While Saturday Night Live isn't nearly as hilarious as it's been in past years, I've gotta say I'm fucking elated that Betty White will soon be hosting.

In her honour, I present you with my favourite Rose Nylund moment. I apologize for the lousy quality of the video but it's the only clip of it I could find.



Now, if you'll excuse me, I have celebrating to do with a cheesecake out on the lanai.

kind over matter

I was expecting February to suck ass this year as it does every year but I was pleasantly surprised this time around. That is, until March rolled around and the sneaky little bastard had swapped places with February in an attempt to crush my spirits.

A few days ago, to combat the ugliness, I browsed some of the 'feel good' blogs I like to read and in doing so, came across this new gem of a read. The site is full of creative kindness...the kind that, no matter what your mood, leaves you feeling all smiley and warm and fuzzy and appreciative of life. At least, it does me. As a lover of great quotes, I particularly loved these.

The afternoon's ugliness abated but boredom was trying to set up camp. Instead of welcoming it, I killed an afternoon printing out a bunch of the cards (and some other great ones you'll find if you browse through their 'freebies' section) and laminating them. Should I want to leave one on car windshields and random spots outdoors in the Chicago weather, I can't just leave regular ol' paper out in the elements, now can I? No. No, I cannot.

As I was getting off the bus tonight, I sneakily left my first one.



Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. - Marianne Williamson

Nice try, February. You're over. And you're not gettin' March.

Tune in, Tokyo!

So, I've got tits on the "bodacious tatas" end of the spectrum (which comes with both its perks and its pesky annoyances, I might add). Perhaps because I'm the owner of said tits, I've never understood some men's fascination with them (not mine specifically but tits, in general). Some are tiny, some are ginormous, some are fake, some are au natural. They're there for child-rearing purposes, they're there for sexual purposes, they're there...'cause they're there. They come as part of the female package. What the hell is the big deal with the big ones?

But this woman makes me feel like a horny 13-year-old boy.

(Photo is her cover of New York Magazine)

A 13-year-old boy who wants to do nothing but bury his face in the mysterious, beautiful things attached to women's chests and become a motor boatin' son-of-a-bitch.

I may not judge books by their covers...

but I certainly judge magazines by them.

When reading this article, my first reaction was, "dude, seriously? As much as my mind tends toward smutting up perfectly innocent images, not everything is meant to be taken as sexual."

I mean, I don't know an awful lot about skiing but from what I can tell, the pose Ms. Vonn is in seems to be one that is quite common to skiing. Oui?



But as I read some of the comments accompanying the article, I realized there was a similar Sports Illustrated cover years ago.



They aren't drastically different photos but the subtle differences speak volumes about each of them.

The latter is an action shot of A.J. Kitt (an Olympic athlete) skiing in what appears to be an attempt to show readers what a skilled athlete he is. The former appears to be a posed shot of Lindsey Vonn (also an Olympic athlete), a pretty girl bent over and smiling in what appears to be an attempt to show readers what a hot little number she is.

Funny, that.

how *do* you solve a problem like anticipation?

When cleaning out one's closet a week before Thanksgiving, it just makes good space-saving sense to pull out the 4.5-foot apartment-sized Christmas tree out and set it up in one's apartment-sized apartment, don't you think? Yeah, me too. I know it's a bit on the early side but while I was doing it, I figured I might as well get out the decorations and have at it. I'm antsy, damnit and I will not be ashamed.

Even though decoration-wise, I'm somewhat skipping over Thanksgiving, I'm very much excited for it this year; more so than I have been in the past. Since having moved to Chicago a gazillion years ago (okay, seven), I've spent several Thanksgivings by myself, which doesn't bother me. But this year, the parental units are hopping on the train, which will allow us to finally spend the holiday in my home instead of theirs. I do wish my brother could tag along so the four of us could spend it together but it gets a bit easier every year to adapt to the ever-changing holiday traditions.

This year, we're changing it up big time by not cooking dinner on Thanksgiving Day and instead, going out. Mom and Dad and I will be headed to for what I've heard is a delicious traditional Thanksgiving dinner. They'll be arriving a week from today, which is the day of the tree lighting ceremony at Daley Plaza. I've seen the tree plenty of times but I've never been to the ceremony and it's something my parents would love to see as well, so that's Item #1 on the intinerary.

'Cause what's not to love about watching Christmas come alive in the city?

(Photo stolen from here.)

The rest of the plans for the long weekend involve roaming around to see the downtown holiday lights / decorations and Friday night, we'll be going to The Sound of Music Sing-a-Long at Music Box Theatre, an awesome within-walking-distance theatre known for its independent and foreign films.

The next weekend? It's off to New York City with my mother and aunts and cousins for a Girls' Christmas Weekend!

I heart the holidays.

a couple of photos that have been in hiding

I'm in the process of trying to update my flickr account to include all of the photos I've taken over the years and realized I should totally be taking advantage of the "blog this" feature they offer.

So that's what I'm doing.

IMG_1921
Originally uploaded by jlisereau

The Windmill. Full of arts & craftsy goodness, the world's best homemade Amish treats, and super tasty garlic pretzels. It's a regular stop for my parents during the summer but I get to tag along whenever I get back to Penn Yan for a few days when it's open.

IMG_1922
Originally uploaded by jlisereau

One of the best things about The Windmill...in-season fruits and veggies. Okay, so I'm not big on veggies. But some of the fruits, I very much enjoy.

In lieu of a real post

Ya know, one in which I say something fabulously witty or introspective?

I give you this.



Carry on.