was very entertaining, and  I enjoyed it.

I give this movie four out of five stars.

It's Friday, and Grandma J is having a hard time deciding which movie she should see.   Please help her pick.    below are the three choices because she won't see stuff she's already seen or movies that scare the beegeezus out of her.   You have until noon  New Yawk time.  That's so  Grandma J can get all  foo foo'd up and spiffy.

Thank you....I don't know what I would do without y'all.

Par-tay, Par-tay!

That's what's been going on here in Central Texas.   It's been a long day of working in the trenches and celebrating like there's no tomorrow.  

Grandma J will spare you all the details and get right to the nitty gritty.

Look who turned 40.   The proof is in the cake.   Ice Cream cake! 

It's rare to have your husband home to celebrate your birthday with you when he has a job defending a whole big country.  But we are thankful when we can.

This guy always makes his way to the head table at all social functions.  He loves his mother almost as much as his grandma.

It seems like it was just yesteday when Grandma J made this cake for her little girl's birthday. 

Happy Birthday Kristine!  I love you!

Brought to you by the resident chef in training.......

Phllip Johnny Bob

It's been a while since Grandma J let PJB dabble with her cooking utensils.  Remember what a total fiasco it was the last time?  But PJB said he was jealous of Margaret hanging out in the kitchen wanted to  help out around the house so Grandma J could drink martinis rest her bum knee. 

Grandma J said....awe,  :::sigh:::

 

Phillip Johnny Bob was working away for the longest time all by himself in the kitchen.   He had given Grandma J strict orders to stay out.    But, after a while, things seemed awfully quite.....too quite.

When she looked in on PJB, he was studying a poultry recipe.    Wait.....a poultry recipe??  

Grandma J looked around and noticed Margaret was no where in sight.   She asked PJB if he had seen her.

 He looked at Grandma J with that deer in the headlights, glazed over look.   The look that means trouble.  She asked him again if he had seen Margaret.   He said he wasn't sure.......

Then, out of the the blue, Grandma J heard a squalk........

The oven was on, and the was a strange shadow in the door window.  It was not a chicken casserole......

Grandma J opened the oven door and there she was....Margaret!

Poor thing was so glad Grandma J came to save her.   But before she could scold PJB, he asked her why she ruined his surprise dinner.   First Crusty, now Margaret.....maybe Phil wasn't meant to be a chef.

STAY TUNED.........
.....for yet another episode of

Check your local listings for times in your viewing zone area. That would be 350 fehrenheit, or approximately in a while. 

This delay is brought to you by the people who torture Grandma J with physical therapy.

The Golden Botox Globe Awards

 I know, it's everyone's right to go to any length to look as freakish good as possible.   Some bob their nose, others go for the eye lift or some other tuck or trim.  

What Grandma J wants to talk about is the whole fixation with botox!  

For some reason botoxed foreheads are as shiney as a  simonized studebaker.   Not only are they shiney, but the people who get botox don't seem to have a clue about the whole shine thing.  How is that possible?  No mirrors?  No loved ones to tell them?  

Better yet, maybe the administrator of the botox injections could whisper in their ear....pssst, you might want to apply a tad bit of powder on your forehead before stepping in front of bright lights and cameras. 

Or at the very least show them a picture of Joe Biden, age 67.

As she watched the Golden Globe Awards last night, Grandma J couldn't help but notice how many actors and actresses had botox.   She also noticed some that didn't.  

Morgan Freeman didn't.....and Mel Gibson didn't.   Mickey Rourke....um probably didn't, but he had this hat on that hid most of his face.

Here's a sample of some botoxed celebrities who probably look a whole lot better with a few age lines.

Let's start with Awnald the Terminator....he's 63.

Then we have Jeff Bridges, age 61

How about Ms. Meryl who I adore with her laugh lines!.....age 60

Handsome Kevin Bacon, age 50.  Is it botox or not?

James Cameron, age 55.

Beloved Sophia Loren, bless her sweet heart, is 75!

There were several others, mostly in the audience  It's hard to take pictures of TV screens so, if you didn't watch then just take my word for it.

One more critique.......

What's with Julia's hair! 

As much as Grandma J loves the movies, and loves all of these celebrities.....she'd enjoy them a whole lot more without the distraction of shiney foreheads.