That Explains All The Coconut Cream Pies!

File Under: Sweet Old Pothead



The actress Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," in an undated photo supplied by the Teton County Sheriff's Department. She was sentenced on Feb. 29, 2008, to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation in Idaho after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Gilligan's' Mary Ann caught with dope

Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car.

She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts -- driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance -- were dropped.

On Oct. 18, Teton County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Gutierrez arrested Wells as she was driving home from a surprise birthday party that was held for her. According to the sheriff's office report, Gutierrez pulled Wells over after noticing her swerve and repeatedly speed up and slow down. When Gutierrez asked about a marijuana smell, Wells said she'd just given a ride to three hitchhikers and had dropped them off when they began smoking something. Gutierrez found half-smoked joints and two small cases used to store marijuana.

The 69-year-old Wells, founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute and organizer of the region's annual family movie festival called the Spud Fest, then failed a sobriety test.

Wells' lawyer, Ron Swafford, said that a friend of Wells' testified that he'd left a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle after using it that day, and that Wells was unaware of it. Swafford also said several witnesses were prepared to testify that Wells had very little to drink at the party and was not intoxicated when she left. He said she was swerving on the road because she was trying to find the heater controls in her new car.

Now it's clear why she made all those pies. Munchies.

Rock on, Mary Ann!

BRAVO

File Under: Tranny hot mess

This made me laugh!

My Problem Child

File Under: Agressive Pussy




This is my cat, Millie.

Millie came into my home in August 2002. She was a shelter rescue and is small and loveable and entertaining. She has also become a bit of a problem.

Call it boredom, call it bottled up energy, call it play...she has developed a bit of an agressive streak. Twice she has launched into attach mode and focused her assault on the back of my leg. Through thick denim, I have a gouge and two long scratches on the back of my leg and a gouge and some smaller scratches on the front of my leg. Being the drama queen that I am, I was convinced that she had a brain tumor and it was causing this agression. She hasn't been acting herself in the evenings though at night she's just as sweet and loving as can be, she curls up and falls asleep on my legs through the night. Okay, not the most comfortable place for a cat but she weighs all of 8 pounds so it's not so bad.

I decided today to take her to the vet. At the very least they would trim her nails and tell me she's okay. She was very good at the vet. Since she's small, she is pretty powerful but she didn't try to bolt, instead she looked around a lot but stayed on the exam table. The doctor listened to me describe her symptoms and behavior. She examimed Millie and suggested bloodwork, jut to rule things out. She thinks that Millie is fine, which is a relief and I brought her home with trimmed nails. Tomorrow I will learn the results of the blood tests. I also came home with some brochures on dealing with agressive cats.

I'll deal with it alright...Xanax. If this keeps up, kitty's going to be on pills.

Ah, the joys of parenthood.

Happy Things

File Under: Stuff to smile about

Enough ranting and whining, this post is about things that make me happy.

The B-52's. I've always loved them, their music is always fun and it makes you want to move. Finally after 16 years, they're releasing a CD of all new music. Funplex is due out at the end of March. The title track, Funplex, is already available on iTunes. I love it. A second single, Hot Corner, is available on Rhapsody (free, for a limited time). YAY!

Pasticceria Natalina. This is a bakery that opened in my neighborhood about a year ago. It's run by an adorable young couple, Natalie and Nicolas and they make the most exquisite bakery treats that are anything but your typical bakery goods. Delicious cookies, tasty tarts, gorgeous little cakes, savory breads and in the summer they also make homemade gelato in assorted flavors. My favorite item from their shop are the lemon cookies.

Saturday, my dear friends Dan (http://www.41north87west.blogspot.com/) and Luis hosted a small dinner party and I brought dessert from Pasticceria Natalina. It was a chocolate cake with raspberry filling, draped in tinted white chocolate. Here's a picture of it!

Pretty, huh?

Next time you're in the Andersonville neighborhood in Chicago, check out Pasticceria Natalina at 5406 N. Clark Street. But not on Monday or Tuesday, they're closed. :)

Feast of Fools podcast. I could try to describe it myself but I'll let the guys do it in their words, swiped directly from their website.

"The Feast of Fools podcast features cocktails, gossip, news and interviews with some of the worlds most eclectic celebrities, newsmakers, and musicians. Hosted by the flaming blue Fausto Fernós with his boyfriend Marc Felion, the Feast of Fools has been in the top 50 downloaded comedy podcasts in the world and currently ranks as iTunes’ #1 gay podcast."

A couple years ago, I subscribed and would occasionally listen. I was always entertained but hadn't made it a habit to download the podcasts. My friend Dave from Tampa discusses them often so I made a point to listen regularly and now I don't miss a show. What's kind of cool is that they guys live in my neighborhood and we all belong to the same gym so I've had the chance to chat with them both and they're two of the sweetest guys you could know. Here's a picture of me with them taken in the summer of 2006. I was working a booth at our neighborhood street fair and they came by.

Check them out at http://www.feastoffools.net/ and subscribe to their podcast, available on iTunes.

Sheryl Crow - "Detours." This is her latest CD. It's a return to her roots. After an eventful couple of years (a breakup, a bout with cancer, adoption, a move and a reunion with the man who produced her first album), she's back with a CD that is truly a labor of love. It's not an album you'll play and immediately start dancing to. Instead, you'll listen to the lyrics and thing about what she went though without feeling as though she's been a victim. I've always admired her as a musician and and artist. I'm not the least bit disappointed with this CD.

March. Yes, I like the month of March, because it's not February. It's kind of like the light at the end of the cold winter tunnel. Spring begins in less than 3 weeks and while that's no guarantee that we've seen the last of cold weather and snow, it means that whatever we get is short-lived. I'm ready for spring.

Your turn! Tell me what makes you happy. Go on, you know you want to!

Star F**ked

File Under: Hollywood Politics

Somehow, I think America's obsession with celebrity has influenced our political scene, namely the Democratic primary race for President. In one corner we have Hillary Clinton, a seasoned Senator, and Barack Obama, a first-time Senator. Barack talks a good game, he's charismatic and has a nice smile. He speaks of change and new ideas and the need for taking America in a new direction. Hilary talks about having the experience to get behind the desk on day 1 and begin to right the wrongs of the previous administration. She too has ideas but she also has the history to backup those ideas. Unfortunately many people are missing what she has to say because they've been blinded by Barack.

We put too much focus on celebrities. We have Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan under a microscope, watching every move. We relish the 'big story.' Celebrities are built up and expected to perform, and by perform I mean embarrass themselves, only so it can be caught on tape and reported by media outlets. I hate to think that Barack is another story made for Hollywood. Do I think he'll fail miserably as President? Probably not, it's doubtful that anybody could be worse than our current President. If he winds up being our leader, I hope he surrounds himself with top-notch advisers who will steer him in the right direction.

Have I given up on Hillary? No. I think she can do it. I wish more people felt the same way. It's time to turn off the Hollywood spotlights and focus on the issues and the experience. And it's time for Oprah, to just go away.

OVER IT!

File Under: How much more can I take?

I'm not a fan of winter but I tolerate it because it can be pretty and I live in what I consider to be a really amazing city so when it's not winter, Chicago is lots of fun. It's the midwest so we have seasons. Summers can be sizzling hot, winters can be cold and snowy. This one has been particularly cold and snowy. The past few winters have been relatively mild, and without a lot of snow. We've had more than our share of both extremes and I have to say that I AM OVER IT. When it snows, people are assholes when it comes to parking. They are inconsiderate about the space they leave between the car in front or behind them, thus hogging two spaces. People don't clean their sidewalks. I rent and I get out and shovel my sidewalk. It's not even my property. Another neighbor in the building shovels too but the rest of them do NOTHING. And let's not ignore the fact that it's fucking cold. Tonight's low is -2. When it's that cold, I just ache. I'm tired of being sore and cranky. I want it to end!!

Okay, enough ranting. I'm going to change out of my fleece hoodie and jeans and put on my flannel pajamas, then crawl into bed under 3 blankets.

Ouch

File Under: Ouch

I'm having a back spasm right now. Actually it started about 45 minutes ago. Fun? Not so much.