Dan & Lisa Cheese Pretzel?
So do you think that Dan had a hard time growing up with the name Dan Cheese Pretzel?
Did Lisa have any second thoughts when she married him and took his last name?
I am not sure why we are congratulating the Cheese Pretzels of Almont, Michigan, but I too say congratulations!

The New Wood Floor

After the crazy Christmas fiasco's this year, we finally got our kitchen floor fixed. Here's a look at the new wood floor in our kitchen. This floor is real Brazilian Cherry wood that we finished to the color we liked (exactly the color of the old floor.) The old floor was pre-finished wood and it was nice. However, I must admit the floor is beautiful and I am happy that it looks so beautiful, however it will mean a weekend of cleaning an inch of dust left from the installation off everything in the room. I am just glad it's done, hopefully we will have an easier spring as far as home ownership goes.

What Ever Will I Say---
WHEN OLIVE & I MEET G. LOVE!

Thanks to the great world of blogger & the TiVo Changed my Life Blog, a mysterious man named Todd from Cleveland (ironically, not my Todd from Cleveland) left me a message on my blog (click here to read.) In this message it spoke of things like a meet and greet with G. Love for charity. (Yes, Bruce the running shoes I mentioned getting myself for Easter, well I will put those off for another day.) I have been a passionate G. Love fan since my freshman year in college and I have been very close to him (pretty much front row at every concert), however I have never met him. Well now I will get the chance and it's all for a good cause. I think it's for ALS, I will do my research before I go. I am so excited, I tried calling Olive to get her to talk me out of it, but she didn't answer, so guess what now you are going.

The only hitch is, well we all know how I am when I meet someone I am impressed by, I become well an Insta-Dork. I start talking about nonsense that no one in the world is interested in. I am NEVER cool, but in front of celebs I am even less cool. I worry that this may be a mistake, what if I embarrass myself, which would make me not want to be in the front row at every concert I go to, or worse, what if G. Love isn't the person I imagined him to be for the ten years I have been following the band. What if he openly laughs at me in a bad way? Or worse yet, is openly annoyed by me! Could this be a mistake?

Quick ANTM Update

Well I only got to watch the last half tonight at the gym while running on the treadmill. I know its staying lighter later, however, I couldn't convince myself earlier in the evening to get off my butt and run. I will watch the first half on TiVo later. However, here's the cliff note version since my husband says I am too long winded as of late. This week they separated the girls from the men. Yes the ladies posed as men. The two plus size (the girls that probably wear the same size as me) models struggled. Whitney is great, however her pictures aren't. The other girl, who's name escapes me, didn't have much of a personality. Mr. Jay asked her why she wanted to be ANTM and she responds, "jus' cuz." Yes, very convincing answer. Well that answer ended up sending her home. So now we have 9 models left, 8 that weight just slightly above a sack of flour and one girl that probably shares the same numbers on the scale as me.

Mother Nature's Spring Tease

So it's back to the chiller temperatures, after a couple days that reached near 80 degrees. We are currently in the low 40s, however they are claiming a high of 58 today, which I don't believe, unless it was that was for 2 minutes. Now don't get me wrong 40 degree temperatures are better than 20-30 range, however the people at weather.com are using the "S" word for next week. Frankly Mother Nature this is unacceptable, if I have to deal with the polar ice caps melting in my life time, I sure better reap the rewards to, so when spring comes it better stick around. I know what you are thinking... idle threats, but what can I say it's all I got.

However we are just 12 days away from G. Love in Cleveland... It's Spring Break 2007: Baby!

Just 14 Days!

Until Olive and I are front row in Cleveland with G. Love! Spring Break 2007 is going to be CRAZY!! Can you tell I am excited, stay tuned for more excitement. My students asked me today why I was happy.... and the reason, well the weather is a major contributor but really it's G.L.A.S.S. in 14 days.... less than two weeks away. I have never been so excited about going to Ohio.

Open the Door... Let the Fairy In
Ann Arbor's Little Secret
(That Everyone Already Knows)

This weekend, I went to Ann Arbor to answer phones for Michigan Radio's pledge drive, which you can still pledge if you want. Just call 1-888-258-9866 or go online to Michigan Radio's website. But after dinner I met up with my Mom & Dad for dinner at the Grizzly Peak Brewery in downtown after dinner we went for a short walk through downtown because the weather is warming up, again. As we were walking, we walked by the toy store the "Peaceable Kingdom" and she said oh that must be one of those fairy doors. I said, what? So we all walked back to check it out. It's a small little door for fairies to enter, something that I would have been totally into as a child, because well I lived in my own fantasy world, something I am sure you have figured out by now.

An artist decided to put them up to help draw people to the businesses downtown, as I was bending down to take a picture, a little girl showed up with here mother and she let us in on where more of the doors were located. She was so excited to let us in on this "secret." We made one more stop at Sweetwater's Cafe and she showed us the second door. It had a another fairy annex with a lighted room. People leave things at the doors and also write in the fairy door journal, which we did not. We were not prepared on the proper Fairy Door etiquette.

Apparently this has been the buzz in the Ann Arbor News, Detroit Free Press, the Washington Post (and tons of other papers including the Seattle Times picked up the story) and you can listen to the NPR, so many people wrote about this story because everyone I have since talked to said, oh yeah, I knew about that, well I guess this is what I get for spending too much time wrapped up in ANTM, I miss out. Want more pictures, that may be better than my dark photos... click here.

My Mom, Dad & I all agreed that it would super fun to come on a fairy door hunt with my niece Sophie, who is the girliest girl ever. She loves princesses and pink, so we definitely feel that fairies will be right up her alley. And therefore I can live vicariously through the life of 3 year-old and not just look like a 28 year-old freak searching for fairy doors with wings and a tiara on because I feel frankly too look like a fairy you must look and feel like a princess. What you disagree?

My American Life has FREE Showtime

My favorite radio show, "This American Life" has hit Showtime. This American Life has been a radio show for the last 10 years on WBEZ Chicago. It's the reason I fell in love with Public Radio. Well now the same great radio show is adding video, sometimes it makes me feel like I should be in on this, this is what I wanted to do with video, when I started in journalism. It's the kind of show that focuses on people's story, hence the title This American Life. Which I am sure if you are reading this blog, because you know me then there is no explanation necessary.

So of course you guessed it, it's been TiVo'ed. I put it in the season pass tonight. Maybe I will be inspired enough to try my hand my secret little dream of becoming a contributor. I watched the first episode tonight, it was two of the stories that I have actually already heard on the radio, but it was a different experience seeing the same story with video. When I say different, I mean good.

Of course I did not have Showtime, why, well I was born Jennie Sahakian and Sahakian's don't pay for premium channels. But Sahakian's do call DirecTV when they notice that their bill went up and then they scrutinize the bill and realize that they have been overcharged for quite sometime (ok most of us would have realized it before sometime but hey I am busy.) So I called DirecTV and here's the deal, they are giving me money off my bill for the next six months and Showtime for the next six months FOR FREE. Yes, I am a smooth talker, you can say Bruce is wearing off on my a little, I still am not as good as this man.

Don't worry, I will still be listening to This American Life on Michigan Radio, because that is where I fell in love with it. By the way it is the spring fund drive week for NPR, tomorrow I will be answering the phones at Michigan Radio. So pick up the phone and give them a call: give a little, give a lot, it all goes to continue the great programing, like This American Life. If you are lucky I might just answer the phone to take your money. By the way, here's the number: 888-258-9866.

it's the best night of the week...
ANTM Night

I just realized that Tyra sings this the song at the beginning, how fabulous, I can't figure out if it's just one line or the whole thing. Is there anything this woman can't do? I am asking you, seriously. Let's see we are starting to get to know the girls now. Renee is the caddy girl that will talk about everyone about them behind their backs. She starts out the morning, saying I am going to be a new woman and I am not going to be bitchy anymore. Come on please you won't be too, I hope at least. Then the girls meet with a traffic cop? No it was Benny Ninja, the father of the house of Ninja, the man who perfected Vogueing, who knew. And I thought it was Madonna, but according to Benny Ninja, it was born in Harlem. Then they had posing wars in the park. it was boring at best, I wanted more Benny Ninja.

Then what to my surprise: more Benny Ninja, but this time he was in yellow spandex. The girls went to a warehouse it is the vault where Tyra keeps her most bankable poses... HA HA HA, for real are you kidding me. But anyway the girls have to make their way through a laser maze, while striking amazing poses. The girls who get through get a chance at a $20, 000 diamond bracelet. Yes, I said a chance, because Benny Ninja, gave the prize to the girl who he thought had the best movement. I was happy one of the plus sized girls won. Whitney won and I like her.

I have noticed another thing about this season: these girls smoke like a freaking chimney. It's out of control. Come on people, how can Tyra stand for this. It makes me mad a little. I am anti-smoking. I am completely on my soapbox now. I just don't get it why start? And to show these skinny girls sitting around smoking cigarettes. I don't care if it is reality, this is a part of the reality I don't need.

The photo shoot is a CSI (crime scene investigation.) The girls were dead. Renee killed it in the first shot and I actually am starting to like her again. Yes, when everyone hates you that's when I love you, unless you are Melrose. Then Jaslene went next, she calls herself the cha cha diva, I am not sure how I feel about her, she loves herself a little too much for me. Jael was super emotional about the death of her friend, I just can't understand that girl whenever she talks, its like she has something to say but she can't get the words out, she mumbles everything. I just want to yell, get the marbles out of your mouth. The girls, with the exception of Jael, did surprisingly well with this photo shoot.

At judging, I am not sure about Tyra's outfit, because all I can do is stare at her chest. Wow that was some top or what? It was a purple Helen of Troy deal, with a crazy headband. Not my favorite look for her.

I honestly can't tell who is going home this week, I am guessing Felicia, why because it was the Felicia show, this week. We have seen a lot of her. But I am not quite sure. Even after the judging banter, I can't tell you who is out. I am guessing Jael and Felicia are in the bottom two. But I am wrong. So it's between Dionne & Felicia. And I was right the girl who called herself little Tyra, Felicia was sent home.

The Green Mountain State

What do I know about Vermont? Not much, I know that I stopped at a rest stop there with my mom in August of 2002 on our way to Maine. I know that it is the home to Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and that they have lots of Maple Syrup. I know that my childhood neighbors Howard & Leanor would always bring us back Maple Syrup from their trips to Vermont. So why all the interest in Vermont? Well one of my dearest friends, let's call her Julie Foster our favorite Dairy Queen employee from Columbia, Missouri (she was employee of the month for like 5 years straight, however she never was working, how does that work?), and her husband are moving to the Green Mountain State, I was pulling for him to get a residency in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan, however Mother Nature and an ice storm foiled our plans and forced his flight to be canceled and when you are a medical resident it turns out you don't have a lot of free time to make more trips. I am saddened, however, I decided to devote myself to learning more about this mysterious "Green Mountain" Ice Cream Natural Toothpaste state in the northeast. So I spent the evening after the gym with my good friend Wikipedia, were all good bloggers go to find accurate information, that in the vacation Vermont website.

Here are a few things I have learned about Vermont, our 14th state however it's the 49th smallest state in population, only state smaller in population is Wyoming. The state bird is the hermit thrush, flower: red clover, state tree: sugar maple, that's a nobrainier , state pie: apple, they have both a state cold water and warm water fish, neither which I will name here, state mineral: talc, state beverage: milk, remember these people are healthconscious with their natural tom's toothpaste you will not find soda on this state's rooster and finally the state mammal, the Morgan horse, there are more but it's my blog and those are the ones I care about. Here are a couple of notableVermontinians or are they Vermonters, hmmm... none the less here they are: Ted Bundy, serial killer, Calvin Coolidge, 13th President, Howard Dean, former Presidential Candidate & Senator and head of the Democratic Party, Bob Keeshan a.k.a. Captain Kangaroo, & of course our friends Ben & Jerry.

The Vacation Vermont website (which is very slow loading for me tonight) is still promoting snow, which makes me wonder how long their winters are. I told Julie Foster tonight that she must embrace snow, love it, start skiing or snowboarding, because it's either that or spending most of the year wishing you were in a warmer state, which brings you down. That was my plan for Michigan this winter, which only got as far as getting a ski coat for Christmas, maybe next year I will use it for its intended purpose. As I read more about the weather it is know for it's mild falls, cold snowy winters, with annual snowfall up to 100 inches and it's mud season also know as spring.

Vermont however is offering to fuel your vacation. Which of course I have entered, because I am now planning to go there. However, I am intrigued by the Green Mountain Film Festival which is currently ongoing in Montpelier, the capital. They promote the bohemian lifestyle with art, music, winter sports and lots of maple syrup. So I must say, Julie Foster, I am very excited about my visit and maybe I will get to put my new ski jacket to good use.

Pause The TiVo: It's Time to Celebrate

"TiVo Changed My Life" Hits the 200th Post

I realized tonight that I missed the 1 year anniversary of TiVo Changed My Life, that was a week ago today. So in celebration of 1 year (and 1 week) and 200 posts, it's an all in one anniversary post. I must say that in one year's time I have become blog obsessed, as many of my loyal readers and friends (and especially my husband) know. I usually am (hopelessly) promoting my blog. I really have enjoyed blogging in the past, not only posting and keeping all of you up to date with those must TiVo shows, but with reading other blogs. I have found several interesting blogs and I visit them daily, with hopes that their authors have nothing to do but update their blogs. And though I don't know them, I feel that I am friends with them. Yes, I know it's abnormal, but hey, I am embracing the world of bloggers. Looking back at this blog, it has really grown, from my first post with no pictures and hardly a paragraph to the marathon posts like my 199th post with video, pictures and more. As for visitors to the blog, it's growing. I didn't put Google Analytics on the blog until August 27th. But here are some of the stats:

• From 8/27 to today there has been 2,963 visitors.
• Visitors from 5 continents, 29 countries, 39 states & the District of Columbia.
• Top Number of Visitors: January & February: 550 visitors each month, February 19th: 43 visitors
  
• Most Searched Keywords: Tivochangedmylife (26 searches), Weavologists (13 searches), Tivo Changed My Life Blog (11 searches)
• There has been 415 searches
• Most Interesting Searches: catified, cat snots all over, i vomet, clean up with comet
• Name Searches of people I know: Mary Lobbestael, Lora Castle Stock, Krista Sahakian, David Griner, and me (Jennie Holladay)
• Most Searched TiVo Shows: America's Next Top Model, Beauty & The Geek & Grey's Anatomy

So here's to 200 posts, a year of blogging. Those of you who have become loyal readers: Thank You! Those of you who are just passing through, welcome hopefully you will you will be amused enough to stop back by. As for this blog, what's ahead, I can guarantee more on America's Next Top Model, Grey's Anatomy, The Hills, Heroes, G. Love & Special Sauce and of course the mishaps of my life.

Also the count down is on 22 days until Olive and I see G. Love & Special Sauce in Cleveland. I am getting that excited feeling again!

MACUL 2007 is Complete

We are back from MACUL 2007, well we were back, Bruce went back down to Detroit to work at Local 4 tonight, but I am currently vegged out in front of TiVo with Tyra & ANTM & Grey's (More on that later.) This morning we woke up nice and early, got some breakfast and headed to Cobo. We had a pretty good group in our session, we talked about producing video on the cheap with free or low cost solutions. We included some sample work and I did a little video from the conference with my Kodak v550 camera and edited with iMovie which you can watch above. (It's nothing earth shattering, trust me.) The only thing, I wish is that we were the second session in the morning, because well I am not a morning person no matter how much coffee I force down, there is a reason I don't talk until I get to school. Bruce and I make a good team. Maybe someday we will become wealthy consultants, we could be good at that, from my experience with consulting its lots of talking, not so much working, its no wonder that everyone doesn't consult. Well maybe nothing will get done. I think the first thing a consulting firm needs is a catchy name. Suggestions welcome.

I am getting excited with our upcoming trip this summer. At MACUL there was a University of Michigan - Flint booth where they were talking up the Technology in Education Global Program. It made me even more excited about the trip! To recap we will be spending three weeks in Geneva and then we will be going to Scandinavia: Sweden & Norway. We are flying out of Olso, Norway. I borrowed the picture from the visit Norway website. Everyone looks kind of surprise when we say Sweden & Norway. I am just getting back to the roots... I am sure you are thinking what? Sweden. But believe it or not, Jennie Sahakian Holladay is Swedish, I get it from my blonde-hair, blue-eyed mother. Yes, I am 1/8 Swedish, 1/8 French Canadian, 1/4 Slovenian, 1/4 Italian & 1/4 Armenian. Ok, I am a true American. You can clearly see it in my parents, pictured here with my sweet adorable nephew Max. Back to Scandinavia... I am excited. I have to do some more research right when I think Sweden I think (besides my heritage), I think Ikea, Swedish Meatballs, Saab (Bruce's Ebay Car - our Saab story) & Volvo (my sister's station wagon.) We have a lonely planet book and now that these conferences are over, I just may have some time to read it.

As for television tonight.. I should probably make this a separate post, but I am going for a potpourri post tonight. ANTM was the makeover drama, no one was that upset over their new look, however, some of the girls had a painful 8 hour fiasco that involved weaves. Jael (the Detroiter) had one put in only to have it taken out. She cried, but frankly, I think I would have too, eight hours of hairdos is a hair don't if you ask me. I included a before and after photo, but I had these kinds of things, because how do you compare a Polaroid photo to one that has been taken under soft lighting and retouched with every girls friend: Photoshop. Renee is coming out as the cynical back stabber of the bunch, which means I will hate her but lover her all at the same time. I like Sarah & Whitney, so far I am not sure who's my front runner. There is a red head who I forget her name but always seems to be crying. Save the tears for real drama, which I think is on the way next week.

Grey's Anatomy was new this week, which I was surprised because I thought we were in reruns until May for some reason, but I am totally ok with not being in reruns. This week, Meredith has dinner with her dad, who is a weak character if you ask me, I too don't want to see him because well he annoys me. Other than that George & Izzy end up in a drunken affair because rich Callie throws George out. Blah Blah Blah, that's getting old. Overall there wasn't much earth shattering, but I did enjoy it.

Right now I am getting ready to do another load of laundry and pop in Arrested Development. Which I almost forgot about, please make sure you TiVo Andy Barker PI on NBC Thursday nights, it's against Grey's Anatomy so you need the help of your dual tuner TiVo, but it has Buster from Arrested Development.

Let the Presenting Begin

Bruce & I are in Detroit for the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning Conference. It is my favorite teacher conference because it's all technology. This year Bruce and I are presenting. We are the first session tomorrow morning. Our session is called: "News, Documentaries and Movies, Oh My." Yes, it all starts with a catchy title. We talk about cheap and free solutions to producing videos in your classroom. However if my administration is reading this, these solutions are meant for other classes NOT MINE. We are finishing up last minute details tonight, after attending the Apple Computer get together, where Apple gave away ipods (none that we won) and free food and drinks (that we did win.) Now we are off to bed (in our hotel room at the Ren Cen) so that we can be prepared to wow our crowd. I will post an update.

75 Degrees of Heaven

I just got back from a three mile run outside. I wore a t-shirt and running pants, but I could have gotten away with shorts. Today is the kind of day all of us up here in Michigan crave starting in oh late January, weather that won't give up frost bite, weather that comes with sun. We were all literally running out of work today to enjoy this sneak peak of spring. On my way home, everyone had their windows down and I even saw one guy on his motorcycle... I must note that my husband is currently riding with the top down in his Saab convertible.

As soon as I got home I threw on my running shoes and headed out the door with my fearless dog Daisy. I ran to the park here in Attica with Daisy. When I got there it was like people had never seen a day like this, me included. They were out with their kids taking pictures, running around, playing basketball, playing baseball, walking their dogs, riding their bikes. As I was running, I was wondering do people in the south or California or places where it is warm all the time have days like this. Where they run out doors with such a fever? Or if it is nice all the time do you not appreciate the 75 degrees of heaven on March 13th. As I write this I know this gorgeous weather won't last long, even though I would give anything to be done with the cold, because the weather man says there are snow showers headed our way this winter. But in the meantime I will continue to enjoy this day.

In other more tragic news and speaking of heaven, fish heaven: I came to school today to find that J. Tuck (the last fish) didn't make it a week. I walked in to find her dead on the bottom of the bowl. I always thought dead fish floated to the top, however these four all sunk. I am sure the students will be as devastated as I am.

The Gift of Fish

It's been a busy week around here, which means I will spend tonight catching up with TiVo. Tuesday night was the big Open House night at St. Clair TEC. It's the night when prospective students come and visit our programs with their parents. I try to have my students their to show them what we do and show off some of their work. The Open House doesn't start until 5:00 pm, so my students had time after school to get something to eat and well buy me a present. They came back to TEC with 4 goldfish for me. It was a present. These fish were the 12 cent variety from Meijer, more on that later. I had mixed emotions, I didn't really want fish, however I had never gotten a present just from my students, so I was touched. As a teacher, I have found that one of the things I enjoy the most is the relationships I form with my students. I like them, that doesn't mean they get away with murder, well sometimes I am sure they do, but sometimes I break out "Mean Mrs. Holladay" (I don't like it but it's something I have to do.)

But back to the fish, they named them: J. Tuck (after one of the students that gifted them), Nemo (because he had a deformed fin), Colby ( he was orange and white like Colby Jack cheese), and a fourth that I really don't remember his name. Now if you are looking at the picture you will see that there are three fish swimming in the bowl that Bruce went and found at his parent's house. Why three, well again these are 12 cent fish, and one didn't make it 24 hours. He died in class the next day. Then I came into work the next morning to find that Colby had past away overnight. Then during the morning class (remember we haven't hit 48 hours yet) Nemo died. By 3pm Thursday, J. Tuck was the only fish that was still kickin'. I don't know if any are left today because I was out at a conference, however I did write on the notes that I left for the sub if the fish was dead to not be surprised.

I also want to make one thing clear, that just because I didn't exactly want these fish, I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR DEATHS. Someone that night said, just flush them, but I couldn't. Little did I know it would only be a matter of days before they would go, and I am a little sad.

But back to Open House, it was a great day, I mainly enjoy it because I get to brag about the program and my students. I feel like a proud mother, when I over hear them say that it's their favorite class and they really like their teacher.

TiVo Update

Well I am sure that most of you come to this blog for the intellectual insight on the television programs that really make an impact on all of our lives, like America's Next Top Model. So I couldn't post on Wednesday because our Internet wasn't working, so here's a recap. In one word: WHAHHHH..... Yes that is the word, it's actually a sound the sound of crying. Let me say that this season is already full of drama queens. Every other minute of this episode there was crying. Everything from crying about how wonderful they are, to crying about how they don't fit in, to crying about how the other girls are jealous of them, to crying about how they did in the challenge, to crying about the photograph they were chosen to do. Ugh... It was too much drama too soon. This is the time in the season when I want to find these girls awkwardly endearing, it's usually the time when one of the girls choses to comes out of the closet on National Television. Usually we don't get these kind of tears until the makeover episode which is next week, so don't miss.

However I did find Tyra endearing during judging. (But really when don't I find her endearing, and to all you Tyra haters out there.. don't hate, look deep inside and find the Tyra Love, I did and life is now a better place.) In the end this week, it wasn't that exciting, because I found myself struggling to get through all the tears. The 19 year-old from Pinnson (some small town, not sure if that is how you spell it) Alabama who's name did not make an impression and she felt awkward and totally out of place was kicked off. It was between her and the clueless (call it language barrier, but I still feel like even if she had a total hold on the language she would still be clueless) Russian. They kept the Russian from pure drama and I have a feeling that she won't disappoint.

Also so far this week, I have watched "the Hills" on MTV. It's the second season of the Laguna Beach spin off. This season Lauren's best friend Heidi is dating captain cheese ball and is totally dissing her friend. Heidi's boyfriend's name is Spencer and every episode I just would like to see less and less of him. So far most of this season I have been feeling bad for Lauren and waiting for Heidi to dump "Spence."

But the creme da la creme for me right now is Heroes. Which of course I am sure is going into reruns next week, which means you can all catch up. It's the NBC show about people with super powers. It's part drama, part action, part comic book. I really like it. It's too hard to describe everything, hence I haven't really wrote about it before (but you can read Todd's take,) but I have the entire season TiVo'd and save on the TiVo in hopes that I can convince Bruce to catch up on the show. Heroes is my new Lost, which I have retired from.

Also there are the ABC staples: Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and the new addition Brothers & Sisters (I know what you are thinking yuck Calista Flockhart, but I won't lie I liked Alley McBeal and I like this show.) That's all I can think of now, I have been really busy this year and I haven't had a lot of time to pick up new shows. I welcome any suggestions for you all of shows that I should be TiVo'ing but I am not. Until next week's ANTM stay focused and stay fierce!

Cleveland Here We Come...

I just left Todd a message on his voicemail making my tentative reservation for April 10th. Why Cleveland? Well it's Spring Break.... 2007 and G. Love & Special Sauce will be playing at the House of Blues in Cleveland! I was just thinking this morning that I have finally hit the point that I eventually get to after the last show, where I am not obsessing over G.L.A.S.S. But now the obsession begins again (sorry Bruce,) how did it begin with a phone call from Olive alerting me to the update email she received from Brushfire records, that G. Love would in fact be in Cleveland. At first I thought that I may have to call off work, but I am out of personal days for the year so that is a no go, when suddenly I realized, wait that is Spring Break 2007. I can go. Olive made her usual comment, oh, I am so surprised you have more time off. Yes, the benefits of teaching. Which leads me to wonder, hmmmm... where is he playing the rest of the week! Anyone one with me: for Spring Break 2007!

Also on a side note, Olive is unaware that after I talked to her and we left it at, oh, we shall see, I have totally committed both her and myself to going, now I am actually waiting until tomorrow to buy the tickets after I talk to her again, however, rest assured, I am going. And hopefully, I will be going with Olive. Until then, if you have go out and buy his latest album Lemonade, it's one of his best. And remember April 10th, Cleveland will ROCK!

I am a Mega Millions Winner....

Along with 113,208 other Michigan Residents, and countless other people across the country. For the $5 in easy pick lottery tickets I bought for Friday nights $275 million drawing, I got the "Mega Ball" on one ticket, which means I won $2. (so really I only lost $3, however, I prefer to be positive and think in winnings.) But as I liked to write every Saturday morning news show after a big lottery drawing, I have good news and bad. First the bad news, I didn't win the big jackpot, but the good news is no one else did either so I have another chance. (when I wrote news I used you, but this time I am talking about me... to think about it I should have written we, hmmmm..) This time the jackpot is up to 340 million smackers, why do I only play if it's over a hundred-million? I guess 12 million is not enough for what I need to do. They way I look at it really is the odds are so astronomical that I will probably(there is always a chance) not win and frankly I am not willing to lay down the dollar it costs for the measly 12 million dollar dreams. That doesn't really make sense, but it does. So now I am off to buy another ticket on for Tuesday's drawing, and from now until 11 pm Tuesday the fantasies begin. But don't worry no matter how much cash I have, I will continue to devote myself to the TiVo Changed My Life Blog. However if I do win, I will make sure to generously remember my friends that took the time to LEAVE COMMENTS.

Update: As I am sure you figured out I didn't win the Mega Millions, but I appreciate all of you who took the time to post, however the leave comments part was about those of you who leave comments all the time, not just when I mention the possibility of winning $340 million. But none the less, I think this was an all time high for comments... just keep them coming.

Firefighters using the jaws of life to cut open the car to get the woman out. By this time I had calmed down a little but I am not going to lie, but I am still freaking out a little.

There were a lot of firetrucks there...

Wow... That Was Close

So I am on my home from Metro-Detroit. I took a personal day to do some business. Well I was on my way home and I am driving north on Lapeer Road. I am just south of Metamora when a car driving the other way hits a patch of ice. That car then slammed into the car in front of me. After slamming into that car it was coming straight towards me. I thought I was toast. Of course all I can think was oh my word I have thousands of dollars of video equipment in the car, I can't be in an accident. Well only by the grace of God I wasn't. The car came within inches of slamming into me too. There wasn't much I could do but slam on the brakes, think about the video equipment and and say a little pray, in that order. I feel really lucky to come out without a scratch. Once I came to a stop, I found my purse that had flown to the floor, found my cellphone surprisingly fast (anyone that knows me, knows that is a feet), I called 911. I probably had the worse 911 call ever in the history of 911 calls.

It went something like this:

Operator: 911 what's your emergency?
Me: There has been a car accident.
Operator: Where are you?
Me: On Lapeer Rd..
Operator: Where on Lapeer Rd.
Me: I don't know, south of Metamora. I am on a cell phone. Please hurry people are hurt.
Operator: are there any landmarks?
Me: a big house, please hurry, a woman is hurt, I think she is trapped. Hurry.....
(I am not sure how it ended, I think she told me help was on the way.)

Yes, if there were a 911 call school this would be what not to do. So I go to the woman, who seems to be coming back into consciousness. I tell her help is on the way, however her car is still running, I say can you turn the car off. She says no. I don't know what to do. Meanwhile a gaggle of other people come to help, thank God, because I am shaking, almost hyperventilating and clearly I am no help. Now she is coming back too. Meanwhile people are trying to pry the door open in order to get her out, because we are afraid that the car might catch on fire since it won't turn off. We are about to break the window open, when she manges to turn off the car with her other hand. The reason she couldn't turn of the car was because her wrist was broken. It looked so painful. She calls her son. I run and get Bruce's coat from the car because she is getting cold. She was probably in shock, because she isn't crying or freaking out, like me, ok, I wasn't crying but I definitely had the freaking out market cornered.

The first police officer arrived in a couple minutes. She was a female and very nice. She was so cool and collected. Unlike, well yours truly. I am not sure how the other people in the other car were, I went right to the woman. They were tended too, by another person. Soon there were probably 5 or 6 ambulances, 4+ firetrucks and both Metamora Police and the Lapeer County Sheriff's department. I was still, well freaked out. So I just stood around and watched them work. That's when I snapped this photo. The emergency crews were so amazing, they asked me a million times if I was in the accident and if I was ok. I was like yes I am fine, I was just the near miss. I gave the police officer my best recollection of the story, which I already gave you. After all the ambulances left, the police helped me maneuver my car out of the gaggle of firetrucks to go north. During this whole ordeal they closed down the road.

So I got home, let the dog out, who had been crossing her legs waiting for me to get home. I then went to the party store to buy my Mega-millions ticket-- $275 million baby and it appears that I am lucky today, maybe good luck will strike twice. I told Karen, our party store manager, the story, she didn't appear to care at all, however it was one of those stories that you just have to tell, I told Bruce, my mom and dad, but I wanted that "oh my God" facial reaction. Well that didn't happen. Surprised? No not really. But I bought some Cranberry Mike's Hard Lemonade, Cheetos and Mega Millions tickets and came home to relax and settle in for the night. I just got a call from the friendly police officer, I told her I came home had a couple drinks and I am now much more relaxed. But I made it clear, I am home for the night. She laughed. It felt rewarding, you know bringing laughter to a hero.. ha ha. Yes I know enough already.

But back to all seriousness, I am still picturing the accident. I know the woman could care less, but I am thinking about her and hoping everything is ok. Needless to say it was a scary night and I am glad to be home.