Why all the Pantyhose Hate?

While reading Sinic's post about her absolutely awesome new suit (break a leg on your interview!!!!) I was exasperated that she decried the wearing of pantyhose.

While I agree with Sinic on many things, this is just one thing I don't get. It seems like none of the women my age (early 30's or younger) like wearing hose. I'm serious. Nobody I know likes them. Is there something wrong with me for loving them?

I love the fall/winter for many reasons. One of them is getting to wear knee high boots and closed-toe shoes with high heels on them. I love woolen tights and pantyhose (stockings if I'm feeling naughty!) during the winter. Summertime is a completely different story. I'd rather be barefoot, to be completely honest. But in winter, I love the warm snugness of wrapping my legs (one of my better physical traits) in nylon.



Am I old fashioned?

Maybe not...

I'll wear my hose with pride.

Post-Apocalypse: Kansas City, Here I Come!!

This is bizarre...According to the Business Insider, my good ol' hometown of Kansas City is one of 12 Places To Go If The World Goes To Hell.

According to the website:

No matter what happens to the USA, Kansas City will probably be okay. It's not at either one of the coasts, so you don't have to worry much about security or a foreign invasion or rising sea levels. It is surrounded by plenty of farmland (suitable for raising grain and livestock), and it's also at the intersection of several rail lines, so that if we experience an oil spike of unimaginable proportions, you'll still have access to transportation -- in fact, the city should thrive as a hub of activity.

Well, that's very comforting. I'd rather go to Rio...

Thank You!

To all the veterans that visit today, thank you for your service and dedication to your country. As someone who has had family fight in every major conflict since the American Revolution (except Desert Storm), please know I appreciate your sacrifices! I'm especially thinking of my cousin, John, who is in Iraq today. Please stay safe!

For anyone interested, here's a cool article about the Navajo Code Talkers from WWII.

And, yes, indeed it has been a long time since I last posted, but I am doing fine. Lots going on, including my company moving across town. But I have a window and a nice, new, big, pretty desk, so I'm trying not to be fussy about the extra 20 minutes that was added to my commute.

Shows to Haunt Your DVR

I just saw a great TV Guide-type list of some "scary" shows and movies coming up in the next week or so...something to scare everyone!!!

Enjoy!

Scary DVR List

There goes one of my favorite conspiracy theories

I am a huge fan of The Doors and one of my absolutely FAVORITE conspiracy theories (crazier the better is what I say!) is that Jim Morrison is still alive. Apparently living either in Paris or in Oregon or hell, just about anywhere. Even Ray Manzarek is convinced Jim is possibly alive and hanging out on a remote island.

Regardless, it was a highly circumstantial death...My theory is that everyone was so high, nobody really remembers what happened. I wonder how much of the historical record has been screwed up because of mind/memory-altering substances. It would be curious to research that...

Anywho, one of my favorite conspiracy theories is blown to bits and not even because he really is dead and was killed in a Wiccan handfasting ceremony, because, you know, it probably explains everything.

Jim, I guess, is, alas,really dead as can be seen in the photos below taken by a rock historian, Bret Meisner.


Eerie, huh? Maybe it's time to start new conspiracies about WHY he is haunting his own grave...

At least when I someday make my pilgrimage to leave a bottle of whiskey on his grave at the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, I know he might get some use out of it in the afterlife.

Man...now I want to crank up "Soul Kitchen" and bliss out!

No one ever said she didn't have a good imagination...

In a day and age where parents are guilt tripped into creating perfect little adults that read on a college level by the third grade, it's nice to know Darling's still got a crazy streak.

She probably gets it from her parents.


ps...note the fact she's lost her bottom two teeth. Kindergarten picture day is Monday. Awesome.

Apparently, I have a "sucker" tattoo

Yep. I probably have "Sucker!" tattooed on my ankle in invisible ink that only small, homeless animals can see. Either that or PETA knocked me out, kidnapped me and implanted me with a homing device so that every stray in a 25 mile radius can find me.

I don't know how else to explain it. Why do they always find me?

Because I'm a big, fat sucker when it comes to small cuddly things, that's why!

Here's the newest addition to the Moxie household, Nickel...

Yeah, I know. It's a crappy picture, but I'm not a wildlife photographer, ok? She's really not evil like she kind of looks like in this picture. She's very sweet.

So sweet that when I was sitting outside talking on my cell phone (because ATT can't seem to provide cell service inside) she hopped right up into my lap and started purring.

I didn't ask her to and I told her I couldn't possibly fall in love with her (too late) so she she should just am-scray. Surely she'd get the hint and be gone the next morning.

Nope.

Sitting right there on the doorstep, meowing to be let in. So I thought that surely she would be gone by the time I got home from work since we hadn't fed her or given her much attention.

Nope.

Admiring her persistance, I let Darling pet her. Darling then promptly fell in love with her as well. After consulting an exasperated Handsome, we let her in the house and discovered the cat we thought was a boy was really a girl. Which is a bummer, because I've always wanted to name a cat Nicodemus, but well, what can you do?

Nickel took immediately to the food dish and the litter box (thank GOD!!) but not our other two cats, Scaredy and Bully (not their real names).


While there hasn't been any bloodbaths (yet) there is a lot of hissing and a fair amount of caterwauling.

At 3 in the morning. Oh yes, lucky me...


ps...I fully acknowledge that I am one cat away from the dangerous "Cat Lady" territory, so please think happy, non-stray thoughts for me because while Handsome is a patient and tolerant man, he does have his limits.

TGIO!!!

Thank goodness it's October!

My favorite month!!

and...yeah...um...Wow! 2 weeks from whence I last posted. I should apologize, Constant Reader, but I'm not gonna. I'll just let my Catholic guilt steep a little.

It's been a crazy, wild autumnal ride through Moxie-topia. Everything from Darling's lost teeth, to Handsome closing and opening another show to in-law visits and stray cat adoption and planning my sister's birthday party, it's been insanity. Not to mention the generic melee that the month of October usually brings.

Still, October is my favorite month and while I haven't been blogging/commenting, I have been collecting some pretty awesome finds from around the internet that are related to my favorite time of the year.

So, I brought you some stuff, that makes up for my absence, right?


Pumpkin Bites

I'm a HUGE fan of pumpkin pie and these are just so darling! I saw them over at Bakerella and now I'm making these for my sister's birthday party on Saturday. Get the recipe! I can't wait to make these.

(Side note: I LOVE making pumpkin pie, but when my grandma-in-law comes to visit, I can't make it with nutmeg because she's allergic. Who the F*CK is allergic to NUTMEG? Nobody, that's who. I think she's making it up.)

Leafy Luminaries

Gorgeous, no?

Autumnforest is one of my favorite bloggers. These luminaries are so adorable. Nice, cheap, easy decorating that even a kindergartener can do it. Go and check out her blog this month for some really great ghost related topics. She's truly awesome!

Scary Board Games

Ok, well, you were already half way to a party anyway with the pumpkin bites and luminaries, so you might as well hit the thrift stores (or Amazon) and find one of these awesome retro-scary board games. These look like so much fun! (notable exception: Ouija board. Read here if you want my full opinion of the damn things. I don't like repeating myself.)

Trick-or-tini

Time to kick back with a Trick-or-tini or two (try saying that after having more than two), or one of these, and just enjoy Moxie's favorite month!

Even though I'm not doing the Ghost Posts this year (I really am busy, I'm not making it up!), you can still enjoy my archives and I'll probably post a few this month just for fun.

If you want to send me a ghost story, I'd be more than happy to have a guest blogger for a day!

The moxie of America

I saw this ad over at Advertising is Good For You and I just love it.

This is the can-do, moxie-filled spirit of our grandfathers. This is how our ancestors made the US great. They got off their asses and worked for it.

And, in all liklihood, they did some of it wearing Levis.

I can't believe I'm kind of inspired by a jeans ad.

Odd. Very odd.

But then again, I'm usually an optimist about the future...

Light One Candle for Mary

It was the summer of 1997 and a nun made my dreams come true by giving me 6 tickets. It was the first time Handsome's parents had met mine and we sat in a sea of pot smoke at Starlight, anticipating the music to begin...

And there they were...Peter, Paul and Mary. I couldn't believe that after 20 years of life, I was finally hearing one of the most influential musical groups of my life. My parents and I were estatic, Handsome's less so, but still enthusiastic.

It was truly one of the best concerts I've ever been to and when Mary sang "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" there were tears in my eyes.

To say PP&M influenced my life would be an understatement. I remember being in 2nd grade and picking dandylions out in right field of my softball game and not understanding why my dad was upset that I wasn't following the game...

I remember when I was 10 I decided I would walk up the aisle at my wedding to "The Wedding Song" (and I did!)

I remember being in high school and their music took on such a different meaning as I was awakened to social justice issues.

I remember the first time I sang "Puff the Magic Dragon" to Darling and how she giggled.

There are SO many memories and reasons I would like to honor her for. Her music was such a part of my life that it seems amazing that the songs are now done.

I'm not one to get all broken up over celebrity deaths. It's not my thing, but I've only been upset this much on the days that Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul, George Harrison and John Denver died. All very influential famous figures in my life. This one is just so sad...

Rest in peace, Mary Travers. Thank you for everything.

These make me want to throw a party

Wow! I saw these and thought they were a great, cheap idea for a really awesome dinner party.

For short-term decorating, use sturdy apples like Red Delicious or Granny Smith to craft a cute bud vase. Simply core an apple as deep as you can, using a knife or a screwdriver. Keep your handiwork hydrated and fresh by spraying the inside and edges of the fruit with a mixture of water and lemon juice. Top with one large flower, or try a small bunch. Show off these delicious creations on a mantel, windowsill or atop a rectangular plate on the dining room table when entertaining.

Here's some other ideas that I saw, but I can't get past the apples right now...

Historically, reading...

I've been on a reading jag. (As a result my DVR is almost 75% full. Yikes!) This happens from time to time and is usually because I've started a really fabulous book. While I read almost anything under the sun, I've hit on a couple of really great historical novels lately...neither are new releases, but they're new to me, so there you go. For really great book reviews, go visit Heather J. at Age 30+: A Lifetime of Books.

In the Presence of Mine Enemies
~by Harry Turtledove

The basic premise is "What if the Nazis won the war?" Not a unique pastiche, many people have played this "What if" game. Turtledove does it splendidly though. You follow the members of a secretly Jewish family, the Gimpels, and their Jewish and non-Jewish friends as they navigate the changes that follow a new Fuhrer being named to the head of the German Empire.

What I liked:
I liked Turtledove's imagination concerning how the world would be different at the beginning of the 21st Century. At times it was eerily chilling: After the 3rd World War in which the Nazis used nuclear bombs on Washington, DC and Philadelphia, Omaha became the new capital, the destroyed Liberty Bell was in Berlin on display, but sealed to protect from radiation.

I also liked the different perspectives through which Turtledove tells his story. From children in school, to Heinrich and Walther who work in the heart of the Reich, to an outspoken English professor, Susanna, the secret story of Jews in this strange new world is fascinating and at times heart-wrenching.

What I didn't like:
Very little. I thought at times Turtledove's writing mechanics were a bit elementary and maybe a bit awkward, and I didn't like the longer, somewhat laborious descriptions of playing bridge with their Aryan friends. I also was waiting for deeper emotional conflict/turmoil between the leading characters, but didn't feel like it ever came even after certain members of the family were arrested by the Nazis. But, overall, it was worth my time to read through to the end.

The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
~by Susan Gulland

A friend handed me this book and said, "You HAVE to read this! You'll love it!" knowing that I am a big fan of books such as The Emancipator's Wife: A Novel of Mary Todd Lincoln. I sat down one evening after Darling went to bed and thought "I'll just read a few pages and see"...Three hours later I look up at the clock and realize I'm half way through the book. As the first in a series of three books, The Many Lives takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the life of Josephine (Rose) de Beauharnais from her birth as Marie-Josephe-Rose Tascher in Martinique on a sugar plantation through the wild days of her unhappy first marriage and The Reign of Terror to the very beginning of her fateful relationship with Napoleon Bonaparte.

What I liked:
I loved this book! I know a pretty fair amount of French Revolution history, but I never knew much about Josephine Bonaparte before her marriage to Napoleon. The story is told through "diary entries" and "letters" and since it is about a historical figure, I appreciate that they were dated so I could tie them to a bigger perspective. I have no idea if it was true or not, but I found the prediction from a slave that she would be unhappily married, would then be widowed, and would then become queen really interesting. The novel is supposed to be relatively historically accurate and that's always a bonus for me. Now I just need to get the other two books!!

What I didn't like:
Um. Not much. I really enjoyed the voice that the character of Josephine had and I appreciate that it's not just a bodice ripper in an historical setting, but I wish it revealed a little more of the actions of her first husband, Alexandre, who played a pretty big role in the early Revolution. Also, at times, I feel as if the book has pacing issues. While it is undoubtedly a quick read, sometimes the story jumps ahead really quickly and you feel as if you might have missed something that happened in between and you wonder what the writer left out. Also, and I'm not sure if it can be helped since the story is told in diary form, I wonder whether the casual reader understands exactly what is going on during certain periods of the French Revolution. Any way around it, I'm eager to read the other two books.

I really enjoyed these books and I would encourage you to check them out. If you have any good historical fiction suggestions, send 'em my way!

I miss her so much today...

Please go read this first...

I dreamt about her last night...

I don't remember everything, but I do remember that in my dream she held my face in her hands and said "I love you, doll baby". Just like she did a thousand times in real life.

My grandma was the original Moxie Mama. Her Brooklyn sass inspired me so much to be a bold, brave woman. I just wish I could hug her one more time.

I hate 9/11.

I hate spending the day with tears in my eyes, even though it's been 8 years.

Well, what does she do with them?

Darling is on the precipice of losing her very first tooth and I have officially entered the Land Of I Don't Know...

After Handsome and I explained how the whole Tooth Fairy thing worked, and after being initially concerned about "squishing her under my pillow on accident", Darling hit us with a stumper:

What does the Tooth Fairy do with the teeth?

I really have no idea.

And the more I thought about it, the creepier the whole notion of a Tooth Fairy became. Some fairy that sneaks into your room while you're asleep to take your teeth for unknown reasons and to leave you a couple of bucks for them.

I guess I better come up with some decent logic of why she wants them before that first little incisor falls...

The Crone Next Door

After reading The Single Girl's post on her "nosy neighbor" I got to thinking about my erstwhile gem of a neighbor lady...

As soon as the ink was barely dry on our renter's contract at the house of horrors, our land(slum)lord gave the five of us college students a sickly, sweet smile and said, "Be nice to your neighbor lady. She'll call me in two seconds if you're doing something she doesn't like."

We should have known then.

The day we moved in she was sitting on her screened in porch with her 5 small, yapping dogs, watching us.

She came over to introduce herself, we'll call her Bette because you better believe we weren't sorry to move away from her.

The very first thing that came out of her mouth is, "I called _______ your landlord and found out about you. I'm just glad you're not illegals who will play their 'taco music' until 2 in the morning or druggies or Africans. One black guy who lived in your house grew pot on the second story balcony. (This is foreshadowing because we actually had a roommate that would attempt that a year later, but he wasn't a very good botanist). Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'll be watching you."

I swear this is a direct quote.

Needless to say, our liberal arts college minds were blown by this narrow-minded, bigoted, little old lady. I don't think any of us had ever heard anybody refer to minorities like that out loud. We were white-bread, protected kids from the suburbs. We were in shock.

As it turned out, we had some pretty wild parties there and Bette never said a word, mostly I think because at least we were white and weren't going to steal from her.

Bette had lived in the house her grandfather built around the turn of the twentieth century and she knew at least 60 years of gossip for every house on the street. She was more than willing to share her stories which kind of fascinated me as an historian and bugged on the level that it just proved she had about 70+ plus years of snooping and gossiping under her belt. God only knows what horror stories she told the next people who moved into our house.

Probably that we had a suicidal cat and had love lifes more complicated than Melrose Place...

to be continued...

Well, it's an honor!

I just found out that I have been named Best KC Mommy Blog (a dubious honor) by Kansas City's Best Blogs.

While I shun the "Dooce"-like title of Mommyblogger, it's nice to know The Editors (whoever they may be) know what the difference is between a "look at my kid" blog and a mother who happens to blog.

This has totally made my day!!!

The Triumphant Return of Indecision

Children of the '80's: Remember "Choose Your Own Adventure" books?

YAY! They're coming back!
(I bookmarked this a few days ago and I forget where I originally saw it and I'm very fastidious about giving credit where credit is due, so a thousand apologies...)

I LOVED these books when I was a kid. I remember the turmoil of trying to decide which page I turned to next. Why this was such a tremendous issue, I don't know, because I always inevitably read every possible combination and twist. 42 possible endings? I had to read every single one.

Seriously, read the story about their return. Very cool interview...a powerful example that you have to have good marketing behind whatever you try to sell.

Ketchup Time

Hello, Constant Reader!

Sorry for the unexplained blog-cation...I meant to write during my week off from work (precious, precious time between Darling's 5th birthday and the first day of Kindergarten), but low and behold, the week zipped by and there I sat with a Google Reader at the 1,000+ New Items point. (I *MIGHT* have skimmed through some, but I promise that I totally read whatever you wrote!)

So, let me ketch you up....

Things Moxie learned on her 9 day stay-cation:

Do not attempt to spray glitter on fairy wings on a windy day unless you WANT to look like Tinkerbell's whore.

I CAN get sick of leftover hot dogs

Screw the holidays, stay-cations where you do what you want to do, when you want is where it is AT!!! The best, most relaxing va-ca ever!

The Narnia exhibit at Union Station was AWESOME!!! Slightly heavy on the Disney-ness of the movie making stuff, but they had some great CS Lewis paraphenalia...

The Lego Exhibit at Crown Center is awesome!!



Kalideoscope is still incredibly awesome and Fritz's train restaraunt is still overpriced crappy food...

The Butterfly Exhibit at Powell Gardens was VERY cool...



So was their splash fountain!



One of the cutest things about Darling is that she always has to "stop and smell the flowers". Whether it's the grocery store or a random sidewalk, she must take a second and enjoy them. At Powell Gardens, that got a bit out of hand...


All in all, it was a great vacation. Maybe we slept too late and played too much Pretty, Pretty Princess, but it was fun...



It all led up to the big day...First Day of Kindergarten...I only turned into Sobby McWeepypants for a minute or two...


Long and short of it all, Moxie's back and super plus dedicated to bringing you more tales from our stay-cation adventures.

So, I'm back and promise to get back to giving you wonderfully insightful, thought-provoking blog comments (umm...yeah, 'cause I've always done that, right?)

pppssst: If you are in KC this weekend, The Toy and Miniature Museum is offering free admission this Sat. Aug 29th. I've ALWAYS wanted to go so I'm a little excited. Storytime, balloon animals, face painting, what could be more fun for little kids? (I know, a lot, but still).

Hot Dog Buffet Suggestions?

Since hot dogs are one of Darling's favorite things (Mama's also), we're planning on doing a Build Your Own Hot Dog bar for her birthday.

I need suggestions for some fun hot dog toppings...things for both adults and kids (but not neccessarily both).

Here's what I got so far:

Regular Mustard
Spicy Mustard
Ketchup
Relish
Jalepenos
Onions
Chili
Cheese (grated)
Rotel dip
Sauerkraut

I'm serving chips, pasta salad, veggie tray and fruit basket with it.

What am I missing?

What's your favorite hot dog topping?

Biting my tongue and biding my time...

So, MIL is in town. I'm really, really grateful that she is here for the week to watch Darling in that No Man's Land of Vacation between summer camp and the first day of school.

Darling's 5th Birthday is also on Saturday so she's been helping us out a lot to get ready. Darling wanted a Tinkerbell birthday party so part of the fun is decorating fairy wings (girls) and pirate chests (boys). This requires a lot of homemade prep work for 16 pairs of wings and 10 cardboard boxes transformed into pirate chests. A LOT of work because I apparently enjoy doing things the hard way and my alpha-craft mom thing emerged.

Have I mentioned that I'm really f'in' grateful for my MIL?

Because I am.

Truly...

What is driving me nuts is HER.

I'm going to rephrase that...

SHE'S DRIVING ME BAT SHIT CRAZY!!!!

She's only been here 3 days and has made it clear that:

1. I can't cook so she makes dinner. Which I find rather amusing because I'VE certainly never mixed raw cabbage, carrots and Jell-O together nor have I served noodles and veggies so over-cooked they turn to tasteless mush.

2. I'm incapable of brushing my daughter's hair. I don't brush her thin, fine, curly-if-it-isn't-brushed-when-wet hair after bathtime. Hello! Split ends!! I won't budge on this. My hair is the same way and I've survived 32.5 years relatively split end free.

3. I am completely unreasonable when it comes to marital discussions. My grandparents had a pretty good rule: It's not your marriage, keep your mouth shut and let them work it out. It's worked well in family relationships for over 33 years. My parents employ this rule as well. My MIL did not get the memo. Handsome and I had differing opinions on a detail of the upcoming party. As oldest children, we sometimes don't want to budge. I don't need MIL to tell me her son is completely right (he's not) and I'm an idiot. Handsome and I have been working out details for almost 13 years without her help. None is needed now.



So, please, dearest Constant Reader, pray for me that I don't stick a fairy wand where it doesn't belong between now and Saturday?

thx bai...

KC Komen Walk: A Pictoral

Yesterday was the KC Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and it was an incredibly hot day. Despite that, Darling, Handsome, Mother in Law and I did the 5k Walk (like I could run that distance!) I raced in the memory of Handsome's Aunt/Godmother who passed away January 2008 and in celebration of my favorite docent at the museum who has survived for almost 5 years and counting. (I wore a special sheet saying "I run in celebration of _____" and gave it to my docent after the race yesterday and she almost cried. I was kind of surprised how touched she was...)

Having done the St. Louis Walk in June, I had a few thoughts.

There were 68,000 people (I think) in St. Louis. There were 28,000 in KC. Parking-wise, St. Louis and their MetroLink light rail whooped our 2 mile back up on I-70. STL was a lot more organized than KC.

In STL, there were people standing in the middle of the street handing out paper cups of water with trash cans near by. In KC, you were supposed to refill your water bottle from volunteers with gallon jugs and there were no misting stations. KC: Big Time Fail.

None of the businesses in Crown Center or Union Station were open after the race. This sucked. BUT, the free give away area in KC was set up MUCH better than in STL which was a major crunched-up mess-fest.

KC had a much more interesting walk route. Better scenery, better bands to play music along the way (Everything from jazzy blues to rockabilly to classic rock to alternative rock). More happier volunteers even though it was a lot hotter yesterday...Our Survivor's Walk (around the fountain in front of Union Station) was a lot more moving and special for the Survivors.

Despite my bitching about logistics, it was a lot more enjoyable overall in KC, but maybe I'm biased.

Here's some random pics from the day, please excuse the crappy photography but I was sweating, walking and more focused on climbing the hills.

Starting off early in Union Station.

Darling was NOT exactly enthusiastic to be up that early after a week at Grandma's...








There were some really great bands along the way...














This little boy's shirt broke my heart...

Darling was really impressed with the giant shopping cart...

Why does the WWI Museum have to look like a giant penis???





The splash fountains at Crown Center? Darling was ready for that!!!



Handsome has been growing out his hair for a year and a half in order to donate it to Beautiful Lengths, in memory of his aunt. Yesterday, after the Komen Walk, he finally cut it.

I'm relieved....and a little sad...and yes, I know...that is a lot of hair and yes it did all come from him.